Since July 2017, the Regenerate Society seeks to revive, restore, and regenerate creative collaboration between multigenerational and multicultural communities by stimulating insightful conversation. (Provided)
By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
Devin Tanksley, Executive Assistant for Birmingham’s Regenerate Society, Inc. wanted to become a part of the nonprofit so much that when he missed the membership signup, he did the next best thing – he volunteered.
“I ended up volunteering for a year,” said the Birmingham native. “I loved it. I showed up to everything because I just wanted to serve.”
“As a volunteer starting out, I was coming in Regenerate Society after my mentor (Seneca Wilson, motivational speaker, and author) kept beating the wise words into me, ‘Service is the price you pay, for the space that you occupy’. From there I was like who am I serving besides myself?,” said Tanksley.
The Regenerate Society, Inc. is a non-profit organization that addresses social issues using service initiatives that empower young people to use their gifts through community engagement.
Since July 2017, the Regenerate Society seeks to revive, restore, and regenerate creative collaboration between multigenerational and multicultural communities by stimulating insightful conversation.
The group’s name is based on a wrestling show from the ‘90s.
Wesley Wright, Co-Founder and Executive Director, grew up infatuated with wrestling. He was even more enamored with the group Degeneration X, a wrestling staple in the 1990′s composed of individual wrestlers from different divisions to become the “degenerates” on TV.
Seeing their impact, Wright thought, “what if this was flipped for good.
“D-Generation X was a group of a bunch of individuals who got five minutes of television time a night, and now all sudden I am seeing them the entire show just because they came together to support each other,” he said. “All their individual skillsets are bouncing off each other to do the biggest thing possible. That’s where our black and green come from,” said Wright.
Becoming A Nonprofit
What began as five individuals in July 2017, expanded to seven creatives who wanted to support each other. Founding Members: Nehemiah Horace (board secretary); Sheleka Laseter (board member), Abigail Little (chief of member development), Oscar Montgomery, Jr., April Moton, Briauna Perryman (board vice chair), and Wright.
“Why not come together and put our talents together instead and show the community what it looks like to be [united]. From our first meeting God kind of tapped us on our forehead and said, ‘I need y’all to do something bigger.’ and it became a nonprofit organization,” said Wright.
The group recruits 17–24 year olds and takes their talents to help address and impact social issues in the city.
“We are faith based but we don’t require anyone to be of any faith to serve with us. We just like to let people know, we like to pray, and everything that we foundational is through scripture (Biblical),” said Wright.
Regenerate Society focuses on five areas:
Activism
Business
Creative Arts
Health & Wellness
Outreach
Originally from Huntsville, Wright has spent the last 10 years in Birmingham, and it has become his home. This is his first season as Executive Director after he served six seasons as Chief Executive Officer. He is currently pursuing his masters in public administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
Seasons, Not Years
Since Regenerate Society functions as a team, they refer to years as seasons.
Over the last six seasons, the group has worked to be more efficient and effective. During their preseason, or planning phase, they spend months planning and strategizing their projects and initiatives.
“During season six, we came to the conclusion that we wanted to think of initiatives that we can work on within three to five years so that way we can actually see the impact and growth of the communities that we serve in the Birmingham area and beyond,” said Tanksley.
Now in their seventh season, they are taking individuals from the community, giving them a chance to learn and teaching them everything they do.
For example, pre-season training camp teaches the history and current context of the group and gives incoming members the opportunity to get a taste of working together. Throughout the season they learn life skillsets such as leadership training, mental health training and other skills important in their individual pursuits and endeavors.
Once those are the “active season begins” with initiatives like 9 of 99: City Council Project, a project for Birmingham residents on why City Council is important to their neighborhood or community; a Food Club in the Washington K-8 School that teaches 4th-5th grade students about eating healthy and basics of food nutrition; and Operation: Regenerating Hope, is an” initiative solely surrounded to addressing the issue of the [unsheltered] and people without housing beyond just providing them temporary solutions,” said Tanksley.
On the creative side, their Project Capture which is through their Creative Arts division is centered around building a workshop and community for photographers in the city of Birmingham.
As a photographer, Tanksley said,” We’ve identified that in a sense it is a very marginalized demographic. A lot of the times these photographers don’t know how or have access or to the resources to be successful in this industry.”
Wright said this organization has changed his life in many ways. “The plan was never for this to be a nonprofit organization. When we started this, [it] was with a group of people that I look up to and admire surrounding me that now I somehow must lead in some type of direction. It challenged me!”
For more, visit: Instagram: @thisisrsociety; facebook.com/thisisrsociety; team@thisisrsociety.com.
According to the study, the mental health effects from unemployment and having children on remote learning were more pronounced among certain demographic groups. (Adobe Stock)
Family dynamics are critical to mental well-being, and this role became more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic as families were bound to stay together longer than usual. A recent study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that parents who had work disruptions, unemployment or children in remote school saw an increase in depressive symptoms.
The study, published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, also showed a significant decrease in mental health among single parents with work disruptions or without paid work, single parents with children in remote school, fathers without paid work, and white parents with children in remote school.
