How a Popular Anime Series Combines Fandom with Mental Health Wellness

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September 30, 2025

Breathwork 1 — Held in early September at Innovation Depot by Healthy Coping Club, Breathwork Experience, is a Birmingham-based brand built with a team of professionals dedicated to promoting mental wellness with resources and support. (Sym Posey, The Birmingham Times)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

What happens when you combine mental health techniques with anime cosplay? You get “The Demon Slayer: Breathwork Experience” which aims to improve physical, mental, and emotional well-being by altering breathing patterns.

Held in early September at Innovation Depot by Healthy Coping Club, Breathwork Experience, is a Birmingham-based brand built with a team of professionals dedicated to promoting mental wellness with resources and support.

Attendees were invited to step into the world of Demon Slayer and discover the real-life power behind the anime’s legendary breathing styles.

Demon Slayer is a popular Japanese anime series and film franchise with total concentration breathing is used to achieve superhuman abilities.

“A Natural Fit”

Jermaine Wall, a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Crescent Counseling Services, based in Trussville and Birmingham said it was “a natural fit” for him to connect to evidence-based breathwork techniques in his clinical work.

“It’s a fun way to bring anime and wellness together, providing people with tools they can use daily to manage stress and take care of themselves,” he said.

Wall is a part of a multidisciplinary team at Health Coping Club with a goal to promote mental wellness and provide resources and support for all.

Crescent Counseling Services focuses on youth and adolescent wellness, men’s mental health, and creating products and programs that help with coping skills through workbooks, card games, and workshops that make dealing with stress easier.

Wall said he always wanted to be in a helping profession and volunteered a lot in college and enjoyed helping people. “A natural extension of that was social work for me,” said Wall.

Anime originated as a Japanese animation subculture and has since become a genre and art form that reflects everyday life, traditions, and modern social issues in Japan.

This is not Wall’s first time at hosting anime-centered influences at one of his events. “I work with clients every week using anime and geek culture as part of therapy,” he said. “I also host groups and presentations monthly, and our Anime Club meets every second Thursday at (The Flourish), 602 19th St Ensley, Birmingham, AL 35218.

He connects the lessons and stories found in anime to real-life wellness with his Anime Awakening program. “I’ve had the opportunity to share this with schools, conventions, and professional conferences,” Wall told the Times.

He’s also done “create your own superpower type of events” at camps, he said. “It’s a strength-based therapy, where we help young people look for their superpowers within themselves … and use that as an opportunity for them to create your own superhero with their own backstory.”

Wall said his appreciation for anime came while he was in graduate school at the University of South Florida.

“I was stressed out from graduate school, so I got caught up in Bleach (an action-adventure anime series). It was the first anime I really started binge watching and then, you know how it goes. You just fall into the rabbit hole,” said Wall.

“Calming The Nervous System”

Lemar Storey, the founder of Life Touch Massage LLC, led the breathwork class in several breathing techniques and said [Wall] reached out to him about the event at Innovation Depot. “I don’t really watch anime, but he (Wall) sent me a link to Demon Slayer, so I checked it out and saw some of the breathing techniques,” said Storey.

In addition to massage services through Life Touch, Storey also conducts yoga classes, and floating sound therapy experiences.

There are 15 different types of pranayama (ancient yogic practice for controlling the breath) but only three were chosen for the class.

“Giving people some techniques that they can use to help with calming the nervous system, lowering their heart rate, calming themselves down in case of anger or not being able to sleep, or anxiety, or depression, are the main,” Storey said.

At the end of the breath-work session, he conducted “a sound bath” a form of therapeutic experience where a practitioner uses different instruments, like gongs, singing bowls, and chimes, to create soothing vibrations and frequencies … to just let the body settle after we do those breathing techniques,” he said.

Working with Story makes for a healthy partnership, Wall said.

“Lamar and I have known each other for years. I do not think we partnered and worked on anything, but this was the perfect opportunity for me to find somebody I respect and somebody that is doing great work in the community,” Wall said, “and for us to partner in a way that is going to help the people. Similar to the two favorite characters linking up to save the day.”

14th Annual Sistah Strut Begins Breast Cancer Awareness Month Activities in Birmingham

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Birmingham Times

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September 29, 2025

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Sistah0929 1 — The 14th Annual Brenda’s Brown Bosom Buddies (BBBB) Sistah Strut walk/run/ride/stroll, took place on September 27, at Legion Field Stadium. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

By Jordyn Davis | For The Birmingham Times

Yolaine Sykes, a retired teacher and owner of a skin-care line of products in Avondale, Alabama, was among more than 500 women in pink and brown at Birmingham’s Legion Field Stadium on Saturday for messages of hope and show of support.

