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How the Birmingham Black Nurses Association Advocates for Quality Health Care

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Birmingham Times
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The Birmingham Black Nurses Association (BBNA), is doing what it can to attract more to the profession. BBNA’s goals include developing and maintaining community partnerships by participating in community health fairs, supporting health initiatives, and participating in service projects. (BirminghamBNA.org)

Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson | For The Birmingham Times

Given recent staffing shortages that have caused challenges in recruiting and retaining talented nurses, the Birmingham Black Nurses Association (BBNA), is doing what it can to advocate for quality health care and attract more to the profession.

Dr. Jennifer Coleman, a Nursing Professor at the Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing at Samford University and a member of the BBNA. (Marika N. Johnson, For The Birmingham Times)

“The best way (for this profession to thrive) is for current nurses to act as role models,” said Dr. Jennifer Coleman, a Nursing Professor at the Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing at Samford University and a member of the BBNA. “Increasing diversity in nursing (gender, race, ethnicity, etc.) is critical to ensure that the nursing profession is representative of the general population in our country.”

One strategy to address the nursing shortage could be to introduce the career to students at an early age, said Coleman, whose first job was as a Registered Nurse at UAB Hospital in the medical intensive care unit in 1977.

“We should continue to provide nursing as a career option to young elementary and high school students, as well as provide financial support to students in nursing school,” she said.

The BBNA, with 250 nurses and nursing students in the metro area, was founded in October 1989 and received its charter as an official chapter of the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) in 1990. BBNA was incorporated in 1992.

The group is increasing diversity with their mentorship program by providing “educational counseling, emotional and financial support and professional socialization opportunities,” said Coleman, who also served as BBNA president from 2013-2015.

BBNA’s goals include advocating for health and wellness, developing and maintaining community partnerships by participating in community health fairs, supporting health initiatives, and participating in service projects.

Bessemer native Patricia Curry and current BBNA President. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

Members of the BBNA are not immune to the shortfalls. Bessemer native Patricia Curry and current BBNA President said the nursing shortage has caused her “to work longer hours and take on a heavier workload.”

However, her organization helps to remind others that “those who pursue the field can make a great living (working or teaching)” and that “nurses are the wheels that keep health care turning,” she said.

BBNA actively recruits nurses “by talking about the advantages of being a part of a professional nursing organization which includes certification, networking and continuing education opportunities,” said Curry, who was elected in 2023 and is serving a two-year term.

She currently works as a Registered Nurse Therapy Coordinator in the Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics at UAB, where she coordinates radiation treatment for patients with different types of cancer.

Curry has a degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology from the School of Health Professions at UAB and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the UAB School of Nursing, graduating in 2010.

She worked in radiology for 20 years in various hospitals (including Simon Williamson Clinic, UAB Hospital and Cardiovascular Associates) before working in the nursing profession for 14 years and counting at Baptist Medical Center — Princeton and UAB Hospital – Department of Nuclear Medicine, which is where she currently works.

Curry, who began her career in nursing as a Registered Nurse at Baptist Medical Center – Princeton on the Cardiology-Medical Surgical Unit from 2010 – 2016, says the need for nurses has been dire for years, and skyrocketed during the pandemic, beginning in 2020.

“With the growing shortage, it’s projected that there will be over 19,000 job openings each year (in nursing) in the United States until the year 2030,” she said.

Recruiting Diverse Talent

Deborah Walker, a Fairfield native and one of the founders of BBNA, serves as President Emerita. (Marika N. Johnson, For The Birmingham Times)

Deborah Walker, a Fairfield native and one of the founders of BBNA, still serves as President Emerita, said one of the greatest challenges facing the nursing career path lies in “the definition of the entry level” into the profession.

“The nursing field has several preparation steps for entry into the career. You can have a diploma, an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. And at the end of your formal education, everyone takes the same exam for licensure,” she said.

Walker has roots that run deep in the field. Although retired since 2015, she’s worked in nursing for 47 years and counting.

Her first paying job in the field was at Baptist Medical Center Montclair as a charge nurse, which was the supervisory position of the work shift. She retired from UAB as nurse manager over physical rehabilitation at UAB’s Spain Rehabilitation Center.

“Some of the major changes I have seen is that nurses have gained a voice in a number of activities affecting health care, which is in stark contrast to when I began working in the profession,” said Walker.

She says her career “began as a volunteer candy striper and we were only allowed to work with Black patients,” and her duties involved “assisting with getting water, passing out magazines or delivering mail.” Candy stripers were basically teenagers who assisted patients on a volunteer basis, she said.

As Founding President, Walker served BBNA at its start in 1989, through 1990 because of her service, she is also lifetime member of the National Black Nurses Association.

After her up-close look at the profession as a volunteer, she worked as a nursing assistant at Estes Nursing Home in Fairfield prior to going to college at Tuskegee Institute, where she received her Bachelor of Nursing Sciences in 1977.

Walker received her Master’s of Arts in Education from UAB in 1986 and said one of the biggest opportunities with BBNA is to share the history of Black nurses.

“For instance, many nurses are not aware that the first Black Registered Nurse in Alabama was Pauline Bray Fletcher, who founded Camp Fletcher in 1926 for inner city Black children to explore nature,” she said.

Camp Fletcher is still in existence today and serves diverse families who want to experience the outdoors in a safe environment through activities like after school camp, summer day camp and spring break camp.

Nursing Excellence and Mentorship

Coleman, nursing professor at Samford, was recently inducted into the Alabama Nursing Hall Fame in November 2023. She sees her role in education as valuable for future nurses, reminding them to “exhibit honesty, integrity and respect for each person’s unique perspective, values and background,” she said.

There was no doubt which profession she would choose, Coleman said. “From the time I was a young child, I have always known that I was destined to be a nurse. There is no other career I have ever considered,” she said.

“After (Eutaw High School in Eutaw, AL), I went to college with the goal of becoming a registered nurse. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (in 1976 from [UAB],” said Coleman, who also holds a Master of Science in Nursing Education from Samford University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Ethics from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

She joined BBNA in 2002, saying “I wanted to network with other professional Black nurses and I wanted to work in our communities educating residents and assisting them with managing their health.”

For more on the nursing field or BBNA, visit https://birminghambna.org/

UAB, Birmingham to Expand Mini Medical School Program

By
Birmingham Times
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Dr. Brian Sims teaches two students how to draw blood. (Andrea Mabry, UAB)

By Hannah Echols | UAB News

Shaundra Blakemore, M.D., and Brian Sims, M.D., Ph.D., were once students in the Birmingham City Schools system who had a passion for science. After college, they transformed their passions into a career by attending medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Fast forward, and they are returning to BCS classrooms to inspire the next generation of health care professionals.

Launched in 2022 by the UAB Department of Pediatrics and administered through community engagement in the Division of Adolescent Medicine, the UAB Mini Medical School provides a series of virtual and in-person experiences to increase middle school students’ exposure to science, technology, engineering and math careers, with a particular focus on health care.

After a successful first year with 25 students from across the Birmingham and Jefferson County areas, UAB partnered with Birmingham City Schools to expand the program for the 2023-2024 school year. They now have programming during the school day for 60 Birmingham City Schools students. Their partnership with the YMCA has continued to reach out to students beyond BCS during the after-school hours.

“BCS helped pave our way to medical school and beyond,” said Sims, program co-director and professor of neonatology at UAB and Children’s of Alabama. “The partnership allows us to reach more students, and hopefully, what they learn here will help them stay ahead of the curve through the rest of their educations and their careers.”