“We explored the consequences of the pandemic on working parents by examining the health outcomes of parents who faced unemployment, work disruptions and virtual schooling for their children,” said Mieke Beth Thomeer, Ph.D., associate professor in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Sociology and lead author on the study. “Looking at parents’ mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, we found that experiencing work disruptions or having kids in remote school harmed their mental health. We expect that work disruptions and remote schooling especially affected single parents because family safety nets became more taxed for single parents during the pandemic.”
The longitudinal study used data from around the United States to show that the implications of unpaid work and school dynamics for parents during the pandemic are complex and how they vary for parents is based on partnership status, gender and race-ethnicity.
According to the study, the mental health effects were more pronounced among certain demographic groups. The study indicates that not having paid employment and having children attending school remotely more profoundly impacted three groups: single parents, men and individuals who identified as white.
Being out of the labor market was worse for the mental health of fathers than mothers, and having children in remote school harmed the mental health of white parents but not Black parents.
Depressive symptoms caused by paid work disruptions were similar in both men and women during the pandemic, but men’s mental health was more impacted by longer-term unemployment than was women’s.
“We have known that the pandemic resulted in worse mental health for parents,” Thomeer said. “Through this study, we provide evidence for the extent to which parents’ paid work and how their children attended school mattered in worsening mental health. The decline in mental health for fathers could be linked to men’s greater societal pressures to be breadwinners.”
The UAB study examined how those with children in remote school were affected. White parents’ mental health deteriorated more as compared to Black parents.
“This trend may be because Black families are more likely to have extensive kin networks that provide social support systems, including childcare that could reduce the strains of remote school for these parents,” Thomeer said.
Future research should explore the role of systems of support for parents, which may assist us in better understanding of these mental health patterns.
“Although COVID-19 was unique, we can expect to experience more societal events like the pandemic, for example, climate disasters or economic recessions, disrupting parents’ work lives and their children’s schooling,” Thomeer said. “The study’s results can help inform policies advocating for providing more support to families, especially vulnerable families such as single-parent households, that can help protect mental health for all generations.”
The study is co-led by Rin Reczek, professor of sociology at Ohio State University, and UAB alumnus Mia Brantley, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology at North Carolina State University.
Bill Demchak, CEO of PNC, chats with students after the bank provided a $10 million grant to the Birmingham Promise scholarship program. (Barnett Wright, The Birmingham Times)
By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
Paris Etheridge, a senior at Ramsay High School in Birmingham, wants a career in nursing and always figured she would have an internship at a medical facility in the area.
So, she had no idea how her life would change when she was brought on as an intern with Birmingham Promise, which provides up to four years of tuition assistance for graduates of city schools who attend public colleges and universities in Alabama.
“The people that work at [the Promise program] make sure they pour into us,” she said. “They make sure we have the tools and necessary things that we need in order to go to the next level. They make sure we are confident in what we do.”
Etheridge was at City Hall Wednesday when Birmingham Promise received a $10 million grant from PNC Foundation to promote postsecondary success for City of Birmingham school graduates, the largest grant of its kind since the Promise program was created in 2019.
The funding, payable over the next 10 years, will sustain the organization’s scholarship program and expand its work to prepare and support students for college success.
“This is an enormous day for Birmingham Promise,” said Samantha Williams, executive director. “It is uncommon for an organization to receive an investment that will last for a decade. This grant will support students who to go to college who today are in second grade.”
Nick Willis, PNC regional president for North & Central Alabama said the grant “… empowers young scholars to reach their maximum potential. It enriches our community by providing students with the chance to fulfill their dreams, along with the generational impact of graduating without a high burden of tuition debt.”
Etheridge who does admin work for the Promise program said she’s ecstatic to see it grow with corporate donations. “I work directly in the office so I see the work [being done in the] background …,” she said. “[And] I am out speaking at schools, working hand in hand with them.”
From left: Paris Etheridge, senior at Ramsay High School; Damiuna Dawson, who attended G.W. Carver High School in Birmingham and will graduate UAB on April 27; and Rafael Francisco, a senior at Woodlawn High School spoke on behalf of the Birmingham Promise program on Wednesday. (Barnett Wright, The Birmingham Times)
Damiuna Dawson, who attended G.W. Carver High School and will graduate from UAB on April 27 with a degree in social work and head to grad school, said, “Birmingham Promise has opened so many doors for me. I’ve had the opportunity to go semester by semester and not have to worry about how to pay for things, not having to worry about my mom stressed out about her expenses … this will impact so many young people where I come from …,”
Sustain scholarships and the program’s success coaches, who work with students throughout their college years to overcome challenges and make the most of their postsecondary education.
Expand the outreach and counseling it provides high-school students about their college and career plans, connecting them with the programs that best serve their needs.
Launch an outreach program for middle-schoolers to make sure they are on the best path for college success before entering high school.
Mayor Randall Woodfin, whose administration led to the creation of the Promise program, said the PNC Foundation’s grant will not only allow individual students to fulfill their dreams but also will ensure the city’s future economic success.