Yolaine Sykes, Vendor Coordinator for this year’s Sistah Strut. (Jordyn Davis, For The Birmingham Times)

“Women of color — Black and Brown women—are not really represented when it comes to breast cancer research and awareness,” said Sykes, “A lot of the studies that have been done are not connecting to us [Black women] specifically … It’s a big deal to have Brenda’s Brown Bosom because they focus on donating money to research and organizations that really target us as citizens,” said Sykes, this year’s Vendor Coordinator for Sistah Strut, said.

The pitter-patter of those running and walking, along with the sounds of abundant laughter, filled Graymont Avenue as women from all over participated in the 14th Annual Brenda’s Brown Bosom Buddies (BBBB) Sistah Strut walk/run/ride/stroll, that took place on September 27, at Legion Field Stadium.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month begins Oct. 1.

BBBB is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting individuals with breast cancer, as well as providing education and promoting early detection of breast cancer in minority, low-income, and underserved communities.

The Birmingham-focused support and advocacy program originally began as a support group for African-American women to discuss health issues as well as support women unable to afford costly medical bills. Then, in 2010, founder Brenda Phillips-Hong expanded her group to focus outreach, awareness and collaborative education and action to help reduce mortality rates in women. Since then, countless women have depended on this program to help cover bills for those in underprivileged communities.

“As African Americans, we have other issues that are hereditary and connected to our diet and lifestyles…a lot of times, we may not feel comfortable discussing our healthy issues because of our culture, said Sykes, who lives in College Hills.

In addition to survivors and supporters, multiple vendors were at Legion Field to support BBBB. An Auburn University research group, which focuses on the genetics of hereditary breast cancer, was also able to attend.

Betsy Stallworth, MEd, BSN, RN at Auburn University. (Jordyn Davis, For The Birmingham Times)

“I’ve been a nurse for 40 years and I’m out here to talk about our project and help out with questions,” said Betsy Stallworth, MEd, BSN, RN at Auburn University. “ … the breast cancer numbers here are incredible and there’s still so much we don’t know about hereditary breast cancer and it’s very important in this community, especially with high rates of triple negative breast cancer in certain families.”

She added, “Women often put everybody and everyone ahead of us and oftentimes it’s not the best option because we are not taking care of ourselves.”

The Crown Campaign Alabama, an advocacy group that seeks to end racial discrimination through enhancing natural hairstyles in the workplace environment, was also in attendance.

LaShawn Hill, Crown Campaign Alabama Ambassador. (Jordyn Davis, For The Birmingham Times)

“This is our first year doing the ‘Sistah Struth’ and I felt like it was very important … because I wanted to give something back to the community, said LaShawn Hill, Crown Campaign Alabama Ambassador. “When I found out about Brenda’s Brown Bosom Buddies, through one of my clients, we began supporting them. It’s important for women to have spaces like this so that they can nurture their mind, body and soul.”

State Rep. Juandalynn Givan said her mother is a breast survivor from the early 2000s when medicine was not as advanced. “She went in December — and had just a knot, just a small little bump— and by February they had to remove her first breast. A few weeks they had to take off the second breast. Glory be to the Lord that she is a survivor.”

Givan said BBBB provides a space for supporters and survivors.

State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham. (Jordyn Davis, For The Birmingham Times)

“First of all, we [Black women] don’t have that many spaces and we have to make them. Shirley Chisolm said it best: ‘If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring your own folding chairs.’ But we’re beyond that now, because I believe we can make our own table. You bring your own table, you make your own place setting and you put your seat where you want it to be at the table,” Givan said.

Visit wearebbbb.org to learn more about resources available for those in need as well as becoming a donor.

The Fulfilling ‘League’ that Provides Space for Women to Create and Connect

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Birmingham Times

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September 29, 2025

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League 2 — Leisure League has transformed into a community that allows women of all ages to explore, create, and connect. (Sym Posey, The Birmingham Times)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

When Leisure League founder, Elizabeth “Liz” Southern first thought about creating the Birmingham, AL-based hobby club, she said she knew immediately it would be fun.

