MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Claudette Colvin, whose 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus helped spark the modern civil rights movement, has died. She was 86.
Her death was announced Tuesday by the Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation. Ashley D. Roseboro of the organization confirmed she died of natural causes in Texas.
Colvin, at age 15, was arrested nine months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for also refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus.
Colvin had boarded the bus on March 2, 1955, on her way home from high school. The first rows were reserved for white passengers. Colvin sat in the rear with other Black passengers. When the white section became full, the bus driver ordered Black passengers to relinquish their seats to white passengers. Colvin refused.
“So I was not going to move that day,” she said. “I told them that history had me glued to the seat.”
At the time of Colvin’s arrest, frustration was mounting over how Black people were treated on the city bus system. Another Black teenager, Mary Louise Smith, was arrested and fined that October for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger.
It was the arrest of Parks, who was a local NAACP activist, on Dec. 1, 1955, that became the final catalyst for the yearlong Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott propelled the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. into the national limelight and is considered the start of the modern civil rights movement.
Colvin was one of the four plaintiffs in the landmark lawsuit that outlawed racial segregation on Montgomery’s buses. Her death comes just over a month after Montgomery celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Bus Boycott.
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said Colvin’s action “helped lay the legal and moral foundation for the movement that would change America.”
Colvin was never as well-known as Parks, and Reed said her bravery “was too often overlooked.”
“Claudette Colvin’s life reminds us that movements are built not only by those whose names are most familiar, but by those whose courage comes early, quietly, and at great personal cost,” Reed said. “Her legacy challenges us to tell the full truth of our history and to honor every voice that helped bend the arc toward justice.”
Claudette Colvin arrives outside juvenile court to file paperwork to have her juvenile record expunged, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, in Montgomery, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)
Colvin in 2021 filed a petition to have her court record expunged. A judge granted the request.
“When I think about why I’m seeking to have my name cleared by the state, it is because I believe if that happened it would show the generation growing up now that progress is possible, and things do get better,” Colvin said at the time. “It will inspire them to make the world better.”
Ayers, a beloved figure on Birmingham’s entertainment scene, announced his retirement Tuesday morning via social media, telling fans the venue at 1818 Data Drive has been sold.
“I am stepping into retirement with deep gratitude,” Ayers, who’s in his 70s, said in posts on the Stardome’s Facebook and Instagram.
“This was never just a business. It was a family commitment.
“Since 1984, I have been blessed to share this journey with my wife, CheChe, and my daughters Gina Zimmerman, Dena Dow, Sheena Ayers (deceased) and my son-in-law Rodney Zimmerman,” Ayers said. “Together, we worked side by side through long nights, challenges, rebuilds and countless unforgettable moments.
“Beyond our family, hundreds of employees over the years became part of our extended family — servers, bartenders, cooks, hosts, technicians, managers and staff who showed up night after night and helped create something special. Their dedication, loyalty and pride in this place made The Stardome what it is today.
“We were blessed to work with the best performers in the business, and serve as a stage that superstar comedians like Sinbad, Steve Harvey, James Gregory, Rickey Smiley, Rodney Carrington and so many others could always call home,” Ayers said.
Ayers ended his farewell message this way: “To our audiences, our employees past and present, and everyone who walked through our doors: thank you for turning a venue into a home and a lifetime of work into a lasting legacy. I leave this chapter with humility, pride and gratitude.”
New Owners
Although he didn’t mention the new owners by name in his posts, Ayers told WBRC-TV’s “Good Day Alabama” that Helium Comedy Clubs, a company based in Philadelphia, bought the business.
“I have all the faith in the world in them,” Ayers said in a Tuesday morning interview on the FOX affiliate. “They’re awesome. … They have 10 other clubs. These guys are great, and we’ll still be the Stardome.”
Ayers echoed that sentiment in his social media posts, saying “It is my sincere hope that the new owners will honor what has been built here and continue the legacy of laughter, integrity and world-class entertainment.”
Ayers has been a key figure in Birmingham’s entertainment world since 1983, when he founded a 200-seat comedy club at the old Tara House motel in Homewood. The venue’s popularity grew slowly, but was ignited in 1985 when Sinbad, then an up-and-coming comedian, took the stage.