Mark Sullivan, Ed.D., superintendent of Birmingham City Schools, says the Mini Medical School program shows success on several levels.

“First of all, this is another successful partnership between BCS and UAB with a positive impact on our scholars and our community. At the same time, we have medical doctors who are products of our school district giving back by mentoring and teaching the next generation of medical professionals.”

Dr. Shaundra Blakemore assists a Mini Medical School student. (Andrea Mabry, UAB)

Hands-On Approach

Each session, students are immersed in a different area of the health care field. Professionals from each field help guide a hands-on lesson and answer questions about their education and career journeys. Professionals including physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, poison control experts and forensic scientists have volunteered with the program.

“We want to engage our local students at a young age to the immense career possibilities in health care,” said Blakemore, co-director of the program and assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UAB and Children’s. “We also want the program to be an additional resource for students to learn valuable lessons and skills that they can integrate into their education and personal lives.”

During sessions, the students take part in a variety of hands-on activities, including performing CPR and intubating lifelike manikins, obtaining vital signs such as heart rate and blood pressure, venipuncture using a lifelike model, learning the importance of healthy meals and making their own healthy snacks, and much more.

Carlette Smith joined the first session of the 2023-24 school year to discuss the field of nursing. Smith, who graduated from the UAB School of Nursing, spent more than 26 years as a nurse manager at UAB Hospital. From her education journey to her mantra of “treating patients like I would want my mother to be treated” she provided insight and encouragement to students interested in pursuing nursing.

“It was important for me to volunteer with the program, not only to promote careers like nursing, but to emphasize the importance of education,” Smith said. “I want these students to be prepared to sustain themselves in life no matter the career path they choose.”

Besides monthly in-person sessions, the UAB Mini Medical School holds monthly virtual sessions where students hear from health care professionals from around the country, including a pediatric surgeon, a dermatologist, family medicine, neonatologists, pediatricians and many more. All speakers had a relationship with UAB at some point in their careers, whether training or previous faculty.

The UAB Mini Medical School partnered with the UAB summer program Center for Community Outreach and Development to encourage students to continue their science learning even when school is out via their summer camp offerings. During the 2023-24 program, students enjoyed a Saturday field trip to the UAB and Children’s Pediatric Simulation Center. This year, the simulation center came to the students to bring their lifelike skills stations to the students.

Looking Ahead

Courtlynn Perkins, a seventh grader at Phillips Academy, loves all things sports. From football to baseball, he enjoys the thrill of being on the field and aspires to play professionally one day. He also has a passion for science.

But for Courtlynn, those two areas did not seem to coincide with one another. Then he enrolled in the UAB Mini Medical School, where he learned about emergency and sports medicine from Jeremy Towns, M.D., former UAB Emergency Medicine resident and NFL player.

“It was the first time I realized I could have a career after sports that still kept me connected to the game,” Courtlynn said. “It was cool and exciting to learn about emergency medicine, physical therapy and sports medicine.”

Courtlynn, who is in his second year of the program, enjoys the hands-on activities and the opportunity to meet people from different career fields as well as students from other schools. When he learned the program would be offered through BCS, he encouraged his friends to join as well.

“I encouraged them to try it because we are still young and the program offers different career perspectives,” Courtlynn said. “Even if you don’t end up going into the medical field, you learn important life lessons and skills.”

The UAB Mini Medical School hosts sessions once a month. BCS students have the option to attend sessions during the school day. The program also offers an after-school session that is open to all middle school students.

Applications for the 2024-2025 school year will open in August 2024. To learn more about the program and apply, click here.

Deborah Thedford-Zimmerman: Hard at Work — In Retirement

By
Birmingham Times
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Debroah Thedford-Zimmerman served as president of the Birmingham Black Nurses Association from 2017 to 2019. During her term as president, she focused on getting BBNA more involved in the Birmingham community. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

By Javacia Harris Bowser | For the Birmingham Times

Ask Deborah Thedford-Zimmerman what she does in a typical week, and it will be hard to believe that she’s retired. Thedford-Zimmerman, who has been recognized as one of the top nurses in Alabama, retired in 2017 – but her busy schedule shows she’s still hard at work.

She’s deeply involved with the Birmingham Black Nurses Association, organizes health-related activities for her church, Rising Star Baptist Church in Rising-West Princeton, and volunteers with a host of other local organizations, including Brenda’s Brown Bosom Buddies, which offers breast cancer education and support for Black women and other underserved communities.

“When I was in kindergarten, my teacher would always say, ‘Give to the world the best that you have, and the best will come back to you,’ and it is so true,” Thedford-Zimmerman told The Birmingham Times. “If you give of yourself, you can’t help but be rewarded.”

In 2021, Thedford-Zimmerman, a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Lawson State Community College, was selected as Volunteer of the Year by the UAB National Alumni Society. That same year she was also recognized by This is Alabama, Alabama Media Group and the Alabama State Nurses Association as one of the Top Nurses in the state.

But Thedford-Zimmerman doesn’t do any of her work for accolades. She’s on a mission to help mold Black nurses into the leaders she feels Black patients need.

“We serve as a patient advocate, we serve as cultural liaisons and we become a beacon of hope for people,” she said.

“I Wanted To Be A Nurse”

Thedford-Zimmerman knew she wanted to be a nurse long before she even knew what the profession entailed.

When she was nine or 10 years old, she would sit on the porch of her family’s home in the Rising-West Princeton neighborhood of Birmingham and watch a young Black nurse named Gwendolyn Collins. Collins’ mother-in-law lived across the street from Thedford-Zimmerman and would babysit Collins’ children while she was at work.

Each day Thedford-Zimmerman looked forward to seeing Collins come to pick up her kids.

“She was meticulously dressed,” Thedford-Zimmerman recalled. “The uniform was crisp white, her shoes were white as snow and she was beautiful. And when the weather was cool, she would wear this cape around her uniform.”

Collins was a real-life hero. “Just from looking at her, I knew I wanted to be a nurse,” Thedford-Zimmerman recalled.

After graduating from West End High School, Thedford-Zimmerman took on the role of wife and mother instead. And for a while she considered going back to school to become a teacher. But then a neighbor fanned the flames of her first love when she informed Thedford-Zimmerman that Spain Rehabilitation Center in Birmingham was hiring nursing assistants.

“She said, ‘You’d be really good at it because you’re very caring and loving,’” Thedford-Zimmerman said. “So, I went over, and I applied for the job, and I got it and I started working as a nursing assistant at Spain Rehab. That just compounded my desire to be a nurse.”

So, she went to nursing school at Lawson State Community College, where she graduated in 1978 and later earned a nursing degree from UAB.

Throughout her career, Thedford-Zimmerman has worked at Cooper Green Mercy Hospital, Children’s of Alabama, and UAB Hospital. She started her career as a wound, ostomy, and continence nurse and later worked in the burn and trauma unit at UAB and finished her career as a bariatric surgery coordinator at UAB.

A Voice for Black Nurses

In 2009, Thedford-Zimmerman joined the Birmingham Black Nurses Association, which is one of 115 chapters of the National Black Nurses Association.

“The mission of the organization did it for me,” Thedford-Zimmerman said when asked why it was important for her to get involved. The National Black Nurses Association and its local chapters like the Birmingham Black Nurses Association seek to help Black patients receive optimum quality of care by setting standards, conducting research and working to influence health care-related legislation. Most of all, the organization aims to mentor and serve as a voice for future and current Black nurses.