“These students are the future workforce of our city,” Woodfin said. “By investing in them, we are creating a talent pipeline that will make our businesses more successful and our city economically strong.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was in Birmingham on Wednesday to celebrate a $14.5 million federal grant to turn Fourth Avenue North in the city’s Black Business District into a two-way street. (Sym Posey, The Birmingham Times)
By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was in Birmingham on Wednesday to celebrate a $14.5 million federal grant to turn Fourth Avenue North in the city’s Black Business District into a two-way street.
“We’re here because everybody recognizes all the ways in which infrastructure shapes our lives and we feel it when something goes wrong,” he said. “Sometimes we don’t pay attention to it when everything goes right, but a lot of work goes into making sure that it goes right. And that’s what today is about.”
The grant of $14,556,040 will come from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Neighborhood Access and Equity grant program to re-connect the historic Fourth Avenue Black Business District.
Buttigieg was joined by Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Mayor Randall Woodfin, community leaders, and Fourth Avenue businessmen and women outside the historic Carver Theater/Jazz Hall of Fame in the Birmingham Civil Rights District.
The transportation secretary said his visit was “about better infrastructure for the future and it’s about putting right things that have been done wrong in the past. Part of what brings me to Birmingham today is recognizing the consequences of infrastructure decisions that were made generations ago and our regard for a community’s vision,” said Buttigieg.
The grant will restore and reconnect Fourth Avenue to revitalized 15 blocks and restore the two-way design that was original to this neighborhood and add more modern features. “People are going to find it easier and more comfortable and safer to move on this quarter, whether walking, biking, riding the bus, or driving,” said Buttigieg.
Many past decisions have created barriers between people and opportunity –especially in African American communities and the Fourth Avenue business district – Black Main Street, is a prime example, said Sewell.
“We know that the historic Fourth Avenue business district has a very rich legacy of African American ingenuity and entrepreneurship. We also know that we’ve seen the crippling effects of infrastructure policy that has sought to divide us,” she said. “Our people deserve better, and we are so thrilled that the Biden Harris administration is helping us right these wrongs and level the playing field for Fourth Avenue business district.”
For Birmingham to create a thriving downtown and thriving neighborhoods, “we need streets where a mother can safely push a stroller across a crosswalk,” said Woodfin. “Our vision is to create a truly multimodal model City, a city where people can walk, ride public transportation or ride a bike to get to their destination.
Some of the changes may take time, he said. Many in the area are “trapped in a culture of car dependency,” he said. “It will take us some time to undo this infrastructure and redesign our streets and systems. This project is a major step in safer streets with this Fourth Avenue project.”
Jessica Hayes, CEO, designer and founder of The House of Avid, and an A.H. Parker High School grad, said she and her company specialize in fashion architecture, and create wearable art. (Desiree Greenwood, For The Birmingham Times)
By Je’Don Hollway Talley | For The Birmingham Times
Jessica Hayes is no ordinary dressmaker. She’s a special occasions designer who learned to leverage skills she learned in architectural classes with her love for glamorous fashion—and now she creates what she describes as “wearable art.”
“It’s the architecture of fashion,” Hayes said. “I have a keen eye for trends, I’m creative and innovative, and I love expressing my artistic vision through my designs.”
Hayes, 31, started her fashion line, House of Avid, in 2016. She has since completed five full collections and is preparing for one of her specialties: prom season. Two months ago, she hosted her Seventh Annual Prom Queen Tour Pop-Up Shop in Center Point, Alabama.
More than 100 girls stood in line to try on the 2024 House of Avid prom gown collection, from which more than 50 gowns were sold to Birmingham area girls. The House of Avid team conducted more than 20 custom consultations at the event, helping promgoers move their ideas from concepts to bona fide fashion designs.
The dressmaker, who also specializes in creating custom ensembles, recalls her own senior prom. Hayes attended A.H. Parker High School, and the event was held at the Harbert Center in downtown Birmingham.
“Prom was definitely a fun experience, but I wasn’t involved in picking out my dress,” she said. “My mom literally came home with the dress and said, ‘Here’s the dress you’re wearing for prom.’ It was a beautiful dress. It was baby blue, it had some rhinestones on it, my back was completely out, and it had sheer details on it that were super cute. I just didn’t get to pick it out.”
“We did a cute little send-off in front of my house, and my mom drove me to the prom and picked me up. I was able to hang out with all my friends, and that was kind of a big deal because I didn’t do a lot of hanging out in high school.”
Birmingham native Jessica Hayes recently hosted her Seventh Annual Prom Queen Tour Pop-Up Shop in Center Point, Alabama. (Desiree Greenwood, For The Birmingham Times)
“Amazing Experience”
Luckily for Hayes, her mom had good fashion sense. Still, because she missed the opportunity to come up with her look, the designer provides that experience to girls who turn to her when preparing for their special events.
“I try to make the process of designing and getting a custom dress an amazing experience, with all of the fun in the design studio talking about different fabrics and materials. It gives [girls] a complete custom experience, and they truly know they’re getting a one-of-a-kind dress,” said Hayes, who added that proms play an important part in a girl’s life.
In fact, she said, proms are “absolutely” precursors to a girl’s future wedding day.