“The crowd went absolutely nuts,” Ayers said in a 1998 interview with Bob Carlton of The Birmingham News. “It was the first bit of electricity that ever happened. Everybody started talking about this Sinbad guy.”
Ayers’ business, then called The Comedy Club, changed locations a few times, endured a catastrophic fire during a blizzard in March 1993, and moved to Hoover’s Data Drive six months later, adding the word Stardome to its name.
“There were a lot of times where we could have just said to heck with it and closed,” Ayers said in 1998, as The Comedy Club Stardome celebrated its 15th anniversary. “But I always believed in this whole thing.”
Launched Comedic Giants
Over the decades, Ayers has presented a long list of established stars at his venues and helped to launch the careers of talented newcomers who went on to become big names. His stages have seen performances by Carrot Top, Chris Rock, Tim Allen, Richard Belzer, Jeff Foxworthy, Roy Wood Jr., Bobcat Goldthwait, Pete Davidson, Tommy Chong, Dennis Miller, Paul Reiser, Rita Rudner, Pauly Shore, Craig Ferguson, George Wallace, Matt Mathews and many more.
Celebrities have praised Ayers’ venues, as well, including the late James Gregory.
“I don’t think the people who live in Birmingham really comprehend what they have there when it comes to comedy clubs,” Gregory told The Birmingham News in 1998. “Most people assume the best comedy clubs are in Boston, New York, Los Angeles or Chicago. And there’s no other comedy club in the country that can top Birmingham. None.”
Here’s a timeline for The Comedy Club and The Comedy Club Stardome:
Oct. 18, 1983. The original Comedy Club opens in the old Tara House motel in Homewood. Mike McDonald is the opening night headliner.
Dec. 12, 1985. The Comedy Club moves to a new location in The Village on Green Springs shopping center. It’s owner Bruce Ayers’ 36th birthday. “This is the 11th club I’ve opened,” Ayers says. “But this is the first time I’ve had a chance to build one from the ground up.”
March 13, 1993. The Comedy Club burns to the ground in an early-morning fire during the ’93 snowstorm. Almost everything in the club is destroyed, and Carrot Top, who was scheduled to perform that weekend, loses all of his props in the fire. A firefighter hands Ayers the smoldering contents of a safe that survived the fire. “So this is the Comedy Club?” the firefighter asks. “This was the Comedy Club,” Ayers says.
May 13, 1993. Two months after the fire, the Comedy Club moves into a temporary space in the Sheraton Perimeter Park hotel on U.S. 280. Ayers continues to look for a new home for the club.
Sept. 21, 1993. The Comedy Club celebrates its grand reopening in the Stardome in Hoover. The swanky, 400-seat nightclub was originally the home of Carnegie’s Dinner Theater. “This is going to make one of the really beautiful comedy clubs in the land,” headliner Larry Miller says. “I’m glad to be here.”
Jan. 13, 2026. Bruce Ayers announces his retirement from The Comedy Club Stardome after more than four decades at the helm of the business. “I leave this chapter with humility, pride and gratitude,” Ayers says on social media. During a TV interview, Ayers says Helium Comedy Clubs, a company based in Philadelphia, bought the club but will keep its name.
BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times
ARRIKA & CHARLES MCCAULEY II
Live: Center Point
Married: Dec. 22, 2018
Met: March 2017, at the ‘Four Seasons’ bar/lounge in Birmingham. Arrika was there with a mutual friend of theirs, Candyce Curry, who had invited Charles. “I’m pretty sure it was a set up,” Arrika laughed. “I had never seen Charles before, but another mutual friend had mentioned Charles to me a few months before… and for another friend [Candyce] to actually set the meeting date, it felt destined.”
“I was just coming to hang out, I didn’t know that Arrika was there,” Charles remembered. “But we had a couple of drinks, we were talking and laughing and the conversation was cool.”
The two didn’t exchange numbers that night, but the following day, Charles corrected that. “I shot her a message on SnapChat and asked her if she wanted to hangout again,” said Charles. The pair had a few impromptu meetups before going on their first official date a few weeks later.
First date: Two weeks later, at the Brunswick Bowling Alley on Highway 280. Charles picked Arrika up from her home in Hoover, and they rode to the bowling alley together.