“Whenever I first moved home [from college, University of South Alabama] I only was hanging out with my sister and my friend Morgan. I always thought to myself, ‘I feel like it would be fun to have a community of just like doing different stuff.’”

On a whim, she put “meet and make new friends (‘start a club’)” on her 2025 bingo card for the new year. Southern, 27, said she prayed about the idea and decided to share it with her closest family and friends, including co-founder Morgan Lee.

What started as a goal on Southern’s 2025 vision board has transformed into a community that allows women of all ages to explore, create, and connect.

Earlier this year Leisure League made its debut with a mixology class at Mayawell Bar, at 2900 4th Avenue S, 35233. Southern said, “not everybody showed up, but the people who did show up, they consistently come to the events now … Now our events sell out.”

Attendees shown in a September Leisure League Biscuit Making event held at Ruby Sunshine in Homewood, (Sym Posey, For The Birmingham Times)

Since February Leisure League continues to host several events throughout the city every month. From biscuit making at Ruby Sunshine in Homewood to aerial Pilates at Areo Joe Pilates in Pepper’s Place, Leisure League offers a space “where every piece finds its place,” according to organizers.

“The first couple of months, we started off doing two events. We’ve transitioned from two a month to four just because it has grown,” said Southern.

The growth can be seen through social media, Lee, 28 said. “We started off with probably 100 followers. We got almost 6,000 now. We’re trying to build a community. Most that come are reoccurring.”

“A Different Feel”

Ahmya Blue said she first heard about Leisure League after she saw somebody post a flier about crafts and DIY.

“I said, ‘let me just try it.’ I was nervous because I’m not used to going out and doing things by myself.”

Being a part of Leisure League is refreshing, Blue said.

“I am usually the person that is putting events and stuff together, from crafting to curating spaces for other women, my line sisters, or my family. It feels good to be on the other side of it and just show up and sit down and enjoy versus being the person always running around.”

Blue, who has attended three events so far, said, “it is a different feel, but I’ve grown more comfortable with each event. Liz and Morgan make you feel welcomed. One of the first things I remember about Liz (Southern) was her coming up to me and just asking about my day and asking how I was feeling. They both really made me feel comfortable.”

Her favorite event so far is between biscuit making or the 2000’s-themed skate night, she said.

“Fulfilling Experience”

Leisure League founders Elizabeth “Liz” Southern, left, and Morgan Lee. (Provided)

As partners, Southern and Lee said they pour intention into every event they host — making sure each one feels special, memorable, and rooted in the spirit of creativity and connection that inspired Leisure League in the first place. A sentiment reflected in their slogan, “Where every piece finds its place.”

Southern currently works in the mental health field and Lee works in health care.

The two became friends while attending the University of South Alabama.

“We met in college. I think it was our sophomore year. We were familiar with each other during our freshman year, but we became friends our sophomore year,” said Southern. “We are also connected through Delta Sigma Theta. We just met and started hanging out ever since.”

“When the people come, I genuinely want them to feel like welcomed,” said Southern. Lee said the biggest goal is, “getting people out of their comfort zone, making them feel comfortable.”

Leisure League was born out of a deeply personal chapter in Southern’s life. In late 2024, she found herself isolating from friends and family and being less creative. She missed the joy that came from creating and having a community, she said.

Asked how they felt seeing their goal realized, both Southern and Lee agreed on it being a “fulfilling experience.”

“It really does mean something to me,” said Southern. “Not only is it fulfilling, its allowing me to grow as a person because I’m having to consistently step out of my comfort zone.”

The group is active on Instagram and have their own website, where they announce upcoming events and post updates.

For more information about events visit https://www.leisureleaguehc.com or Follow on Instagram @https://www.instagram.com/leisureleague_?igsh=cDBnZDlzbng3dXRu

Penny Games featuring HBCUs, Birmingham City Schools begin Oct. 1

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Birmingham Times

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September 29, 2025

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esports2 — This year’s tournament will introduce cash prizes totaling $20,000 for the winners of both the debate and esports competitions—rewarding excellence and fueling high-level competition. (Provided)

pennyfoundation.org

The Penny Foundation will host the second annual Penny Games: HBCU Debate + Esports Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama, from October 1–3. The three-day event will bring together students from more than 16 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), more than 500 local high school students including Woodlawn, Wenonah and Parker, and over 100 colleges.