“As far as social occasions, your prom and your wedding day are sometimes the only times you’ll get special occasion dresses made,” said Hayes. “Prom is the first most important day in a girl’s life, and then her wedding day [becomes] the most important day.”
Part of making women and girls feel luxurious and glamorous lies in the details, fabrics, and embellishments. “I look for high-quality materials that match my vision and complement the pieces,” said Hayes. “It’s important to consider factors like texture, color, durability, and sustainability when sourcing and picking fabrics.”
For weddings, Hayes will not only create the bride’s gown but also tailor bridesmaid dresses, bow ties, and handkerchiefs for the groom and groomsmen, as well as custom bridal robes, reception dresses, and more.
In addition to dressing young ladies for the special occasions in their lives, Hayes designs for celebrities. She has provided gowns for FOX television network shows “Black Lightning” and “Star”; for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) series “Ambitions”; and for clients such as R&B singers K. Michelle and Dondria and reality TV star Dr. Heavenly Kimes of “Married to Medicine”—all of which were done despite Hayes not always having a showroom and dedicated design space.
When it comes to designing new collections, designer Jessica Hayes, CEO and founder of Atlanta-based House of Avid, said she sees inspiration all around her, even in architecture. (Provided Photos. House of Avid)
“A Double Order”
In her early days, her custom jobs started with house calls. The first prom dresses she ever designed were in 2017 for a set of twins, Iman and Imari, out of Birmingham.
“It was a double order. They asked for two completely different-looking dresses, and they were not easy,” Hayes pointed out. “[One twin] had a blue-and-green tuille mermaid-looking dress with a train, and [the other] had a super-wavy dress in purple-and-hot pink tuille with ruffles at the bottom. Their dress colors blended well together, and they were super tailored and fit their bodies very well. [The twins] went viral on social media.”
As for how she comes up with the inspiration for her custom gowns, Hayes explained the design ideas come from her clients.
“A lot of the inspiration comes from when I meet with my clients, who I ask to bring inspiration pictures to [the consultation]. … Based on the images they bring, I ask questions about their personal style and things that they like. I show them examples and different fabrics and materials, so they can choose exactly what they want. Then I add details based on what I think would look best for their body,” Hayes said.
When it comes to designing new collections, Hayes said she sees inspiration all around her, even in architecture.
“I get inspiration from buildings and different flowers, things that I see daily, and I implement that into my garments,” said Hayes. “My own collections, they’re my style. I also do a lot of studying on what’s trending, and I may use certain design elements. … When I see certain materials in the fabric store, I may get a vision for a dress. … I use different elements, different structures that I think will accent the female body.”
Asked if she has a favorite design, Hayes raved over a recent custom bridal gown.
“It has a really long ruffled train with a split in the front, a built-in corset, handstitched beading, and rhinestones. It was really blinged out. The sleeves and chest area had rhinestones on them. My bride had her wedding in Florida, and we actually drove down to Florida to help her get into the dress and help style her for her pictures.”
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Learning to Sew
When Hayes began learning her way around a sewing machine, elegant ballroom gowns weren’t even a figment of her imagination. The Birmingham native, who grew up in the West End-Powderly neighborhood, was 12 years old and attending Arrington Middle School when she started learning the basics.
“My next-door neighbor taught me how to sew. I asked if she could teach me how to use her machine, and she started by teaching me how to make pillows and slipcovers for couches,” said Hayes. “I’ve always been a fashion girl, so eventually I started making clothes for myself, then friends started asking me to make pieces for them.”
Hayes taught herself to draw, but the art classes she took at A.H. Parker High School, her alma mater, helped her fine-tune her skills. To further sharpen her sewing skills, she said, “I’ve used YouTube tutorials to learn different techniques, and there was definitely trial and error.”
“It was a combination of tutorials, hands-on practice with my mentor, [my next-door neighbor], and experimenting with different stitches and techniques that helped me become more skilled and confident in using the machine.”
Hayes grew up in a home with her two sisters and single working mother. “We would be home after school waiting for our mom, and instead of killing time watching TV, I used to go next door and sew,” Hayes recalled. “When I really started getting good, my mom and grandma had me make pillows for them. Then my mom bought me my own sewing machine when I was 13. My dad also supported me by coming to fashion shows I hosted at [A.H. Parker High School].”
Hayes, who went on to attend Tuskegee University, in Tuskegee, Alabama, made her first special occasion gown while attending college in 2014. Bringing that sketch to life was more challenging than she had anticipated.
“By this point, I had been sewing for years, but it was harder than I expected,” she said. “Persistence and practice paid off. I honed my skills and developed techniques to help me realize my creative visions.”
College Years and Fashion Shows
A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Hayes earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2015 from Tuskegee. She majored in architecture for three years but switched gears.
“I had to retake a math class to get into the professional architecture program. If I had retaken that class, it would’ve put me behind a whole year in school. My scholarship wouldn’t have covered the additional year, so I went with plan B and switched my major to business administration,” Hayes explained. “Thankfully, I had already learned design skills, such as how to use [a computer-aided design (CAD) program], and incorporated them into my fashion design [process].”