Thedford-Zimmerman served as president of the Birmingham Black Nurses Association from 2017 to 2019. During her term as president, she focused on getting BBNA more involved in the Birmingham community.

“I wanted the Birmingham Black Nurses Association to be a household name,” she said. “I wanted people to know that we were an organization that you could go to for help and that we were there to support our African American community.”

To elevate BBNA’s visibility, the group participated in charity and awareness walks for sickle cell disease, heart disease, and breast cancer; in community health fairs, taught CPR at local schools and helped local churches obtain AED machines.

Thedford-Zimmerman does plenty of community service on her own as well. She serves as co-chair for her church’s health care ministry, participates in Brenda’s Brown Bosom Buddies annual Sistah Strut and volunteers with Pulse Finders, which offers CPR and first aid training.

Even after her presidency, Thedford-Zimmerman remains committed to the Birmingham Black Nurses Association.

She’s the group’s historian, keeping track of the organization’s activities and impact. She serves on the membership committee with a goal of increasing the number of members to 350 from 208. She’s a part of the community service committee, marking sure the organization remains active throughout Birmingham. And one of her top priorities is serving as chair of the organization’s Leadership Academy – a year-long program designed to help improve leadership skills in Black nurses.

“Thirty percent of the American population is Black and only 7 percent of nurses are Black,” Thedford-Zimmerman said. She wants to change that number and believes the way to do it is to make Black nurses stronger leaders and to expose Black students to the profession.

“We’re Really Needed”

The National Black Nurses Association works to spark an interest in nursing through its Mini Nurse Academy, for grades 3 through 8.

The Birmingham Black Nurses Association has hosted its own Mini Nurse Academy at Tarrant Elementary School and Memorial Park. Thedford-Zimmerman added that they also hope to launch a nursing camp for high schoolers.

“Black women are more likely than any other race or ethnic group to die from cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke,” Thedford-Zimmerman said adding that while individuals can improve their health through behavioral changes, institutional changes are needed to dismantle racial disparities in health care.

“One way I feel to combat women’s health disparities is to include them and clinical research,” she said.

Another way – employ more Black nurses.

“Research has shown that when Black health care workers interact with Black patients, they have better outcome and they are better informed,” she said. “So, I really do feel that we’re really needed.”

When Thedford-Zimmerman isn’t busy with Birmingham Black Nurses Association and her other community service, she enjoys spending time with her 12 grandchildren, reading books by the late Eric Jerome Dickey, and taking road trips with her husband, Harris Zimmerman – who often jokes that she should be paid for all the volunteer work she does.

But Thedford-Zimmerman has her sights on something bigger than a paycheck.

“I really hope that I have been a true mentor to those behind me and that someone has been made a better nurse because of me,” she said. “And if I had to do it all over, I wouldn’t do it any different.”

PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS

By
Birmingham Times
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Jose Carr (Provided)

BY GWEN DERU | The Birmingham Times

TODAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!

**ALABAMA BLAZIN BINGO, 6 p.m. at Overtime Grill and Bar.

**FILM – 7 p.m. at the Sidewalk Film.

**LEGENDS NIGHT WITH HEATH GREEN, SUE WESTCOTT & ADAM GUTHRIE! at the Nick.

**BURLESQUE NIGHT at The Nick.

**DRAKE WHITE – THE BRIDGE TOUR at Iron City.

**ALABAMA BLAZIN BINGO, 6 p.m. at Overtime Grill and Bar.

**THIRST TRAP THURSDAY, 5 p.m. at 2400 7th Avenue South.

**LIVE BAND KARAOKE hosted by ELLE JAI at Perfect Note.

**KIKSTART at WaterMark in Bessemer with Free Food Boxes, 9 a.m.

**COMPUTER CLASSES AT THE FIVE POINTS WEST LIBRARY every Tuesday and Thursday.

**EACH AND EVERY THURSDAY HAPPY HOUR, 5-8 p.m. at D’ZIRE with SPECIALS.

**THIRSTY THURSDAYS at D’ZIRE Bar and Lounge.

**KARAOKE, 5-9 p.m. at Courtyard Alabaster Bar and Grill.

**THIRD THURSDAY BLUES JAM, 7 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

**TASTEMAKER THURSDAY – Every Thursday at Blaze Ultra Lounge, 228 Roebuck Plaza Drive, 8 p.m.- 12 a.m. with DJ Ace Twon (95.7 JAMZ) in the mix hosted by Audio Life and GMC Promo.

**THIRSTY THURSDAY at Hookah 114 17th Street No.

**TEQUILA THURSDAY at the Vibe Bar & Lounge.

**THROW BACK THURSDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge, 3801 Richard Arrington, Jr., Blvd.

**FILMMAKER HAPPY HOUR- Every 3rd Thursday, at Sidewalk Film Fest. Meet with other filmmakers and discuss your newest projects.

**EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT KARAOKE, 6:30 at Ruth’s Place hosted by LADY WOO and with DJ SHAY.

FRIDAY…

**FRIDAY NIGHT WRITES, 8 – 11 p.m. at 7611 1st Avenue North.

**AL1CE, BLOOD MOON RIOT and OCTOBER NOIR at The Nick.

**TRIBUTE TO SOUTHERN SOUL featuring RYAN KEYZ at Perfect Note.

**MONEY MAN- PURPLE HEART TOUR at Iron City.

**EVERY FRIDAY – R&B FRIDAY, at The Chandelier, 212 Cahaba Valley Road in Pelham with DJ MANISH mixing live. FREE Entry.

**EACH AND EVERY FRIDAY HAPPY HOUR, 5-8 p.m. at D’ZIRE with SPECIALS.

**LIT FRIDAYS WITH RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.

**AFRO CARIBBEAN NIGHTS (Every Friday Night) at Ash’s on 2nd, 7 p.m. until with Reggae, Afro Beats, Dancehall and Top 40 Hits.

**FIREBALL FRIDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.

**FRIDAY NIGHT RAP, Every 1st and 3rd Friday at Crescent Cultural Center, 1121 Tuscaloosa Avenue, W.

SATURDAY…
**EVERY SATURDAY at BIRDSONG FARMERS MARKET, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., 2824 5th Avenue South, at Automatic Seafood.

**WINE DOWN HAPPY HOUR, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Saferoom Lounge Bar.

**EACH AND EVERY SATURDAY HAPPY HOUR, 5-8 p.m. at D’ZIRE with SPECIALS.

**EVERY SATURDAY SOLD OUT – THE SATURDAYS JUMP OFF, 10 p.m. at Onyx of Bham, 615 8th Avenue West

**THE MURDER OF JANE CROW, MILLENIAL JONES, THE BOLEE III and TONY PERDUE at The Nick.

**LETTERS FROM BEV at Perfect Note.

**RUN IT BACK SATURDAYS at Platinum of Birmingham.

SUNDAY…
**WORSHIP AT THE SIXTH, 9:30 a.m. at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.

*EVERY SUNDAY – SOUL FOOD SUNDAYS, 1-5 p.m. (Every Sunday) at 1918 Catering, 197 Vulcan Road.

**SUNDAY FUN DAY at DZIRE BAR AND LOUNGE, 4120 3rd Avenue South. Call 205-266-2594 for more.

**SUNDAY FUNDAY for the grown Folks Kickback at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.

**EVERY 3rd SUNDAY JAZZ JAM SESSION, 4-8 p.m. at the Ferus on 41st.

**CITY WIDE PRAYER MEETING, Every 4th Sunday, 4 p.m. for one hour at Birmingham Easonian Baptist Bible College. The Lord’s Supper will be served and hosted by the Knights of Pythias & Court of Calanthe.