Designed to spotlight pathways for the next generation, the Penny Games offers a curated lineup that includes a citywide college fair, livestreamed esports finals, and a leadership breakfast. This year’s invitational will award more than $20,000 in student prizes and position Birmingham as a rising hub for innovation and talent retention.

“This is more than a tournament—it’s a launchpad,” said Lyord Watson, Jr., CEO of The Penny Foundation. “The Penny Games connect students to real opportunities, strengthen HBCU visibility, and show what it looks like when a city invests in its future leaders.”

The 2025 schedule opens Wednesday, October 1, with guided cultural tours of Birmingham’s historic landmarks and a VIP Welcome Reception. On Thursday, October 2, debate rounds will take place at Birmingham City Schools alongside esports rounds at Miles College. The evening will culminate in the Esports Finals and College Fair at Topgolf, complete with a live DJ, shoutcaster commentary, scholarships, and recruitment activations.

On Friday, October 3, students will gather at the BJCC for the Debate Finals and Leadership Breakfast, closing the event with a showcase of talent, strategy, and collaboration.

Now in its second year, the Invitational serves as a national stage for student talent.

The Penny Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing equity through education, entrepreneurship, and community capital. Learn more at www.pennyfoundation.org.

Birmingham’s Best-Dressed: Perry Varner, ‘I Wear Designer Clothes, but I Don’t Pay Designer Prices’

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Birmingham Times

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September 29, 2025

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PerryVarner 2 — Designer and Parsons School of Design alum Perry Varner photographed at La Fête on Morris Ave. (Reginald Allen Photos, For The Birmingham Times)

By Ameera Steward | The Birmingham Times

Perry Varner, 52, likes to describe himself as a full-time designer, stylist “and somewhat of a socialite in Birmingham.”

Originally from Montgomery, Alabama, Varner has always been an artist: “I did all the flyers and yearbook stuff at Verbena High School, in Verbena, Alabama.”

He added, “I can draw. I can paint. I can sketch anything. … But I was also very well dressed, … and I loved to take vintage clothes and reconstruct and upcycle them.”

Those skills led him to design for other people and school organizations.

“My love for the arts turned more toward fashion, [and] I stuck to fashion,” said Varner, who found his way to Atlanta, Georgia, for an internship with a company called Earthlink Live, an internet service provider with a concert venue.

“I was learning how to market products and services related to promotion, entertainment, concerts, … artist development,” he said. “But I was working so much because nobody knew how to find designers, brands, or stylists—and that was the lightbulb moment.”

For the past three months, The Birmingham Times interviewed some of the area’s leading fashion designers and tastemakers about the cultural and historical examination of Black style.

Realizing that people struggled to find designers, brands, stylists, etc., gave Varner the idea for The Style Experience, a fashion show centered on cultivating the talent of Black designers.

Having made so many connections while working in Atlanta, Varner realized that “I could take all of these resources … and just put Black designers and stylists on [by] bridging the gap between clients and artists, entrepreneurs, designers, stylists, [and] makeup artists.”

Then in 2003 Varner made his way to Birmingham, where he continued his work in fashion as creative director at 205 Flava, a brand that was frequently worn by “American Idol” Season 2 winner Ruben Studdard. He also was the designer of Amani Raha Ultra Lounge, a venue in Birmingham’s Pepper Place entertainment district that was owned by NFL Hall of Fame player Terrell Owens. Additionally, Varner served as creative director of BirminGLAM, an HIV awareness fashion show, and he coordinated the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Black Student Awareness Fashion Show. He brought The Style Experience to Birmingham, too.

You can follow Perry Varner on Instagram: @perry_varner.

Q&A

The Birmingham Times (BT): Why is dressing well important as a Black man?

Perry Varner (PV): “I think doing everything well is important to me. … I think showing up as your best self speaks volumes about who you are, … [and] dressing is just one way to do that. Before you speak to someone, before they know your name, they’re going to notice how you dress, right? It’s important to me [to] show up as [my] best self. And why not? It takes the same amount of time to look a mess as it does to just put some thought into looking good.

“My reason for dressing well is very intentional. I’m [the] son of a preacher, and [church] is a big part of how you show up—you dress well, you put on your Sunday best. I’m also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., [and we] are considered to be men of distinction. … It’s like everything that’s defined my life has been centered around being intentional about how you show up.