While at Tuskegee, Hayes participated in a modeling troop and hosted fashion shows.
“I was a member of the Rave Review Modeling Troop,” she said. “I was the secretary one year and the vice president another year. I styled multiple fashion shows and created the looks. One year, we created garments out of trash bags [for] ‘The Trash Bag Show,’ [which became] our signature show.”
After graduating, Hayes relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where there were more opportunities.
More than 100 girls stood in line to try on the 2024 House of Avid prom gown collection. The House of Avid team conducted more than 20 custom consultations at the event, helping promgoers move their ideas from concepts to dresses. (Desiree Greenwood, For The Birmingham Times)
Post College
“When I first moved to Atlanta, [I] worked at Nordstrom [department store] to get luxury retail experience and became part of the [company’s] Future Leaders Program,” she said. “After I left Nordstrom, I went corporate and got into advertising and sales to expand my sales experience—all while making dresses from my apartment. I stopped working full-time in 2017 because I wanted to focus on my company. I would be at my desk sketching, and knew I needed to be at home sewing.”
Hayes designed out of her Atlanta apartment for three years before opening the House of Avid showroom in Decatur, Georgia, in 2019. Building her design house didn’t come without challenges.
“Navigating the complexities of production and distribution and balancing them with creative innovation and practical business strategies, has been a continuous challenge,” she said.
Hayes’s custom gowns and initial prototypes can take up to 100 hours over the course of several weeks to complete.
“Some garments can be done in three hours, and more detailed garments can take months,” she said. “It just depends on the intricacy of the design.”
There’s something magical about knowing people will create memories that last a lifetime in her gowns.
“I love the idea of being part of someone’s cherished moments. It’s truly a rewarding and fulfilling aspect of fashion designing for me,” said Hayes. “Prom is such a special time in a girl’s life, and I believe my dresses make them feel like the belle of the ball. When it comes to bridal, creating a custom wedding gown is such an intimate journey between the bride and me. … I strive to ensure that the bride feels like the most beautiful version of herself. It’s a privilege to contribute to someone’s happiness and confidence on their special day.”
Garments from Jessica Hayes’s showroom are available for purchase online at www.thehouseofavid.com, and virtual and in-person consultations are conducted daily for her growing clientele across the nation. Find her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @JessicaHayesDesigns and @HouseofAvid. For bookings and info, email contactsupport@thehouseofavid.com.
(Full disclosure: The author, Je’Don Holloway Talley, helped to promote the Seventh Annual Prom Queen Tour Pop-Up Shop event in Center Point, Alabama.)
Updated at 4:52 p.m. on 4/4/2024 to correct the photo credit.
A Lamborghini Urus, like the one Jahmeiah Jackson, 18, a senior at McAdory High School in McCalla, Alabama, plans to take to her prom. (Provided)
By Je’Don Holloway Talley | For The Birmingham Times
There was a time when teens went to proms in rented limousines and would wave goodbye to their parents, who clicked away with point-and-shoot cameras. That was then. Now, some proms come with magazine editorial-style photoshoots and foreign cars.
“We’re going [to prom] in a Lamborghini Urus, [a luxury sport utility vehicle],” said Jahmeiah Jackson, 18, a senior at McAdory High School in McCalla, Alabama. “We’re doing photo shoots at [one of the lakes] Ross Bridge in Hoover, [Alabama], and downtown [Birmingham] in front of a cityscape before going to prom at the [Hoover Metropolitan Complex].”
Jackson’s gown will be equally luxurious.
“We’re doing a periwinkle color because that’s the color my mom’s prom dress was. … In the front, we’re doing this handmade flower print, it’s gonna be beaded down, jewels all over the dress,” she said.
With this much attention to detail for her night and her one-of-a-kind ensemble, her date’s look will have to match her fly look.
“We got him [connected with a Black suit-and-tuxedo] designer who’s gonna be making his custom suit for our prom,” Jackson said.
Detreyona Samuels, 17, a senior at Clay-Chalkville High School, in Pinson, Alabama, will be headed to her prom on April 19 at Birmingham’s B&A Warehouse with more than a date—she’ll have a personal driver, as well, to record the evening for her social media followers.
“I want a driver because I want to feel fancy. I want to be chauffeured,” she laughed. “That way I can be posting my content for prom instead of driving. I gotta make my money.”
Samuels, a Birmingham native and social media influencer with a 17.4K following on TikTok, makes her own money as a brand ambassador, influencer, and graphic design artist.
Asked what other details were going to complete her night, Samuels said she hasn’t planned the full evening yet.
“I do want balloons and a backdrop with a picture of me, food. … Just a nice little get-together for my family, so they can see me off to prom,” she said.
Jahmeiah Jackson, left, and Detreyona Samuels, brand ambassadors for The House of Avid. (Provided)
Jackson and Samuels recently attended a Prom Queen Tour Pop-Up Shop in Center Point, Alabama, hosted by Birmingham native, Jessica Hayes, CEO and designer, of the Atlanta-based House of Avid fashion line.