**TAYLOR HOLLINGSWORTH Every Fourth Sunday at The Nick.

**MALICE JACKSON, EVA LAVANTE and SALEM RATZ at The Nick.

**ERRA: CURE NORTH AMERICA at Iron City.

**SOULFUL SUNDAY with DANI at the Perfect Note.

MONDAY…
**ENVISION RADIO – THE ENTREPRENEUR’S EDGE hosted by Jerry Mitchell. For more, jamblack06@gmail.com. www.envision-radio.com.

**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND at the Nick.

**RNB MONDAYS, 10 p.m. at Onyx of Bham, 615 Eighth Avenue West.

TUESDAY…
**KIKSTART at Water Mark in Bessemer, 9 a.m. with Free Food Boxes…until all gone.

**COMPUTER CLASSES AT THE FIVE POINTS WEST LIBRARY every Tuesday and Thursday.

**DIAPER GIVEAWAY every Tuesday, 10 a.m. at the Titusville Library.

**EVERY TUESDAY – SPECIAL TUESDAYS with Food, Drinks Specials at 1918 Catering, 197 Vulcan Road.

**EVERY TUESDAY – TUESDAY NIGHT TRAILS 5:45 p.m. at Red Mountain Park.

**EVERY TUESDAY is SOUL CAFÉ Happy Hour introducing the Soul Café Happy Hour, 5:30-9:30 p.m. with Soul Goodies, Soul Spirits and Soul Music including $5 Titos and Redmont, at The Vault.

**JOSE CARR’S JAZZ JAM, 7:30 p.m. at True Story Brewing Company 5510 Crestwood Blvd.

**CARIBBEAN NIGHTS with Reggae, Caribbean and Island Vibes, 9 p.m. – until… with DJ Serious Mixing and hosted by KJ and MANNY at The Vault, downtown.

**TASTY TUESDAYS at Platinum of Birmingham.

**Birmingham Songwriters Round with Host SUSANNAH SEALES at the Nick.

**LEONID & FRIENDS at Iron City.

WEDNESDAY…
**INTERFAITH NOONDAY PRAYER SERVICES, every Wednesday, at Linn Park, in Downtown Birmingham.

**WORKOUT WEDNESDAY at Five Points West Library at 10:30 a.m. for chair yoga and other chair exercises.

**WEDNESDAY NIGHT POOL TOURNAMENT AND KARAOKE NIGHT, 5 p.m. at Carter’s Hookah Lounge and Grill, hosted by Jo Sweetz with the Pool Tournament, at 7 p.m. and Karaoke at 8 p.m.

**EVERY WEDNESDAY, YOU, ME & RNB, 6 p.m. at 2206 Bar & Lounge, 2206 31st Street, with DJ You, Me & Playlist.

**PORTICO, SOCIAL CREATURES and TWO FIVE COLLECTIVE at The Nick.

**D’ZIRE WEDNESDAYS, EACH AND EVERY WEDNESDAY with Free Mimosas, 8- 10 p.m. with DJ GORGEOUS in the Mix at 4120 Third Avenue South.

*WEDNESDAYS WEEKLY JAZZ JAM, 7-10 p.m. at True Story Brewing Company, 5510 Crestwood Blvd. Food until 9 p.m., Music until 10 p.m. and Drink until 11 p.m.

**EVERY 4th WEDNESDAY at FACE’S LOUNGE KARAOKE hosted by ARETTA, 6:30 p.m. at 7070 Aaron Aronov Dr. in Fairfield.

NEXT THURSDAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!

**MAYORS’ PRAYER BREAKFAST, 6:30 a.m. at The Harbert Center. Keynote Speaker is James Spann.

**ALABAMA BLAZIN BINGO, 6 p.m. at Overtime Grill and Bar.

**FILM – 7 p.m. at the Sidewalk Film.

**FUSION INVITE NIGHT at the Nick.

**PALACE at Iron City.

**LIVE BAND KARAOKE with DOMINIQUE at Perfect Note.

NEXT FRIDAY…

**FRIDAY NIGHT WRITES, 8 – 11 p.m. at 7611 1st Avenue North.

**DRAG NIGHT at The Nick.

**MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE with SAXOPHONIST DALEN MINNIFIELD at Perfect Note.

FOR MOTORSPORTS LOVERS…

…HISTORY IN MOTORSPORTS WITH MICHAEL JORDAN AND TYLER REDDICK

**TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY GEICO 500 – TYLER REDDICK was the winner of the GEICO 500 on Sunday. The GEICO 500 weekend was a new piece of ‘History in the Making’ as Michael Jordan, former NBA basketball player, former baseball player for the Barons (co-owner of 23XI motorsports racing team) was present when his 23XI Racing team driver TYLER REDDICK took the Talladega finish. MJ celebrated on pit lane, and took Reddick’s son in his arms smiling ear to ear.  Reddick celebrated climbing the grandstand fence, pumping his fist to the crowd. This was the first time MJ was at the track when his team won a race. Reddick led 13 laps in his 45 Toyota Camry. Finishing second in the GEICO 500 was BRAD KESELOWSKI. ARMY GENERAL DANIEL R. HOKANSON was Grand Marshal and NASCAR Hall of Famer MARK MARTIN was the honorary starter.  Hokanson gave the command to start the engines as Mark Martin waved the green flag as the GEICO 500 kicked off. JAKE FINCH was the Winner at the ARCA Menards series. JESSE LOVE won his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday in a double overtime finish in the Ag-Pro 300. BUBBA WALLACE car #23 was out of the race after being involved with one of the wrecks.  A major announcement with Bubba Wallace being one of the champions for SPACE4ALL was announced and launched recently for a new national space STEM awareness campaign. U.S. Department of Education and four nonprofit space organizations including Women in Aerospace, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Club for the Future and Space Foundation are partnering to spotlight the benefits of space and STEM career opportunities. A Black woman DR. SIAN PROCTOR, an Inspiration4 mission pilot and first Black woman to pilot a space craft are a part of this major campaign.

**CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA INDY GRAND PRIX – The Indy Grand Prix races are this Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the well-known and loved Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix. Fans will celebrate the 14th year that promises to be one of the most unforgettable experiences for the entire family. FRIDAY includes: Gear Up Your Career with high school field trips, drivers autograph session, Indy Series Practice, Post-Practice Press Conference, Indy 5K Racing for Children’s Dinner and Free Military Friday. SATURDAY is NTT Indy Series Practice, NTT Indy Series Qualifier, and Post-Qualifying Press Conference. SUNDAY is NTT Indy Series Final Practice, NTT Series RACE and Post-Race Press Conference. RILEY GREEN, country music star, is this year’s Grand Marshal. This event is aiming to raise awareness and support the work done at Children’s of Alabama. The event also aims to make a difference in the lives of children and families in the community as well as a thrilling motorsport event. Last year it raised over $350,000 for Children’s of Alabama. This event showcases the pinnacle of open wheel racing with drivers from around the world at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

AROUND TOWN AND IN TOWN…

** ANNUAL CHILDREN’S MARCH REENACTMENT: INSPIRED BY THE PAST. VISION FOR OUR FUTURE, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at 16th Street Baptist Church and Kelly Ingram Park. This is for all high school and college students. Celebrate the Children’s Crusade known as the Children’s March. Commemoration Program is 10:30 a.m. to Noon at 16th Street Baptist Church. March Reenactment and Rally is Noon – 1:30 p.m. at Kelly Ingram Park. Students must be in high school or college to attend. Students in Grades 6-8 may be considered. For more, sbriggs@bcri.org. For field trip transportation grants call 205-835-0431 or bcri_information@nps.gov.

