“Staying focused, remembering where I come from and thinking on what God has done for me has helped get me through the challenges.”
JAMES MOKAYA OMWERI, RECENTLY GRADUATED WITH PH. D. IN CHEMISTRY FROM UAB; UAB NEWS, AUGUST 10.
Area Leaders, Groups Gather at Miles College to Stress the ‘Urgency’ of Voting
By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
With three months remaining until the 2024 Presidential Election, Miles College is not wasting time engaging young voters.
The Fairfield-based Historically Black College and University (HBCU) on Tuesday hosted a campus-wide voter activation event that drew hundreds of students and multiple organizations including WokeVote, the Birmingham Chapter of the NAACP, the Black Women’s Roundtable, civic leaders, and collegiate members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC).
“There is an urgency nationwide not just for voters to reach the polls, but for us to reach the younger generation who may not have been fully educated on the principles of voting,” said Candice Hardy, Director of Learning Resources and Project Manager for Miles College.
Miles President Bobbie Knight said, “As we embark on the Fall semester of our 126th year, during a presidential election year, it is imperative that we ensure our scholars and the surrounding community are educated, energized, and engaged. Voting is our given right, one that numerous courageous individuals fought for us to have. This is our moment to honor the legacy of those who fought for our right to vote.”
Mehgan Owens, a Miles senior and member of Delta Sigma Theta who is studying biology, said Kamala Harris’ rise to the top of the Democratic ticket for President this year is inspiring.
Harris, who has enough delegates to become the Democratic Party nominee at next week’s DNC gathering in Chicago will face Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election.
“As a Black woman, it’s important to see someone like her … not only because she would be the first Black women to become President, but more so because of her character,” said Owens, “… we have a Black woman who cares about education and women’s rights.”
Judge Jameria Moore who participated in the event said now is the time to get students involved in the voting process.
“Being the graduate of an HBCU (Alabama A&M) … [we should talk] to our students on a daily basis, not just at rallies … so that they have the right people in [office] to make sure their life is a lot easier than the life before them,” said Moore.
Chauntae Brown, Assistant District Attorney, said voter registration rallies, especially at HBCUs, are needed “… we once did not have this right [to vote],” she said. “This is a right that was fought for through blood, sweat, and tears, and it’s important that we don’t waste that right …”.
Jefferson County School District 2 candidate, Sultana Godwin, said students need to be aware that no matter who they’re voting for “they need to understand what it means to get out there to cast a ballot and do it every time that we have an election.”
Miles plans to conduct monthly engagement voting events through student-led initiatives, and panel discussions open to the community through the Nov. 5 election, said school officials.
300 Businesses Highlighted in Birmingham During Black Business Month
WVTM / NBC13
There are more than 300 minority-owned businesses operating in Birmingham.
Crystal Peterson’s “Yo Mama’s” is known for its chicken and is a staple in the community. Peterson says Black Business Month is a time to represent for her family and community.
“I’m really happy that we are considered a place of excellence, I wanted to be an example that other people can see that Black people can own things and own it affluently and be excellent at it,” Peterson said.
Alabama customers take pride in celebrating the month by spending their money on Black-owned businesses.
“There’s been a long history of Black-owned businesses that have not flourished, but here’s an example of one that’s doing a great job right in central Birmingham,” said Jeremy Butler, a recent customer at Yo Mama’s, said.
While business owners pride themselves on serving, Torey Amerson owns Marc Dion Clothier, which offers custom-made suits, and says it costs to be the boss.
“Starting a business and running a business is not an easy task. So you may start the business and feel as though it’s not going as it should, but if God has a plan for you, then just continue down that path,” Amerson said.
The Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) has supported more than 200 projects in the city and says the month allows customers to find hidden gems across the country.
“It amplifies and elevates businesses that many in the broader business community don’t know about. It’s a growing industry, and that’s why Birmingham Business Alliance partners with other Black business development organizations in the city,” Victor Brown, director of small business for the BBA, said.
The BBA plans to create new programs to support even more Black-owned businesses.
For more on this story visit here
‘It Was Special to Marry the Person You Cherish and Look to Enjoy a Lifelong Union’
BY KEISA SHARPE | Special to the Birmingham Times
“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.