More than 100 girls stood in line to try on the 2024 House of Avid prom gown collection, from which more than 50 gowns were sold to Birmingham area girls—including Jackson and Samuels, who served as two of the 20 brand ambassadors for the event and also modeled gowns for Hayes during one of her morning show news segments about her designs.
The House of Avid team conducted more than 20 custom consultations at the event, serving more than 70 Birmingham area girls to help them move their ideas from concepts to fashion designs.
Samuels said she came to the right place for her gown. “They were beautiful. I had never seen dresses like that before. They all had their own thing going on. None of them were the same,” she said, adding that she was looking for her dream gown regardless of the price. “I was gonna pay whatever because it’s my senior year. You want something beautiful and high-quality for your senior prom.”
Samuels’s dress was priced at $1,800: “That’s what people are charging for dresses nowadays, especially custom-made ones,” she said of her dress, which is “red with a long train, and the top is a whole bunch of [rhinestone embellishment].”
The custom gowns Hayes designs range in pricing. On the lower end, girls might be able to find a dress in the $600 range, while prices soar as high as $2,500 and more. The costs didn’t deter Jackson.
For a closer look at some of the House of Avid’s designs, scroll through the slideshow
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“My mom is my bestie and, personally, when we shop or go on trips, we do it big,” she laughed. “We’re really extra, and my mom goes above and beyond. … Last year, we went to Paris, [France]. My Sweet 16 was extravagant: the party was in [Atlanta, Georgia], we rented an Airbnb in Buckhead, [Georgia], and we got a Sprinter [van]. I invited all my homegirls, and we had the biggest sleepover ever. … My mom even hired a chef to drive over from Birmingham and cook.”
Jackson’s custom prom gown was quoted at $2,250.
“My dress is different from others. It’s [going to be] elegant and classy. I can’t wait to see how it turns out,” she said. “I’m going to [feel like I’m going to] the Met Gala. I really feel like I’m going to be the ‘It Girl’ that night.”
Garments from Jessica Hayes’s showroom are available for purchase online at www.thehouseofavid.com, and virtual and in-person consultations are conducted daily for her growing clientele across the nation. Find her on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @JessicaHayesDesigns and @HouseofAvid. For bookings and info, email contactsupport@thehouseofavid.com.
(Full disclosure: The author, Je’Don Holloway Talley, helped to promote the February Prom Queen Tour Pop-Up Shop event in Center Point, Alabama.)
Over the last seven years, BOLD has directly contributed $5.4 million to 57 local organizations. (Adobe Stock)
Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase
For many, owning a business is a symbol of the American dream. It can be exciting to imagine becoming your own boss, working for yourself and offering employment to others – all helping build financial security for your family and community.
Building a successful business requires a solid plan and lots of help along the way, however, and many budding entrepreneurs soon discover that having a great idea is just the beginning of their small business journey.
Mikal Quarles, head of community business strategies for Chase Business Banking. (Provided)
Mikal Quarles, head of community business strategies for Chase Business Banking, shares tips for setting up a small business, what to do, what not to do, and what to watch out for when starting your entrepreneurship journey.
Before even starting your small business, what are the top considerations for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurs run the gamut from someone with a side gig, to someone jumping into the deep end with a business acquisition. Here are a few things that I feel apply to any entrepreneur:
Passion does not convert to currency but value does. Make sure to confirm there is a demand for what you are interested in doing and a need that hasn’t been met.
Everyone doesn’t want to be a CEO. Some entrepreneurs like the freedom of being paid for services rendered. We need to create different swim lanes so business owners understand their journey and how to create milestones along the way.
Your credit is the business’ credit. There is no other place else to look to gain understanding on how business responsibilities will be managed.
There is so much support out there, don’t take this journey by yourself. Join an industry association, chamber or other resource group. Connect with others having similar challenges and remember that “Iron Sharpens Iron.”
Where should entrepreneurs begin to make their small business idea a reality?
Deciding to start a small business can be an exciting time. Aspiring entrepreneurs should set themselves up for success by having a solid plan before taking the leap. A good business plan proves your idea is viable and helps you set important goals that reduce risks and avoid potential pitfalls. Here are some questions you should ask yourself before you get started:
Why do I want to start this business? What’s my reasoning or inspiration?
How does my business stand out from the competition?
What is my unique value proposition?
Who are my target customers? How can I reach them?
Who is already on my management team? What gaps do I need to fill?
How can my business make a profit? How soon will it break even?
When I moved my family from Chicago to Los Angeles I couldn’t get to my mailbox without turning on my GPS. Just think of your business plan as your GPS.
What are some pitfalls for entrepreneurs and small business owners to avoid when starting their business?
There are many pitfalls that entrepreneurs can get caught in when starting a business. The most common reasons businesses fail are due to lack of capital, lack of market impact or need, unresearched pricing (too high or low), explosive growth that drains your capital and stiff competition.
To avoid these, you should have a plan to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship and a team of trusted advisors to provide expertise. All business owners should have a CPA/bookkeeper, attorney, insurance broker and a business banker they can rely on. Lastly, pivot when you see the markets have changed.
How can small businesses prepare for future growth?