**MAY 4 – BIRMINGHAM FOLK FESTIVAL, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. at Avondale Park is a FREE family-friendly day of music, art and community with live performances featuring bluegrass, gospel, blues, Americana, West African drumming and dance, mariachi, hip-hop, Sacred Harp, brass band and more. There will be food, arts and crafts, vendors, and other activities for the whole family. Line-UP: Ramsay High School Band. Main Stage performances include PREMIER DE AMERICA, SAHI ON KO DJONY, THE BYRD FAMILY, EARL ”GUITAR” WILLIAMS, THE YELLOW DANDIES, THE UNDERWOOD SPIRITUALS and EARLY JAMES. YOU ARE INVITED!! For more: birminghamfolkfest.org.

**MAY 4 – PRE MOTHER’S DAY DINNER SHOW ON THE PATIO featuring JILLIAN GRAY AND BAND, 8 p.m. at Cabo Coastal Grill, 100 Frankfurt Circle, Suite A 35211. For more: 205-862-4723

FOR BUSINESS LOVERS…
** ENTREPRENEURS & INNOVATORS CONFERENCE is June 20 and 21st at the Tuxedo Ballroom in the Ensley Entertainment District. Registration is $159 before April 19 and $170 afterward until June 18th. The Alabama State Black Chamber of Commerce is the host. To register, and for more, go to www.AlBlackCC.org, OR info@ALBlackCC.org.

FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS…

**SATURDAY DAYHIKE, meet 9:45 a.m. with Southeastern Outings Dayhike at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve, Springville, Alabama. DETAILS: This is a new nature preserve located along a beautiful, tree-canopied section of St. Clair County Highway 9 within the city limits of Springville in north St. Clair County; is hilly, forested terrain and aquatic riparian habitat in and near Big Canoe Creek. Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve consists of 422 acres of pristine meandering creek, lush forest, one-of-a-kind species, wildlife, stunning flora and trails of all kinds to be traveled. Trails traverse this Alabama Forever Wild property in Springville, perfect for hiking, horseback riding, bird watching and mountain biking, paddling and a variety of other outdoor activities. Experience the Preserve’s biodiversity – from mountain laurel and native azalea to beech, red and sugar maple trees. Find hornbeams, black walnut, catalpa, butternut and bigleaf magnolia trees and perhaps, stands of river cane. The northern border provides abundant creek side scenery and wildlife habitat. High points afford including beautiful, rural Canoe Creek valley and the opposing ridges of Pine and Blount mountains. The hike will be relatively easy.  Hike on the Slab Creek and Fallen Oak Trails with a distance about 3.7 miles. Admission to the park is free. Bring your picnic lunch and beverage with you. Carefully supervised, well-behaved children age 7 and over welcome. Meet 9:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s in Trussville. Depart at 10 a.m. For more contact: Dan Frederick, email southeasternoutings@gail.com or telephone 205-631-4680.

**SUNDAY WALK, Meet 1:45 p.m. with Southeastern Outings Sunday Afternoon Mountain Laurel Walk, Dunnavant Valley Greenway Walking Trail (DVGWT). DETAILS: The trail winds along a bubbling stream, Yellow Leaf Creek, overhung with majestic American beech, oak, and hickory trees. The stream expands to 15-feet wide before the end of the trail. Two options – Option A is a short moderate hike off trail to view a pretty waterfall, return to the main and hike to the far end of the trail and back to the start. Option B involves easy hiking on the main trail from start to end and return on the trail. There are footbridges over the streams, a steep patch over a ridge, and walking on the trail is easy. Bring your water. Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 7 up, able to walk  four miles without complaining are welcome to participate. Meet at 1:45 p.m. in the small DVGWT trail head parking lot on the edge of Yellow Leaf Creek on the edge of the soccer fields on AL Highway 41. Depart at 2 p.m. For more contact: Dan Frederick, 205-631-4680.

FOR GARDEN LOVERS…
AT BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS….
**MAY 7 – ROSE’ IN THE ROSES, 5:30 – p.m. in the Dunn Formal Rose Gardens.

HAPPENINGS AT SIXTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH
…SEE YOU AT THE SIXTH…EVERY SUNDAY!

**EVERY MONDAY MORNING MEDITATION WITH PASTOR CANTELOW, 7:15 a.m. Contact the church at (205) 321-1136 or (205) 321-1137.

**CHILDREN’S CHURCH & COLLISION CHURCH, each First Sunday at 9:30 a.m. for K-5th (Children’s Church), 6-12th (Collision).

AT GIFTED CITY CHURCH… EVERY SUNDAY!
**GIFTED CITY CHURCH, Sunday Worship is 10 a.m. at 228 Second Avenue North in the Downtown, City Center. A one-hour service with children’s service and complimentary coffee and tea. For more: info@thegiftpad.org.

COMING SOON…
**OCTOBER 3rd – “AN EVENING OF ICONS with THE COMMODORES, THE POINTER SISTERS & THE SPINNERS” at Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater.

Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time. People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send events, your things of interest and more to my emails: gwenderu@yahoo.com and thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com.

How Scammers Bilked $10 Billion from Americans in 2023

By
Birmingham Times
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Ten billion dollars. That is the reported amount Americans lost in 2023 to fraudulent activity. Remember this is the reported figure, think of the amounts stolen that went unreported.

Technology has opened the flood gates to scammers. Consider 2.6 million Americans (roughly the population size of Chicago) reported losing the $10 billion to scammers last year. These probably were smart, honest and hardworking people. They were hoodwinked and bamboozled by thieves that hide in the shadows and steal your hard-earned dollars. Fraud has never been so pervasive.

Law enforcement and private businesses have never been so engaged in the fight against scams like they are now. The real key to fighting this fast-growing crime is you. Understanding what is happening and knowing the red flags when dubious offers come your way are the very best weapons to end this crime spree.

Criminals are taking advantage of technology, coupled with a lot of creativity, to identify fresh new ways to steal your money. Our next safety series will explore scammers’ tools, lairs, new techniques and ways you can defend yourselves. This week will begin with some newly minted frauds on the rise now.

Check cooking is one of the new frauds. A serious concern in prior years was check washing. This was a process where thieves steal paper checks from mailboxes, wash the ink off with chemicals (leaving the signature), then fill in a new amount and payee. Now it’s check cooking. This process allows thieves to take a digital picture of a stolen check, then use commercially available software to alter it.

“It looks very real, even the watermarks,” explains Michael Bruemmer, vice president of data breach resolution and consumer protection at Experian. Criminals can then print a new phony check or deposit the altered image using a bank’s mobile app.

To protect yourself, learn how to pay your bills and send money to loved ones with electronic transfers from your bank. If you are more comfortable still using paper checks, then drop them off directly at the nearest post office rather than using a neighborhood mailbox or drop them off using the company’s mail slot that goes directly inside the company’s office. Continually monitor your bank checking account for any suspicious activity.

Remember you are the secret weapon to Keeping an Eye on Safety of your banking funds.