HERNANDEZ AND VALERIE JOHNSON
Live: Birmingham (Winewood)
Married: Dec. 19, 1987
Met: 1985, at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Birmingham. Valerie went to church with her sister Angela and says she spotted Hernandez from afar at church and claimed him before he knew who she was.
“I told my sister when I saw him, that he was going to be my husband one day when I didn’t know he really would be my husband one day,” she said laughing.
Months would pass before they would see each other again, but Valerie says they missed each other initially because he was in the choir loft, and she was looking for him in the pews.
But they were reunited in service through their love of music.
“I decided to join the choir months later, and I was like, ‘Here’s the guy that I thought was so cute,’” she said. Hernandez was a tenor.
First date: After months of seeing one another at choir rehearsal, Hernandez asked Valerie on a date. He had an extra ticket for Valerie to attend a concert with him and his sister in the summer of 1985 at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC).
Valerie took Hernandez up on the offer, even though she doesn’t remember many details about the actual concert.
“I was joking about (the fact that) I don’t even remember the concert now because I just was excited to get an opportunity to go somewhere with (Hernandez and his sister). I don’t remember who was playing,” she said.
“It didn’t even matter, it probably could have been Elvis Presley,” said Hernandez, who says he didn’t remember many details about the concert and who performed, either. “She didn’t care. She just wanted to go to the concert with me,” he said.
The turn: Valerie says the timing was right when she met Hernandez. Before meeting him she almost became discouraged with the dating scene.
Both attended West End High School but didn’t know one another while attending school. Hernandez is seven years older.
“When we started dating, my friends would tell me, ‘Do you know who you’re dating? You’re dating someone famous,’” said Valerie.
Hernandez, who is a retired chef (he worked at EWTN the Eternal Word Network, a cable television network which presents Catholic-themed programming) was a football standout in high school, described by his friends as an “elusive running back.” Hernandez also played football in college. He went to the University of Wyoming on a football scholarship.
He still has a love of sports and says he has “a room dedicated at his home to the University of Alabama football.”
“Playing football was natural for me,” he said. “In grade school at Our Lady of Fatima, I took pictures with Alabama head football coach Paul Bear Bryant at an all-star football banquet for the youth athletic league sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham,” said Hernandez.
The proposal: Aug. 22, 1987. What most attracted Valerie to Hernandez is his gentle spirit. “My husband is so honest …. just the most endearing gentleman and just quiet spirited,” said Valerie.
She says his quietness and meekness made it challenging for her to “read” his intentions.
“We used to love to go to the now-closed Western Sizzler in (Homewood) and on one occasion after dinner, he wanted to go to Vulcan Park,” said Valerie, who describes her husband as “quiet and unassuming, saying “at some point, he started just asking me a lot of questions. I didn’t get it at first … but I put two and two together and adding it up … and I was like, ‘Oh, he’s trying to propose,’” she recalled.
“I didn’t go that far (to get on one knee), but I did ask her as we sat around a picnic table. And she said yes that night,” said Hernandez.
And Valerie added that she accepted “with no hesitation.”
The wedding: Four months after they were engaged they decided to marry. What she remembered most was how her aunt encouraged them to move the Dec. 26, date back a few days so they could spend their first Christmas in 1987 as husband and wife.
Hernandez and Valerie wed December 19 in a traditional ceremony at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church.
Their colors were dusty rose and white burgundy and Father Henry Dickson married the couple. “It was an extremely beautiful date day in the month of December, and it was a warm day,” remembered Hernandez.
“It was so special to marry the person you cherish and look to enjoy a lifelong union…. that was also very memorable,” said Hernandez.
“One thing I remember about the day is how beautiful it was,” said Valerie. “It was a very sunny day in December,” said Valerie.
Words of wisdom: The couple, celebrating 37 years of marriage in December, is reading “The Purpose Driven Life” together. The book, written by Pastor Rick Warren, helps people uncover their purpose in life.
“We are just grateful that we’re going down a deeper journey of building our relationship even more carefully with God,” said Valerie.
Hernandez offers simple keys for couples. “Get to know one another, but the most important thing is to know God. And make sure your relationship is built on love and that God is your strong foundation,” said Hernandez.