“Dressing well for Black men is not just a fashion statement—it’s actually a form of resistance. It’s a movement. It speaks volumes to the struggles we’ve been through, from slavery to Civil Rights to dandyism to all of these things where we get to choose how we show up to others. So, it should be intentional. … That’s important—how we show up, how we dress, how we carry ourselves.”

BT: What is your process when getting dressed for the day?

PV: “It depends on the season and the event. If it’s just day-to-day, usually I wear black because it’s chic. … I can run around town or I can throw on a vest or a jacket [over] my black and walk into a cocktail party afterward. … You can kind of get away with a lot if you just wear a black silhouette.

“I want to look curated, so if there’s a cocktail event and it’s after five, that to me denotes a certain look. If there’s a Sunday morning brunch and it’s before noon, that’s a certain look. I [want] my looks to be curated, like I’m showing up intentionally for the event. … With everything I do, it takes months and months of planning. It’s knowing the season, knowing the time of day, knowing the appropriate fabrics. … I want everything to have been thought out.”

BT: Any advice for young Black men who wish to dress well?

PV: “I wear only designer clothes, but I don’t pay designer prices. … I’ll go to a thrift store, and I’ll spend the investment time it takes to go through those things and find what I need. … My point is I’m looking for a certain silhouette, and I’m looking for a certain quality. … I usually find [those things] in a designer label, but I don’t believe you have to pay $700 for [it]. … You can find whatever you need if you invest the time.

“So, I would tell any young person, show up as your best self all the time. You never know where the opportunity is going to be. You never know who’s watching. You never know who’s listening. … There’s no excuse [not to show up as your best self] because it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. It just has to be [an investment], it has to be intentional—and you can do it … at work, at church, and in the streets.

For more stories in this series:

Birmingham’s Well-Dressed: Derricius Chambers, Creative Director, DreeckBreon LLC | The Birmingham Times

Birmingham’s Well-Dressed: Lawrence Fencher, ‘I Like Taking Worn-Out [Clothes] … Making Something New’ | The Birmingham Times

Birmingham’s Well-Dressed: Daniel Grier, founder, Splashed by DKG | The Birmingham Times

Birmingham’s Well-Dressed: Dewon Moton, ‘Judgment is Inevitable, so be Aware’ | The Birmingham Times

Alums, Students, Supporters Gather as Ramsay IB High School Celebrates 95th with Breakfast Gala

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Birmingham Times

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September 27, 2025

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Ramsay 1aa — Angela Abdur-Rasheed, graduate and public relations leader of the Ramsay High School Alumni Association. (Provided)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

It was an elegant morning affair on Friday as Ramsay International Baccalaureate High School hosted its 95th Anniversary Breakfast Celebration inside the school’s Willie Scoggins Gymnasium.

Alumni, students and supporters commemorated the historic moment with presentations, dance and vocal selections from the schools dance and choir ensembles.

Angela Abdur-Rasheed, graduate and public relations leader of the Ramsay High School Alumni Association, said being an alum of the school is “everything.”

“I look at my life over the last 35 years since I graduated from here [and] I can see that everything that I’ve done has led back to my foundation here, from the way I love people and embrace people, from all walks of life, to my leadership style, my career — all of that was rooted here,” she said.

“It’s always a great day to be a Ram,” said Principal Carolyn Russell-Walker Ph.D. She added, “on the city’s Southern Border stands the school I truly love.”

The anniversary celebration is the culmination of homecoming week where Ramsay faced Minor High School at Legion Field on Friday night and came during Ramsay Alumni Week.

Abdul-Rasheed, who graduated in 1990, is currently the Communications and Community Engagement Director at Prosper and President/Founder of The Amplify Agency, LLC, a Public Relations and workforce development firm.

Opening on Sept. 19, 1930, the school was first called Southside High School and later renamed in honor of industrialist Erskine Ramsay before being renamed again to Ramsay Alternative High School.

As one of seven high schools in the Birmingham City School System and one of three International Baccalaureate schools in the Birmingham metropolitan area, the school currently serves over 700 students and is consistently ranked among the lists of best high schools in various categories.

Assata Shakur, Black Liberation Activist Sought by the U.S. Since 1979, Dies in Cuba

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Birmingham Times

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September 27, 2025

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By Philip Marcelo | Associated Press

Assata Shakur, a Black liberation activist who was given political asylum in Cuba after her 1979 escape from a U.S. prison where she had been serving a life sentence for killing a police officer, has died, her daughter and the Cuban government said.