Birmingham Makes Arrests for Exhibition Driving, Seizes Guns; More Enforcement to Come, Says Mayor

By
Birmingham Times
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Birmingham Police Department has seen a total of 111 participants attend one of three screenings since November 16, 2024. (File)

By Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson | The Birmingham Times

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said Tuesday that a Birmingham Police Department operation launched earlier this month aimed at curbing exhibition drivers — leading to five arrests and seven vehicles and seven guns seized — “is not one weekend and done.”

Woodfin told the council that Operation Knight Rider (a joint effort between city police and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office), this month made several arrests, impounded cars and executed search warrants at various chop shops across the city.

The mayor said officers noticed an uptick in exhibition driving activity around April 5 and responded in the immediate days following the incidents.

Video surfaced on social media in recent weeks about the exhibition driving, as have complaints from those who live in areas where the events are taking place.

“So, while it may appear that there was no strategy, five significant arrests were made and various operations (have been) going since the weekend of April 12,” he said. “I want to acknowledge that various search warrants were conducted to include chop shop locations …. (and) I want to be clear that this operation is not a one weekend done situation.”

He said police over the weekend of April 12 made five arrests — two for exhibition driving charges and three for felony eluding charges related to exhibition driving. Those arrests included the seizure of multiple firearms as well as a so-called Glock switch, a device that turns a pistol into an automatic weapon.

The activity is at its height on Friday and Saturday nights and during daytime hours on Sundays, Woodfin said.

“We’ve also seen a pattern where small businesses with whatever event they’re having, or there’s a spill out of patrons and that is a high visibility — that this type of behavior tends to attract to this area,” he said. “So we’ve started talking to small business owners about compliance and their responsibility for the exterior as well as the public right of way in front of their small business and holding them accountable,” said the mayor.

Councilor Crystal Smitherman pushed back on Woodfin’s statement about business accountability, suggesting more “concentrated police patrols” should be in place especially with summer upcoming.

“The business has to balance between their security, (which) has only so much jurisdiction to control the crowd,” said the councilor. “So, you know basically what’s going to happen, is they’re going to watch this happening (exhibition driving and associated crowds gather to watch) and [businesses] get the blame. And really [the] Birmingham Police Department – it’s their job to control the crowd,” she said.

Woodfin said the point is not to punish businesses, but to hold them accountable for their part in securing their premises.

Smitherman also asked for “more consistency with enforcement” from Birmingham Police officers when exhibition driving, or other illegal activity is witnessed. “I need them to get to it,” she said.

Woodfin responded by saying that he always encourages officers to make calculated decisions on how to engage in any criminal activity based on safety first.

Last year, the state legislature passed a law that defined exhibition driving as activity that includes drag racing and/or street racing and drivers who perform burnouts and donuts.

With time winding down in the Legislative session, Birmingham City Council President Darrell O’Quinn said on Tuesday he plans to travel to Montgomery to talk to lawmakers about an amendment that would make video footage admissible in apprehending those responsible for exhibition driving.

Under the current bill, “if a police officer doesn’t witness it (exhibition driving), then it doesn’t happen,” said the council president.

“We’re asking the Legislature to address the root of the problem,” added O’Quinn. “These guys (exhibition drivers) are trying to be seen. Using the video that they’re taking as a source of evidence and using it to prosecute them is going to be effective,” he said.

That legislation was passed and signed by Gov. Kay Ivey last year.

Previously, drivers could only get a ticket.

Now, they face a minimum of misdemeanor charges, and up to a Class B felony if someone is injured or killed, or if there is property damage.

Birmingham’s Pancreatic Cancer Walk on April 27 Will Include Family of Rep. John Lewis

By
Birmingham Times
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Armmon Carter, far right, and other board members with the John R. Lewis Legacy Institute, in front of a historic marker they erected at the site of the Lewis family home near Troy, Alabama. (PROVIDED)

Special to The Times

Growing up, Armmon Carter knew John Lewis as an older cousin who’d come home from time to time to visit his family back in Troy, Alabama. Even though Lewis by then was a Georgia congressman, his visits home were low-key.

It took years before Carter realized that his cousin from just down the road was a very big deal, a legend of the Civil Rights Movement who participated in sit-ins and Freedom Rides, worked alongside other icons like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., helped organize the March on Washington, and led the first attempted Selma-to-Montgomery march, a pivotal event that became known as Bloody Sunday and helped spur Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act in 1964.

“It wasn’t until I was older that it really hit me what an impact he’d had, not just on our country, but on the world,” said Carter, whose grandfather was the brother of Lewis’ mother.

Carter serves on the board of the John R. Lewis Legacy Institute, a nonprofit created in 2021 to continue his cousin’s work through community engagement and service projects. As part of the institute’s three-fold mission – to advance social justice, education equity and health awareness — Carter will participate in the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s annual walk in Birmingham at Railroad Park on April 27 at noon.

Lewis died of pancreatic cancer in 2020, and Carter said the walk is an opportunity to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer, which disproportionately affects African Americans. While pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of all cancer deaths in the U.S., the rate of diagnosis and death is higher among Blacks than any racial group.

“Bridging disparities, including health disparities, is a key part of our mission,” said Carter, who lives in Trussville. “Our focus is on education and early detection. With pancreatic cancer, there is no screening, and many people are diagnosed at a later stage when little can be done. We realize how dire the situation is, and we’re all about partnering with community organizations to make a difference.”

Family members associated with the Lewis institute participated last year in PanCAN’s PurpleStride walk in Atlanta. This is the first year the organization will participate in Lewis’ home state of Alabama, too. Its team is called “The Good Troublemakers” – after one of Lewis’s famous quotes “…never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”

Speakers for the walk, which opens at 1 p.m., include Rep. Terri Sewell, considered Congressman Lewis her mentor and who lost her mother to pancreatic cancer in 2021. London Koi, a 11-year-old recording star, will perform the national anthem. Others scheduled speakers are Kathy Polk, a local pancreatic cancer survivor, and Dr. Bart Rose from UAB’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The event is designed to raise awareness and funds for research. Walk organizers are highlighting the involvement of Congressman Lewis’ family through a postcard.

“We can make a difference in the lives of pancreatic cancer patients nationally by taking action locally when we come together on April 27,” Annie Johnson, Chair of PanCAN’s Alabama Affiliate, said in a press release. “There is a critical need for more awareness and research for pancreatic cancer and the money we raise through PanCAN PurpleStride will help make an impact.”

Carter hopes the PanCAN walk at Railroad Park will increase visibility and community partnerships for the John R. Lewis Legacy Institute in Birmingham. “We’re hoping to be able to expand some of our programming in Birmingham,” he said. “This event is hopefully a way to jump start that.”

Some examples of the institute’s work include an early childhood literature program it calls “Trenchcoats and Backpacks,” Carter said. Volunteers go into K-12 schools to spend time with students of all ages, educating them about Congressman Lewis, the Civil Rights Movement and reading in general.

Its “Camp Promise” program hosts male high school students at college campuses for a two-and-a-half day intensive summer program covering subjects including health education, career planning, workforce preparation, and financial literacy.

Carter said the institute’s programs provide not only practical guidance for students but also inspiration at a time when many young people are unaware or skeptical about their ability to make a difference. “A lot of kids we encounter don’t have a lot of knowledge about what happened in their state,” Carter said.

Lewis’ story opens students’ eyes to what happened in the past and what is possible in the future. “He was not very much older than them when he first got his start,” Carter said. “That tells them, ‘You’re never too young to make a difference. Even one man can help change the world.’”