“When we met, neither one of us were in a place where we were looking for someone to date, but we felt like there was something different [about our connection]. I was really done with relationships, but on that date, we expounded on what we were feeling and were willing to explore the option of dating… there was something about him that made me want to reconsider dating again,” Arrika said.
“I had no preconceived notions,” said Charles. “I just know at that time she was cool, and I was trying to figure out if I really liked her. I wanted to see if we could be in each other’s presence without pressure or awkwardness because I wanted to be with somebody that I actually liked as a person [in order to] determine whether I could be in a relationship with them.”
As for how the date went: “I’m competitive and remember wanting to win,” Charles said. “I brought my own ball, and she made jokes about that, but she ended up using my ball. We laughed, we joked, we had a good time.”
The turn: Summer 2017, at Arrika’s apartment in Hoover. “I did kinda ask Charles what we were doing,” Arrika laughed. “I didn’t want to get feelings for him, and it not go anywhere. I knew at that time that I wanted to make it exclusive, but I was also the type that was not going to say it first because I do not believe in forcing a man to do anything,” she said. “If he wanted it, he was going to have to say it. [However], I was pretty straight forward with him…”
Charles said he knew that Arrika was someone he could be with because spending time with her was easygoing and peaceful. “I remember us having a full-blown conversation about clouds, and the fact that we could have a meaningless conversation about clouds and [she engaged me], that’s when I knew. [Also] I was really big on having peace, and with Arrika, I had peace.
Soon after the conversation at Arrika’s place, on the next visit Charles made it official, ‘Will you be mine?’”
Arrika and Charles McCauley II met in March 2017 at a bar through a mutual friend. The couple married in 2018. (Provided Photos)
The proposal: Thanksgiving 2018, in Atlanta, Georgia, at Arrika’s brother and sisters-in-law home. Arrika’s family has a tradition of giving thanks before having their meal and all were fully aware Charles was about to pop the question.
“I had hidden the ring behind a picture frame, and when it got to my turn to say what I was thankful for, I looked at my parents [who spent the holiday me and my future in-laws] and told them I was thankful for them and started heading for the ring, and all I could think was ‘Lord, I hope I’m able to get back up clean off this knee,” Charles laughed. “But I told her, ‘This journey has been a roller coaster, and I wanna know if you still wanna ride?’ Arrika started crying and ran away, they had to bring her back to me and her sister-in-law gave her the flowers…” But most importantly, “Arrika said, ‘yes,’ and I did get up off the floor clean, so everything was all good,” said Charles.”
The wedding: At The Tower of Prayer Church in Leeds officiated by Apostle C. Shaemun Webster. Their colors were shades of blue and burgundy.
Most memorable for the bride were the vows Charles wrote to her. “Charles has a way with words, and his vows were pretty poetic… Hearing the vows he wrote to me was the most memorable part for me. That and my cousin had one of my grandmother’s gold rings sized so that I could wear it for my wedding day. My grandmother was my heart, so that was really special to me,” Arrika said.
Most memorable for the groom was “the fact that I got married,” he said. “Seeing her come down the aisle, and having at least one of my brothers there was one of those things that stuck out to me.”
They honeymooned in Arrika’s hometown, Detroit, Michigan, visited family for Christmas and went to a Pistons game. “That was cool, that was my first NBA game,” Charles said.
Words of wisdom: “Make sure you choose your spouse every day. Every morning you wake up, make sure you’re being intentional about being in the marriage and make sure you’re giving 100 percent all the time,” Arrika said.
“Learn to forgive quickly,” Charles said. “That’s the biggest thing because the more you let things fester, that lets other things in. Sometimes a lot of stuff is not that deep …”
Happily ever after: The McCauley’s attend The Tower of Prayer Church in Leeds, where they’re both ordained ministers. Arrika serves as the director of worship, and Charles over the men’s ministry. They’re a blended family with four children: Charles III, 22, Gabriel, 17, Jayce, 6, and Charleigh, 3.
Arrika, 39, is a Detroit Michigan native, and relocated to Huntsville, Ala, in 2004 to attend Alabama A&M University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in music education. She also attended Concordia University [online] where she obtained a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with a concentration in reading, and Winonah International School of cosmetology where she earned a cosmetology license. Arrika works full-time as a cosmetologist, at her home-based salon called Amahley Beauty Brand.