Shakur, who went by Joanne Deborah Chesimard before changing her name, died Thursday in the capital city of Havana due to “health conditions and advanced age,” Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Shakur’s daughter, Kakuya Shakur, confirmed her mother’s death in a Facebook post.

Officials in New Jersey, where Shakur had been arrested, convicted and imprisoned, said she was 78.

A member of Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, Shakur’s case had long been emblematic of the fraught relations between the U.S. and Cuba. American authorities, including President Donald Trump during his first term, demanded her return from the communist nation for decades.

The FBI put Shakur on its list of “most wanted terrorists,” but, in her telling — and in the minds of her supporters — she was pursued for crimes she didn’t commit or that were justified.

On May 2, 1973, Shakur and two others were pulled over by New Jersey State Police troopers because the car they were driving had a broken taillight.

A gunfight ensued and one of the troopers, Werner Foerster, was killed and another was wounded. One of Shakur’s companions was also killed.

The New York City native fled but was eventually apprehended. She was found guilty of murder, armed robbery and other crimes in 1977 and was sentenced to life in prison. Shakur was charged with additional bank robberies and in the nonfatal shootings of two other police officers, but most of those charges were dismissed or resulted in her acquittal.

Shakur’s prison stint was short-lived, though. In November 1979, members of the Black Liberation Army, posing as visitors, stormed the Clinton Correctional Facility for women, took two guards hostage and commandeered a prison van to break her out.

Shakur disappeared before eventually emerging in 1984 in Cuba, where Fidel Castro granted her asylum.

Offering Shakur safe harbor was one of the most famous examples of Cuba aligning itself with what it describes as revolutionary forces struggling against the oppressive capitalist empire to the north.

Much like Cuba supported anti-colonial and left-wing forces in Africa, Central and South America, the Cuban government saw the armed Black liberation movement in the U.S. as part of a global revolutionary struggle.

New Jersey officials decry her asylum

New Jersey State Assemblyman Michael Inganamort, who sponsored a resolution last year calling on Cuba to extradite Shakur, lamented Friday that “justice was never served” in Foerster’s death, while the labor union representing New Jersey officers dismissed Shakur “for her crime and cowardice.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and State Police Superintendent Patrick Callahan said they would “vigorously oppose” any attempt to repatriate Shakur’s remains to the U.S.

“Sadly, it appears she has passed without being held fully accountable for her heinous crimes,” they said in a joint statement. “Unlike his killer, Trooper Foerster never had a chance to live out his days in peace.”

Sundiata Acoli, who was also convicted in Foerster’s killing, was granted parole in 2022.

In her writings over the years, Shakur has maintained she didn’t shoot anyone and had her hands in the air when she was wounded during the gunfire.

Shakur’s writings became a rallying cry

More recently, her writings became a rallying cry during the Black Lives Matter movement, though opponents criticized her words as being influenced by Marxist and communist ideology.

“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win,” Shakur wrote in “Assata: An Autobiography,” originally published in 1988. “We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

Black Lives Matter Grassroots Inc., a collective of racial justice activists from around the U.S., vowed to “fight in her honor and memory.”

Malkia Amala Cyril, an early organizer of the BLM movement, expressed sorrow because Shakur died during a time of rising authoritarianism.

“The world in this era needs the kind of courage and radical love she practiced if we are going to survive it,” said Cyril, whose late mother had been part of the Black Panthers in New York alongside Shakur.

Shakur’s influence extended into the music world. She was famously close to the family of late rapper Tupac Shakur, who had considered her a godmother.

Public Enemy, the political hip-hop group and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, are thought to be the first major artists to reference Shakur. The 1988 song “Rebel Without a Pause,” from the album It Takes A Nation, includes the lyrics “supporter of Chesimard,” referring to her legal name.

Rapper Common told Shakur’s story in his 2000 song “A Song for Assata.” The Grammy award-winner’s invitation to a White House poetry event in 2011, during the Obama administration, drew outrage from conservatives and law enforcement groups who felt it was disrespectful to Foerster’s family and police officers broadly.

Associated Press writers Aaron Morrison and Michael Weissenstein in New York contributed to this story.