“The most important thing is for us to live really for Him (God) and we make that our first priority. And because of that, our relationship and every relationship that we have will just be that much more fruitful.”
Happily ever after: Hernandez 67, and Valerie, 60, are both graduates of West End High School.
After graduation, Hernandez attended Community College in Coffeyville, Kansas, the University of Wyoming on a football scholarship, and later graduated from Jefferson State Community College with a degree in culinary arts.
Valerie retired after a 23-year career as a postal worker, and is currently a volunteer manager with YWCA in Birmingham. They continue to worship at Our Lady of Fatima in Birmingham.
They have two sons and a daughter. Their oldest son, Hernandez II, 35, is a human resources specialist. Their second son Vernon, 31, is a program support assistant at the VA who’s pursuing his master’s degree at the University of West Alabama and youngest daughter, Kaylyn, 29, is a personal trainer with 24e.
“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.
Single Mothers in Birmingham See Benefits From $375 in Guaranteed Monthly Income
birminghamal.gov
On Monday, Mayors for Guaranteed Income, Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, and the City of Birmingham said that a pilot program where single mothers were provided a nearly $400 monthly guaranteed income improved participants’’ financial wellness, more parent-child time, decreased work performance issues related to childcare, and increased educational aspirations.
Embrace Mothers guaranteed income pilot provided 110 Birmingham households led by single mothers with $375 a month for a 12-month period beginning in February 2022. This randomized control trial included an additional 132 control group participants who were also single mothers in Birmingham but did not receive guaranteed income.
Key findings from the release of independent data on the pilot include:
- Improved financial health — Embrace Mothers participants reported better financial health than control group members did, with less utility debt, a better ability to cover a $400 emergency expense, and higher contributions to savings.
- Employment —Embrace Mothers allowed participants more choice in the type of job, schedule, and number of hours worked, allowing them to be more present and available to their children. Mothers who continued to work throughout the pilot experienced significantly fewer issues at work due to childcare challenges—a key component of the theory of change envisioned by the City in targeting guaranteed income to single mothers.
- Parenting — Being able to better provide for their children’s needs brought most Embrace Mothers participants deep satisfaction. With the guaranteed income, they prioritized their children’s well-being—from basic needs such as clothes, shoes, more food, and hygiene items (toothpaste, soap, menstrual products); to being able to provide treats and family experiences they had never been able to before; to investing in their academic, physical, and social development in extracurriculars and field trips.
Woodfin, who championed the pilot program, said “For every 10 households in Birmingham, six are led by single mothers. These women are the engine of our economy, getting up every day to do what’s necessary to provide the best they can for their children. They’re already experts in making a little stretch a long way, Embrace Mothers proves that even a modest guaranteed income can help them overcome the barriers of poverty.”
One Embrace Mothers participant explained the benefit, stating, “[My daughter’s] been wanting [dance classes], but I just couldn’t afford it. And so now, just not being able to say no as much is really a big thing for me, especially when it comes to my kids, because I want to give them everything. I just—I couldn’t. And I still can’t give them everything, but I can give them a little bit more.”
“No one is a better money manager than a single mom,” said Michael D. Tubbs, founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. “Too often, these hardworking mothers face impossible circumstances between providing for their children and taking care of their children. Guaranteed income is a way of saying that we see you, and we care about what you’re going through. We know you’re going to use this financial support to be a better parent to your children.”
Birmingham’s pilot is affiliated with Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a coalition of over 150 mayors. The research findings from Birmingham build upon similar results from the mayor-led guaranteed income programs in Stockton, CA, Saint Paul, MN, Cambridge, MA, Paterson, NJ, and Richmond, VA where researchers found increased employment, greater financial stability, more parent-child time, and a better level of overall well-being.
Read the full report on the Embrace Mothers Guaranteed Income program here.
Chase Hosts Back-To-School Event in Birmingham
The Birmingham Times
Chase hosted a Back-to-School student and family event at the A.G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club on Saturday, August 10 where it presented financial health workshops for parents and students to learn about the importance of budgeting and smart spending when preparing for back-to-school.
The national bank gave away 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies across the Alabama market, including more than 600 during Saturday’s Birmingham event. Students and their families enjoyed yard games, snacks and free haircuts.