We have talked a lot about planning but the best way to prepare for future growth is to plan for it. Growth can happen organically, through strategic partnerships or acquisitions, or through increased marketing efforts but usually doesn’t happen by accident. You have to be intentional about your growth plans for your business and take the steps to set you and your business up properly for success. Part of planning for growth is securing the capital you need to fuel the growth when you are ready. Often that means securing financing when you don’t need it so you have access to it when you do. But don’t forget the most critical aspect of growth…your people. Surround yourself with people that are smarter than you and trust that as you expand they will prove it!
What are some of the resources available to help support aspiring and current small business owners with their business needs?
There are a lot of resources – both in person and online – a business owner can tap into to help them understand trends and to see around corners. For example, business owners can head to Chase.com/Business to see a range of free articles, courses and tools that gear business owners with everything they need to help start, run and grow their business. I also lead a consulting program for entrepreneurs, where business owners can receive one-on-one coaching from an experienced senior business consultant. We now offer the program in 21 U.S. cities and have mentored over 5,000 minority business owners since 2021.
Launching your business can be the first step toward a bright financial future, but all entrepreneurs need a great team and a great plan to make that success possible.
If you’re hoping to start your own business, start planning today, and don’t hesitate to reach out to your local financial institution to get the help you need to make it happen.
When we feel wronged, there’s a strong tendency to react in much the same manner and return deed for deed. But I’m asking you to do something a little different as you endure such the next time around. Show mercy, keep it moving and live above it.
And let ‘s go ahead and deal with this straight up. This will be the last thing you feel like doing. But and I’m issuing this as a reminder to myself also, another’s immature behavior and/or disparaging remarks shouldn’t be our invitation to meet them at that low place.
Instead, I’m asking you to take the high road, which will be the road less traveled and more challenging to access. But I believe you have the strength to do it. And here’s how.
I believe one obvious sign of maturity rests in a measured response – thinking through before putting any more fuel on the fire of bad behavior. Trust me, we can all return wrong for wrong. I am no different. I find that I am too “tempted” to right a wrong that’s been done to me or said about me through my own insufficient efforts.
Life coach Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson believes one obvious sign of maturity rests in a measured response — thinking through before putting any more fuel on the fire of bad behavior. (Adobe Stock)
I think of all the times I’ve attempted to do that and not once was that person’s opinion of me or behavior toward me changed for the better based on my response or defense of myself.
Most times it only served to make matters worse because if someone has already decided to think ill of you, there may be little you can do to change that. So why waste your time and energy trying to convince them otherwise? In fact, I believe it is a hallmark of aging gracefully.
Your time will be better spent in the presence of those who respect and appreciate you. And when we know better, we should do better. And that includes how we respond to those who don’t have our best interest at heart.
Am I advocating for you to allow someone to intentionally harm you? Absolutely not. Am I asking you to take the higher road when your character is attacked? Absolutely no.
Their inappropriate, immature and negative actions or responses may have little to do with you. So again, gather yourself and stop taking their character hits personally. But do use it as an opportunity to grow gracefully.
Here’s a quick guide to grow through challenging times and deal with challenging people.
First, take a moment to breathe before responding inappropriately. Second, set your ego aside. Is there any truth to what they’re saying, even if it’s in minimal doses? Third, it’s perfectly okay not to respond in the moment.
Part of maturity and wisdom is recognizing what to say and when to say it. And you’ll notice I’ve dealt very little with holding the other person accountable for what they say or do. That’s because I wholeheartedly believe you don’t have to worry about that. Their actions have a way of coming back to them full circle. You are responsible only for you.
Know that I’m cheering for you and I’m just an email away.
Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson is a life coach, author and speaker. Her column appears each month online and in The Birmingham Times. You can contact Keisa at keisasharpe@yahoo.com and visit http://www.allsheanaturals.com for natural hair and body products.
Brittany Hogan, Founder and Executive Director of Empower to Conquer, remembers what it was like to grow up in small town in Coosa County, Alabama.
“There is no major anything in that area. We don’t even have traffics lights. It’s all stop signs and caution signs. Very rural. Because of that I wanted to put a youth conference in that area … Typically, we must travel to experience something,” she said.
Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, Hogan moved to Coosa County when she was 12 because of her father’s job. She said she often thinks about her childhood in two parts, before Coosa County and after moving. Nestled in the heart of central Alabama, the beautiful rural county only has approximately 11,000 residents according to the 2020 Census.
“It was a culture shock. Getting acclimated to life there, and not being able to be as involved in things like I was in Huntsville because the opportunities just wasn’t there. High school was hard. Because I had a growing faith in God, it wasn’t the popular lifestyle to live when you are in high school for me,” said Hogan.
Her personal journey on her walk with God is what inspired her to create Empower to Conquer, a youth development ministry based out of Bessemer, Alabama.
Founded in June 2009, Empower to Conquer serves 4 different highs schools – Bessmer City High City, Central High School Coosa County, A.H. Parker High School, and Woodlawn High School.
“We have a growing list of schools that want to be a part of. We have a vision that every school has access to that. The goal is to continue to grow. I could not do what I do without my team. I am grateful for them. Our students need this, [ especially] brown and Black students. They need to see us,” said Hogan.