One of the ‘Best Food Events of Its Kind’ Winds Up This Weekend in Birmingham, AL

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Birmingham Times

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September 26, 2025

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Southbound 1a — This year marks the third annual Southbound Food Festival, which lasted Sept. 19-28 (Southbound Food Festival)

The Birmingham Times

The Southbound Food Festival in Birmingham will conclude this weekend with the festival’s cornerstone, Food & Fire on Sat. Sept. 27, a daytime tasting event that celebrates the barbecue community, live-fire cooking, and Southern tailgate culture. Regional and national chefs and pitmasters will put an open-fire spin on signature bites and tailgate classics.

Food & Fire will feature the Southern Living Tailgate Stage presented by Hellmann’s and The Coca Cola Music Stage with musical acts The Heavy Heavy and Southern Avenue. The Avadian Credit Union Tailgate Lounge will feature a large screen for viewing SEC football games as well as the Hop City Craft Beer+Wine Garden, with dozens of Alabama breweries and wineries.

“I go to lots of festivals, and Food & Fire has become one of the best food events of its kind in the country,” said Sid Evans, editor-in-chief of Southern Living magazine. “It’s highly curated, it’s in a great location, and it has this wonderful mix of chefs, bands, cooking demos and football that you could only find on a fall Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama.”

“The shared experience of tasting new and unfamiliar foods with friends and strangers is fun and exciting,” said Leigh Sloss-Corra, vice president of the Southbound Food Festival.

John Litzinger, assistant manager at Son of a Butcher, a family-owned butcher shop in Birmingham, said, “We really want to be a community-driven environment, we really want to bring something to the surrounding Birmingham community.”

Litzinger also highlighted the festival’s significance for chefs, stating, “For me I think South Bound Food Festival is just a really incredible opportunity for a lot of chefs like local and somewhat outside of Alabama, to showcase their skills and whatnot and we just like to be really involved in community-driven events.”

This year marks the third annual event, which lasted Sept. 19-28. Litzinger expressed excitement about the opportunity to connect with a broader audience, saying, “For us it’s a cool way to get outside of the shop, kind of meet maybe a broader range of people that we wouldn’t meet and show them the kind of cool and creative things that we have going here.”

Keri Lane, marketing director for the Southbound Food Festival, noted the diverse talent being showcased, saying, “They are over the top showcasing not only the amazing chef talent we have, but bringing in guest chefs from all over and creating specialty things happening in their restaurant.”

Sloss-Corra said, “Birmingham is a city, an area with incredible chefs that started right here that are growing right out of this place and South Bound is an opportunity to discover and share the incredible wealth of amazing food we have right here.”

The festival will conclude with a brunch on September 28.

WVTM-13 contributed to this post.

Birmingham’s Well-Dressed: Ian Rashaud ‘… How You Dress Determines How Seriously People Take You’

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Birmingham Times

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September 26, 2025

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By Ameera Steward | For The Birmingham Times

Ian Rashaud is a wardrobe stylist, minister, and founder of Faith and Fashion, a fashion show and presentation that aims to “merge two worlds that are often separated,” he said.

“Being younger and called into ministry but still having a passion for fashion, it was like, ‘Wait, I can’t put these two together,’” added the 34-year-old, who is originally from the east side of Birmingham. “[But] one of my mentors said, ‘Ian, don’t lose your identity. You are a minister, you are fashion—put them together.’”

Rashaud added, “My goal has always been to motivate [people] to style according to purpose, … to almost pull your purpose out, … to create an elevated version of you.”

Though Rashaud grew up with a natural interest in fashion, what really solidified his interest was watching his mom, Pam Allen, use fashion and dressing up as a stress reliever, he said: “I saw her change. I saw her turn into a different person.”

In addition, his mom would take him and his brother Joel to the thrift store, giving them $20 to buy what they wanted.

“I noticed how it made me feel and how it shifted my perspective, [how] it shifted me as a person. … With that passion, I grew up looking at clothes, looking at textiles, [and] looking at design. I would sit in church and watch folks,” said Rashaud, who would admire and critique the congregations’ threads.

For the past three months, The Birmingham Times interviewed some of the area’s leading fashion designers and tastemakers about the cultural and historical examination of Black style.

Rashaud graduated from Birmingham’s Carol W. Hayes High School in 2009. He then went to Tuskegee University, where he studied sales and marketing in order to “give me the skills to market myself,” he said.

Rashaud graduated from Tuskegee in 2014 and then went on to attend Virginia College in Birmingham, where he studied cosmetology because he had a natural knack for doing hair. He graduated a year later.