The financial institution encouraged students and families to use the opportunity to talk about good money habits, including establishing credit and good personal and business financial health habits.
To learn more, visit chase.com/student
The ‘Essential Work’ of Hezekiah Jackson IV Remembered During Homegoing Celebration
By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
Hezekiah Jackson IV, who once served as president of the Metro Birmingham NAACP and as a leader in more than a dozen civic organizations in the city, was remembered on Saturday as a man who interacted with leaders of the highest rank but never lost touch with everyday citizens.
Mr. Jackson, who died on August 6 at the age of 65, was celebrated during a 90-minute service at Sardis Baptist Church in West Birmingham and honored as a political activist; community empowerment guru; family patriarch; neighborhood and community president; and Foot Soldier in the Civil Rights struggle.
Rev. Andra Sparks, senior pastor of 45th Street Baptist Church in East Lake, where Jackson was a member, delivered the eulogy and said Mr. Jackson was a “church boy … [who] treated people like the church said you were supposed to be treated, [dealt] with people like they mattered, like the church said we’re supposed to.”
He continued, “Do y’all know that there are some people in this world folks will never care about? Hezekiah told them they mattered. He helped [everyday citizens] understand that they were valued and that’s why his work was so essential to our community,” said Rev. Sparks, who is also Presiding Judge for the City of Birmingham Municipal Court.
Mr. Jackson, a native of Birmingham and the East Birmingham and Kingston neighborhoods, attended city schools, Miles College and held associate degrees in business management and bachelor’s in business administration and became a certified bookkeeper.
He managed and served in a number of campaigns for Congress, Governor, House of Representatives, State Senate, Judge, Circuit Clerk, Mayor, City Council and Obama for America.
But his work in Civil and Human Rights and community and civic affairs led to his role as one of Birmingham’s most prominent “difference makers” over several decades, said Rev. Sparks.
Mr. Jackson served in leadership with nearly two dozen groups including 30 plus years with the Metro Birmingham NAACP, 20 years as president; leader of two neighborhoods: East Birmingham and Inglenook Community and president of the Citizen Advisory Board overseeing the 99 neighborhoods of Birmingham.
“When he got involved in your circumstances, he made a difference … ,” said the pastor. “Hezekiah was masquerading as a Foot Soldier, but he was really a general. The best generals have served as Foot Soldiers. They understand the walk and the work, they understand the sweat and the tears that come with the work we have to do.”
Bishop Calvin Woods, President Emeritus, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) for the State of Alabama, among those who celebrated Mr. Jackson, said, “when the gates of heaven open wide Brother Hezekiah will step inside along with many others who fought in the freedom battle … along with all of those who are in this righteous struggle because they stood up faithfully and courageously and fought that all men, women and boys and girls would be free.”
Juandalynn Givan, a close friend who serves as State Rep. House District 60, read a “Love Note From Hez” that he penned the days leading up to his passing where he thanked those who made sure he was “casket ready, looking my most dapper.”
To his family, he wrote in part, “thank you for understanding,” Givan read, “that just because I didn’t come around all the time or you were not in my programs or involved, it didn’t mean that I didn’t love you, it didn’t mean that I loved anyone else more than you … My battles did not need to become your battles, [politics] is a contact sport. It can be brutal and it’s not for the faint of heart. And, therefore, I chose to walk in a particularly different life on this journey, but I knew that every step I took you were with me. Just note you were everywhere, you were every breath, you were every smile, as I stepped into the spotlight as sharp as I was.”
But Mr. Jackson, who helped plan his Homegoing, perhaps had the final words as he wrote for the program: “Thank you to the many who along my journey have taught me, mentored me, nurtured me, tolerated me, served beside me, loved me and looked beyond my faults and saw my needs! Until we meet again.”
Birmingham Mayor Woodfin, Wife Share Name, Photos of Daughter
By Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and his wife, Kendra, have shared the name and pictures of their daughter, born Aug. 1.
The new baby will be called Love Lee Woodfin.
“LOVE…It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres,” Woodfin wrote in a social media post this weekend. “And now these three remain: faith, hope, love. But the greatest of these is Love. Kenda and I are so very blessed to grow our family and welcome our daughter- Love Lee Woodfin. Thank you Misty and Phillip (Misty Dawn Photography) for capturing our precious little one’s smile and her dimple.”