For more information, visit https://www.johnrlewisinstitute.org or follow the organization on Facebook and Instagram. For more information on the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, visit pancan.org or follow PanCAN on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

‘I Did the Traditional Down-on-One-Knee Proposal, and She Said, ‘Yes’’

By
Birmingham Times
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BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times

HERNANDO & ADRIENNE CARTER

Live: Homewood

Married: March 22, 2003

Met:  September 2001, in the Volker Hall parking lot on UAB’s campus. Hernando was a 1st-year medical student and Adrienne was a 4th-year medical student. However, Hernando recalls crossing paths one year prior during his undergrad studies when he was a participant in a summer medical program, where Adrienne was a counselor.

However, Hernando was now a med school student and was leaving UAB’s School of Medicine when he saw Adrienne talking with a couple of friends by her car.

“She caught my eye, and I had to go meet her,” Hernando said. “I went and [introduced myself] and asked if I could have her phone number… but she gave me her home number, she didn’t give me her cell. [I remember thinking at the time] that I felt she could be my wife and I felt like I needed to give it a shot.”

Adrienne didn’t realize Hernando had marriage on his mind. “People exchange numbers all the time in medical school so I didn’t think he was trying to date me,” she said, “I was just thinking he was a nice guy. He was a freshman, and I was thinking he wanted me to mentor him,” Adrienne laughed.

“This was September, and we set a date to go to dinner in October…,” Hernando said.

First date: October 2001, at Copeland’s off Highway 280. “I thought we had a very nice dinner, and when I took her home and walked her to the door she would not let me in,” Hernando recalled. “She said that it was because she had a very crazy dog named Q-tip and [he didn’t like new people] … I may have gotten a hug and that’s maybe, she might’ve just shook my hand.”

After the date, Hernando said he called several times trying to follow up, and never got a response.

“I called in October, no returned call, I called in November, no returned calls… and December comes, and there’s a Christmas party being thrown by an association of Black Doctors in Birmingham. On the day of the party, Adrienne calls me and asks me if I’m going to the party [because] she wanted to make sure there were going to be some students there that she knew,” he said.

Adrienne’s calling out of the blue annoyed Hernando because of all his previous failed attempts to connect with her. However, at the party, he learned why he had not heard from her.

“When you’re in your first year of medical school it’s very class-oriented and at the end of the day, you don’t have anything to do. But, when you’re in your fourth year of medical school you’re always in the hospital and you’re on call every fourth night, and you spend the night at the hospital, and you don’t leave until the next day at 4 p.m. after having spent the night. And at the same time that you’re doing that, you’re also traveling interviewing for your residency [placement],” Adrienne said. “… that was the reason I did not call him back in a timely manner. And when I called him back, I do not recall being able to tell that he was mad at me, but he probably didn’t believe that I was [as busy] as I was…,”

“After the party, we went out for drinks and had a good time and continued to date,” Hernando said.

(Provided Photos)

The turn:  January 2002. “[it happened] pretty quickly,” Hernando said. “We started dating in December and I think we were pretty exclusive by January. We gelled, she was fun, we had a lot of the same interests, and we enjoyed one other’s company. Even though she was ahead of me in medical school we were on the same path, so it caused us to spend a lot of time together.”

The proposal: On Adrienne’s birthday, Sept. 14, 2002, at Brio’s in Brookwood Village. “It was her birthday so I did a dinner and invited her friends, AKA line sisters, and her parents, and when her birthday cake came out it said ‘Will You Marry Me?’. I did the traditional down-on-one-knee proposal, and she said ‘yes’, Hernando said. “And then her line sisters took her out to the Platinum Of Birmingham [night club] afterward,” he laughed.

Adrienne wasn’t shocked by the proposal. “We had already looked for rings and talked about marriage so I wasn’t shocked. It was a quick turnaround, we dated for nine months because I had already told him that I was not going to date for two and three years while you decide what you’re going to do, so he knew he only had about three more months [to propose] if we’re gonna be honest,” she laughed.

“Yeah, she wasn’t gonna give me long [to decide], but I didn’t need a long time,” Hernando said.

“… it was pretty clear [he was proposing that night] because everyone I knew was there and I did not orchestrate that so I was quite certain that it was going to happen that night,” Adrienne said.

The wedding: At Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Titusville [Birmingham], officiated by Hernando’s pastors, the Rev. Donald Soloman of Lily Grove Baptist Church in North Birmingham, and his son, Pastor Walter Soloman. Their colors were pastel green and Ivory.

Most memorable for the bride was leaving her parents’ house in Forestdale with her bridesmaids and taking in the beauty of the newly bloomed Yoshino Cherry trees as she traveled down the driveway.

“My parents have a long, beautiful driveway [about a quarter mile long] and a row of about 20 Yoshino Cherry trees line the entire driveway and they happened to bloom that day. They were so beautiful, and it was like love blooming, and whenever this time of year comes around and the trees bloom, I think of our marriage,” Adrienne said. “The day was beautiful, nothing went awry, everything went off without a hitch there were lots of smiles and happiness.”

Most memorable for the groom are two moments he shared with his bride during the ceremony. “One of my high school teachers was singing, ‘To God Be The Glory’, and we’re at the altar and Adrienne elbows me and I lean over and she said ‘ya boy tearing that song up ain’t he’ and we were mic’d and the cameraman zoomed in on us and we were laughing and we have that on tape. And I think this moment [of humor] reflects our marriage and why we got married,” Hernando said. Also, “when the pastor pronounced us husband and wife, that beautiful stained-glass window lit up the sanctuary. The clouds went away and the whole church lit up after he blessed our marriage…it was at that exact moment that the light came shining through.”

They honeymooned in Hawaii. “It was beautiful, I remember watching the waves while sitting on the beach together,” Hernando said.

Words of wisdom: “Put your spouse first, love them first, give up the desire to win and be right, and put the relationship above all else. Always communicate and remain friends,” Hernando said.

“The most important thing, as with most things in life, is a strong foundation. Our foundation was that friendship and love that we’ve always had. And the second thing is realizing life comes with challenges in your relationship and personal lives, but you gotta cleave to each other instead of running away… When you have challenges you have to communicate with each other and remember the foundation of love and friendship,” Adrienne said.

Happily ever after: The Carters attend Faith Chapel in Wylam, and have sons, Ellis, 17, Ethan, 15, and Emory, 12.

Adrienne, 47, is a Forestdale native, and Indian Springs High School grad. She attended The University of Alabama and earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham [UAB], where she earned an M.D. in internal medicine. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and works as an internal medicine primary care physician at UAB’s Whitaker Clinic.

Hernando, 44, is a Birmingham native [Fountain Heights area] and A.H. Parker high school grad. He attended Morehouse College in Atlanta where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and the University of Alabama at Birmingham [UAB] where he earned an M.D. in internal medicine. Hernando is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and works as an internal medicine primary care physician for Archwell Health and also serves as its market medical director.

“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.

Birmingham Personal Injury Attorney | Guster Law Firm, LLC

Michael Jordan’s Competitive Drive Victorious at Talladega Superspeedway

By
Birmingham Times
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23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan celebrates a win by his driver Tyler Reddick after a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, in Talladega. Alabama. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

By Paul Newberry | AP National Writer

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Suddenly, Michael Jordan’s new life seems just as satisfying as his old one. This felt a whole lot like M.J. knocking down a buzzer beater, winning the big game, celebrating like a champion.