Although his studies were centered around his fashionable goals, Rashaud didn’t jump into the cosmetology industry after graduating. He took a corporate position, and one day while sitting at his desk he said to himself, “This is not my life. It’s now or never” — and he left his job on January 5, 2024.

Two days later, on January 7, 2024, he hosted the inaugural Faith and Fashion show, which was held at the Alcove Birmingham event venue.

“The feedback I got was so inspiring [and] motivating,” said Rashaud, who said to himself, “I might really be in my purpose. I might really be where I’m supposed to be.”

You can follow Ian Rashaud on Instagram: @ian_credible.

Q&A

The Birmingham Times (BT): Why is dressing well important as a Black man?

Ian Rashaud (IR): “Because fashion is really power. I think when young Black men see themselves reflected in style campaigns, in runway shows, [in creations from] designers and stylists, it affirms that they belong there. So, number one, it speaks to the affirmation. Number two, I feel like you only get one chance to make a first impression. … Whether we like it or not, how you dress determines how seriously people take you. … Before you ever get a chance to say anything, they sum you up by how you look.

“As a Black man, especially, I think we have to make sure we look the part before we prove that we belong there,” he added. “We have so many images of the Black man, but when you bring that lens into a more narrow scope of a well-tailored man, of a real put together man, it puts him in a class of his own, … it causes people to take notice, and [it may even] intimidate people a little bit.”

BT: What is your process when getting dressed for the day?

IR: “My process [when] getting dressed is based on how I feel: ‘What am I representing today?’ … Sometimes that’s edgy and, [if so], then that process is a little bit different from [being] more classically tailored. [The process] starts with what’s in my closet. … [I ask myself], ‘What kind of statement am I going to make today?’ ‘How do I show up?’ ‘What’s on the agenda?’ [From there], I start with a shoe. My outfits typically start from the bottom up. … What’s going on in the day [influences] what shoes I wear.”

BT: Any advice for young Black men who wish to dress well?

IR: “Start where you are, use what you have, and don’t wait for permission. … [Additionally, consistency and authenticity are key]: stay true to your lane. I don’t care how many other people are in that lane, stay true to you and doors will open because, at the end of the day, that’s your superpower … Nobody else can bring what you bring to the table.

“I often say a tailored look goes a long way — whether it’s tailoring to your body or tailoring to your personality or even to your purpose. … I see people who do things I would probably never do, but it makes a presence. … Though other people may not understand it, being true to you establishes your identity and makes people want to take notice. It’s a real superpower.”

HBCU Roundup: Miles College Hopes Passing Attack Can Lead to First Win

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Birmingham Times

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September 26, 2025

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DSCF8741 — Wide receiver Glen Williams leads Miles College with 10 receptions for 187 yards and one TD. (Ta'Ron Williams, Miles College)

By Donald Hunt | For The Birmingham Times

Miles College, still looking for its first win of the season, will face Morgan State on Saturday, Sept. 27 in the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis, Ind. The kickoff will be at 2 p.m.

Although the Golden Bears (0-2, 0-4) have struggled offensively, they seem to have found a pretty good passing attack with quarterback Brinley Vandiver and wide receiver Glen Williams. Vandiver has connected on 44-of-74 passes for 444yards and one touchdown. Williams has 10 receptions for 187 yards and one TD. He averages 18.7 yards a catch.

Morgan State (1-3, 0-0), from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, has already defeated Central State from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which Miles College is a member.

In other SIAC action, Tuskegee University (2-2, 1-1) will host Fort Valley State (0-3, 0-1) on Saturday, Sept. 27 with the hopes of snapping a two-game losing streak. The kickoff is set for 2 p.m. The Golden Tigers will try to get the offense moving under quarterback Raequan Beal who has thrown the ball pretty well this season. Beal has completed 54-of-103 passes for 678 yards with six TDs and three interceptions.

In the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Alabama State will return to action following a week off from competition. ASU (2-1, 0-0) will visit Florida A&M (1-2, 0-0) on Saturday, Sept. 27. The kickoff will be at 2 p.m.

Hornets quarterback Andrew Body has been playing lights out. Body has thrown for 761 yards and 10 TDs with no interceptions while completing 48-of-65 passes.

In other SWAC competition, Alabama A&M (3-1, 0-0) will travel to Bethune-Cookman (1-3, 0-0) on Saturday, Sept. 27. The kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

A player to watch in this matchup is AAMU linebacker Wyatt Wright who leads the Bulldogs with three sacks and has 23 total tackles.