In Huntsville, Hogan was very active.
“I played basketball since I could walk. My dad was my coach, my mom was always my cheerleader. We were always involved in church and community activities. “
Hogan said she felt “blessed to have wonderful parents that really disciplined us as kids. But one strategic opportunity for me was going to attend youth conferences growing up.”
Providing Opportunities
It’s important to give the youths a chance to experience different opportunities like conferences that she had the chance to attend, she said. “I just wanted students to experience God through conferences at an early age like I had,” said Hogan.
She pitched the idea of doing this youth conference in 2009, shortly after graduating from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). “I went to [UAB} for chemistry and physical therapy. This was not in the cards. But I’ve always had a desire for students to experience something that I’ve experienced. And one significant area is my faith journey.”
With the help of her closest friend and family, Hogan said,” it took about three months, we planned our first Youth Conference, and the theme of that conference was empowered to conquer.”
“We had about 50 to 75 kids [from Coosa County] to participate over the course of the weekend and by the end we were like, oh, maybe this is a need, maybe this is something that students will gravitate towards. We prayed about it and went back and put some vision behind it and decided to make the theme the name of the organization,” said Hogan.
This year marks their 15-year anniversary.
“To us, an empowered life is one where students discover their unique gifts and have access to training, guidance, and opportunities to maximize their potential,” Hogan said. “We are passionate about helping students reach their limitless potential. We believe God has called them to do great things.”
Hogan said she feels it is “important to us that we get a chance to empower them with strong faith Foundation, with the career development that they need, as well as mental health needs.”
Once a year, Empower to Conquer hosts a retreat for students in Coosa County.
“The faith component is a retreat that we do annually for students, that strength base, the career development component is a limitless group. So that’s the education piece. And then the relationships piece is a mentoring program that allows students to have the emotional and social support they need.”
Sparking A Relationship
What started as a one-day conference in 2009 has evolved into a three-night retreat designed to spark a relationship with Christ and create disciples.
“We’re hosting our first three-night retreat. We did conferences where students will come and go, you know, maybe over the course of one or two days, in the beginning and all the way up until about 2018 and then we just felt like the Lord was leading us to do retreats, which would provide our students with an opportunity to get out of their environments and go somewhere else for a weekend.”
The environment is important given the demographic that Empower serves, Hogan said.
“One of the biggest things that I am proud of is the way that we have been organically growing with our students. We started off just doing youth conferences. Our mentoring program was not on our radar. We were doing conferences and doing career development through limitless groups.
“And then in 2017 we got the chance to partner with Bessmer City High School. We were working with career development, but they were about to do an empowering assembly for all the girls in the school and they asked me to be a speaker for this program.
“I spoke and they gave our volunteers the opportunity to pray with young ladies after the program if they wanted it. We were there the rest of the school day praying with students because they kept coming,” said Hogan.
A year after that program, Empower to Conquer came back to Bessmer City High school and launched their mentoring program. Initially, they launched the program for those same 13 girls that came to them after that program.
“I’m so proud that we got a chance to not just launch program, but we’ve been able to walk along side of students who really need us and really see them accomplish some of their goals … To have seen so many of them not just make it to graduation but thrive after graduation is what I am most proud of,” said Hogan.
For more important about Limitless Groups, Limitless Mentoring, and Limitless Retreat, or Volunteer Opportunities, visit Empowered to Conquer – Faith. Education. Relationships.
The 2024 Easter weekend gave everyone a glimpse of spring in Alabama. The sky was a bright blue with snow white clouds and wow, the weather temperatures were fantastic. This weather was just sensational as we prepare for spring 2024. In Alabama, this type of weather can sometimes be the calm before the storm.
Our state resides in the pathway of what is frequently referred to as “Dixie Alley.” Typically, the tornado season in our country goes from May to June, but for states located in “Dixie Alley” it comes earlier. It can sometimes begin as early as February.
Tornado season also brings severe storms with lightning and thunder, flooding and high straight line wind conditions. So, since tornado and severe weather patterns in the “Dixie Alley” states peak from March to June, the newest safety series will focus on severe weather preparedness. This series will begin discussing flooding preparedness.
Flooding is a temporary overflow of water onto land that is normally dry. Floods are the most common disaster in the United States regardless of location. Flooding may:
• Be the result of heavy rainfall, storm surges and other water systems.
• Develop slowly or quickly. Flash Floods can come without any warning.
• Cause outages, disrupt transportation, damage buildings and create landslides.
• Failing to evacuate flooded areas or entering flood waters can lead to injury and even death. In our city, Village Creek, which runs through our city/county has caused a great deal of flooding disasters along with sometimes poor storm sewerage drainage, etc.
If you are under a flood warning:
• Find a safe shelter right away.
• Do not walk, swim or drive through flood waters. Follow the slogan “TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN.”
• Remember, just six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
• Stay off bridges over fast-moving water.
Depending on the types of flooding:
• Evacuate if told to do so
• Move to higher ground or a higher floor
These are a few safety tips to consider helping you Keep an Eye on Safety during a flood warning which are a serious matter and should not be taken lightly.