Of course, his title-hoarding days in the NBA are long behind him.

But Jordan’s current passion is filling that competitive void.

For the first time since he became a NASCAR Cup team owner, Jordan was at the track to savor in person a victory by one of his drivers.

And what a win it was.

When Michael McDowell crashed with the finish line in sight at Talladega Superspeedway, losing control in a desperate effort to block another driver from passing him, Tyler Reddick sped right on by to steal the checkered flag Sunday.

Not unlike all those times Jordan sank an improbable shot to win the game for the Chicago Bulls.

“To me, this is like an NBA playoff game,” said Jordan, who co-owns the 23XI team with Denny Hamlin. “And for us to win a big race like this, it means so much to me. I’m all in. I love it.”

The winning driver didn’t even realize Jordan was at the track — he’s always rather low-key and apparently didn’t want to put any extra pressure on his drivers, Reddick and Bubba Wallace — but it sure made the occasion even more special.

When Reddick got to victory lane, he was greeted by his boss, who had scooped up Reddick’s 4-year-old son, Beau, on pit road.

“In the moment it means a lot, but as he gets older and everything, too, looking back on that, that’s going to be really, really cool moment,” said Reddick, who is in his second season with 23XI.

Beau knows who his daddy’s boss is, but more for the sneakers he made so famous. Reddick plans to rectify that in the years ahead.

“I’ve got to probably play some highlights, some (NBA) Finals matchups, and educate Beau a little bit better,” Reddick said. “Play some old-school games for him so he can get a real good feel of how dominant (Jordan) was in his prime.”

It was undoubtedly a big moment for NASCAR, which has endured some dips in popularity but seems on the upswing again.

23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan watches the race during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Talladega Superspeedway, Sunday, April 21, in Talladega. Alabama. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Judging by the reaction on social media at seeing His Airness celebrating wildly in the pits, like he once did on the court, Reddick’s victory is sure to move the needle even more. For good measure, the No. 45 Toyota was adorned with the Basketball Hall of Famer’s iconic “Jumpman” logo.

“Yeah, 23XI is very important to this sport, absolutely,” Hamlin said. “It’s good for everything you can imagine. You’re talking sponsorship, your manufacturers, your team morale. It’s just so good, and it is in so many different ways.”

Always one to deliver a well-timed verbal jab, Jordan couldn’t resist taking a poke at his co-owner, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing and was knocked out by a crash with 33 laps remaining that also took out Wallace.

“Actually, he did a good job of wrecking, so we could get up front,” Jordan said of Hamlin. “That was actually pretty good.”

McDowell started from the pole, dominated the later laps and was in position to give Ford its much-needed first victory of the year. But his desperate efforts to block Brad Keselowski, another Ford driver, wound up costing them both.

McDowell swerved to thwart Keselowski on the high side of the track, only to lose control when he attempted an even bolder block to cut off his challenger darting to the inside. McDowell went into a spin, Keselowski had to check up and Reddick sped by to claim his sixth career Cup victory by 0.208 seconds while a bunch of other cars crashed behind them.

Corey LaJoie slid across the finish line with his No. 7 machine on its side, pinned by another car against the wall in front of the grandstands.

Having Jordan witness the improbable finish with his own eyes only added to Reddick’s jubilation.

“He’s come to a few races, and unfortunately, even as good as the days have looked, they’ve not ended in victory lane,” Reddick said. “So for us to win a race like that, be up front as much as we were at the end and it looked like it was slipping away, and then we get it back, man, it’s an unreal feeling.”

For Jordan, the wild finish sparked memories of his former life, the one where he won six NBA championships and was always at his best with the game on the line.

Yet make no mistake: The 61-year-old Jordan is fully committed these days to stock car racing.

“It replaces a lot of the competitiveness that I had in basketball,” he said, before quickly adding a caveat. “But this is even worse, because I have no control. If I was playing basketball, I’d have total control. But I have no control, so I live vicariously through the drivers, crew chiefs and everybody.”

On a wild Sunday in east Alabama, that was more than enough for M.J.

Libby’s Friends Provides Support for Families With Special Needs Children

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Birmingham Times
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In 2023, Libby’s Friends distributed 241 grants across the state and raised $422,000 with hopes to achieve more to help special needs kids and adults. (Libby's Friends, Facebook Page)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

Libby’s Friends, a nonprofit that assists families with a child who has a disability, has won its share for accolades for great work including “Best Local Cause” twice and “Family of the Year” once, but Lane Hagan, who serves as Executive Director of the group, said there’s more.

“I do this because I want to help. I want to help special needs kids and adults that need it,” Hagan said. “I’ve been Libby’s dad for almost 10 years now and I’ve learned a lot and seen a lot of things that the system does not do well. I wanted to figure out a way to financially support these families that really need it.”

In 2023, Libby’s Friends distributed 241 grants across the state and raised $422,000 with hopes to achieve more. “Most were Birmingham heavy, but we do work statewide. It set us up nicely for this year and I’m hoping that we can do a little bit more than last year,” said Hagan.

On May 1 at 5 p.m. Libby’s Friends Giveback Night will be held at Milo’s in Cahaba Heights in Vestavia Hills. He hopes to raise $500,000 and award 250 grants in 2024.

“We’ve started out really strong. We’ve given out 115 grants so I’m well on my way to hitting that 250 for where I’d like to be for fundraising for the year,” he said. “Alabama has 67 counties. There are 29 counties that we have not been able to impact yet.”

Lane and Kathryn Hagan with their children, Libby (9), Drew (8), Grace (6), and Ann Curtis (2). (Libby’s Friends, Facebook Page)

In June of 2014, when she was 12 days old, Libby Hagan received an overdose of insulin in the neonatal intensive care unit of a Birmingham hospital that caused severe brain damage and left her a quadriplegic. Doctors told Libby’s parents, Lane, and Kathryn Hagan, that she would only survive a few months.

Today Libby is 9 years old. Despite beating the odds, Libby is wheelchair-bound and completely dependent on her parents. Raising a child with special needs is expensive. Lane’s dedication to his own daughter fostered the desire to help families who may be experiencing the same thing.

“My focus is on reaching those areas that we haven’t been able to hit by the end of the year. Just thinking about that and making sure that we are impacting the entire state is something that’s kind of on my mind right now. I want to reach more,” he said.

The group was founded in August 2020 during the pandemic. “Obviously it wasn’t an ideal time,” Lane said. “Everything started slowly but it’s continued, and we are getting ready to celebrate out 4th Anniversary in August.

“2020 through ’21 we were just really kind of getting in our groove, and then in ’22 I feel like we started getting the word out about the foundation and what we’re doing. It really started to catch fire and around last year was probably better than I could have ever expected,” said Lane.

After outlining his goals Lane said he began to hit milestones. “We’ve been able to do a lot of good things for the special needs community and provide a lot of support to a lot of kids throughout the state,” he said. “I thought year five would be our big mark. I believed we could give out 100 or more grants. That was my target.”

In 2023 and 2024, Libby’s Friends was voted “Best Local Cause” by Vestavia Hills Magazine and again this year and “Family of the Year” at the Alabama Disability Conference in 2023.

On May 1 at 5 p.m. Libby’s Friends Giveback Night will be held at Milo’s in Cahaba Heights in Vestavia Hills. On May 20, Libby’s Friends will host its 4th Annual Golf Tournament at Highland Park.

For more information, including how to donate and apply for assistance, visit www.libbysfriends.org.

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