He added: “Love shares her paternal great grandmother’s middle name: Rosa Lee Woodfin.”
The mayor married Kendra Morris on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. It was his first marriage and her second. She had two sons, Aubrey and Mason, from her previous relationship.
Andrew Young Returns to Southern City Where He First Became Pastor for Exhibit on His Life
BY BRENDAN FARRINGTON, Associated Press
THOMASVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Annie Walden remembers 70 years ago when Andrew Young began his career as a pastor of a small Black church in Thomasville in 1955 — years before he became a civil rights leader beside Martin Luther King, Jr., a U.S. congressman, United Nations ambassador and Atlanta mayor.
“He stayed around the house with us a lot. He would go across the field with my husband. He laid some bricks on our fireplace and bragging that he never laid bricks before,” Walden said. “He was like family.”
She was among a large group of people who welcomed Young back to the south Georgia city Thursday, the place where he began a career reflected in the aptly named traveling exhibit “The Many Lives of Andrew Young.” The event was held at a local art center not far from historic Bethany Congregational Church, where Young became pastor before joining King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
“The lessons I learned here all lead to Birmingham to Selma to Washington,” Young, 92, told the crowd. “I was already on most of the paths, and you all pushed me the rest of the way up the hill. … What you have here that you gave to me and my children, I was able to give to the rest of the nation.”
The exhibit, created by the National Monuments Foundation, chronicles Young’s life through photographs, memorabilia and his own words. It’s based on a book of the same name by Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Ernie Suggs.
Young also served as a pastor in neighboring Grady County before joining the SCLC. While working with King, Young helped organize civil rights marches in Selma and Birmingham, Alabama, and in St. Augustine, Florida. He was with King when the civil rights leader was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.
In 1972, Young was elected to the U.S. House from Georgia’s 5th District, becoming the first Black Georgian sent to Congress since Reconstruction. He served as the United Nations ambassador under former President Jimmy Carter and was the Atlanta mayor from 1982 to 1990.
The Rev. Jeremy Rich, a local pastor who also was a minister at Bethany Congregational Church, spoke highly of Young.
“As a successor of Ambassador Young, but also as a pastor, county commissioner and a public educator, I find myself following in his footsteps in the values of trying to do the most good for the most amount of people,” he said.
In an interview with The Associated Press before the event, Young spoke about today’s racial climate as some Republicans inject race into their criticism of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I don’t know what they’re trying to do. I don’t think they know what they’re trying to do,” Young said. “We’ve made so much progress on race and creed and class. Maybe that’s too much, that they’d rather have a world run by just one group of people.”
Alabama A&M Plants ‘Birmingham SkySign’ Atop 17-Story Building in the Magic City
Alabama A&M
The Birmingham skyline just got a little more maroon. The Alabama A&M University brand is now on display on the largest billboard in the state. Located above the Two North 20th Building in Birmingham’s Downtown, the 179-by-25-foot sign amplifies the AAMU message in the heart of Alabama.
Atop the 17-story building at Morris Avenue, AAMM-themed billboards can be seen on both sides of the board dubbed the “Birmingham SkySign” with sightlines from major highways viewed by over 370,000 passersby per month.
“This placement is one-of-many activations we’re using to continue to grow brand recognition and affinity here in Alabama and beyond,” said Asst. Vice President Aaron Thompson. “The SkySign represents a huge opportunity to plant our brand flag in a city that is incredibly important to Alabama A&M. Out-of-home advertising opportunities also represent a point of pride for students, alumni and friends of AAMU.”
Alabama A&M was recognized early this year for advertising and marketing success, as the University has launched a 360 national campaign to increase visibility, engagement, and choice for the state’s largest HBCU (Historically Black College or University). The AAMU brand is currently activated in 10 major U.S. markets including Chicago, Washington, DC, Detroit, and Atlanta.
“Our University is on a historic growth trajectory,” said Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and Advancement Jamal Ali. “Record enrollment, booming alumni engagement, and a growing campus are all signs of the bold new future coming into focus on The Hill. As we approach the celebration of 150 years, our work is all about building an AAMU we can all be proud of for years to come. As the billboard says: ‘start here, go anywhere’.”