Charles, 44, is a Shreveport, Louisiana native, and relocated to Birmingham with his family at age 7. He is a Homewood High School grad, and attended Miles College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in math education, and the University of Montevallo, where he obtained a master’s degree in secondary math education. Charles is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., works as a math teacher for Bessemer City Schools, and runs a freelance photography business called ‘ThatDudeWitThaCamera’ on the side. Charles also sat as a Black Santa Clause for ‘Santa For The Culture’, in Birmingham, during holiday season 2025.
“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.
If you want to become a solopreneur or enhance your current offerings, look for a need in Birmingham and start by writing or refining a business description to outline your goals and strategy. (JPMorganChase)
Sponsored by JPMorganChase
You’ve put in the late nights, the weekends and the hustle. And now, what started as an opportunity to make extra money has turned into an enterprise with real potential.
If you handle everything on your own – logistics, production, marketing, finances and everything in between – you’re part of a growing group of entrepreneurs nicknamed “solopreneurs.” While the image of a small business often includes an owner and a few employees, for many entrepreneurs, “solopreneurship” makes the most sense for their business model and goals.
If you’re considering the solopreneur life or have already launched your business, here are five helpful tips for you to grow your business in 2026.
Identify or solidify a business opportunity.
If you want to become a solopreneur or enhance your current offerings, look for a need in Birmingham or come up with an innovative idea. Maybe it’s a service that can help others or a product that could enhance or simplify their lives.
Once you have your big idea, careful planning and preparation can give your startup its best shot at becoming a success. That can include researching your industry’s trends to see if you’re meeting a niche or a growing need. Look for long-term demand and understand your total addressable market, not just seasonal or trendy success.
Make a business plan.
Start by writing or refining a business description to outline your goals and strategy. Your plan doesn’t have to be long, but it should outline your mission, goals, competitive analysis, marketing approach and financial forecasts.
If you’re already running a business, examine your customer base. Do you have repeat customers? Are they referring others to you? Side hustles that work have a steady and growing customer base. If yours does, it’s a positive sign your business may be ready for the next step.
Maximize savings to impact growth.
Many entrepreneurs use some personal savings to get their businesses started but also pursue business lines of credit or small business loans to fund equipment and marketing plans. No matter how you get started, prioritizing saving along the way will help secure the funds you need to get your business up and running. One powerful tool for solo entrepreneurs is the new Solo 401(k) from JPMorganChase. This plan is designed for business owners without full-time employees, apart from their spouse, and allows for high annual contributions — up to $72,000 for themselves and their spouse — with both pre-tax and Roth options.
The key is consistency. According to data from Chase, while Solo 401(k) accounts are a popular choice for self-employed business owners, 70% didn’t contribute in the past year. Building small, sustainable habits — such as setting up automatic monthly contributions or scheduling quarterly check-ins with a financial advisor — can strengthen follow-through. Over time, these simple actions add up, helping ensure Solo 401(k) accounts reach their full potential and deliver meaningful long-term results.
You could also look for additional financing from angel investors—wealthy individuals that can provide small investments, usually in the very early stages of a business. Angel investors accept more risk but want an ownership stake. Crowdfunding can also be beneficial for solopreneurs. With the right product and approach, you can raise small dollar amounts from a large pool of individual online backers with the bonus of connecting with your target customers early on.
Develop your marketing and brand strategy.
Define your brand voice and value proposition and choose the right marketing channels for growth. You might explore channels such as social media, email marketing or paid advertising. As you set a realistic marketing budget, consider the cost of tools, advertising and outsourced services like graphic design or content writing. Start small, measure results and scale what works.
You should also build a strong network to find mentors who can provide startup advice. Stay focused on your target audience so you can market to them effectively.
Plan for growth and operations.
The logistical side of entrepreneurship includes thinking about order fulfillment, customer service, project management and scheduling. Invest in the right tools to streamline daily operations, improve customer experience and save time.
A final note:Self-employment comes with new tax responsibilities, including quarterly estimated taxes and self-employment tax. You may also need to collect and remit sales tax, depending on your industry—and you could have to pay sales tax in all the states where your goods or services are sold.
You may already be operating as a sole proprietor, but going full time could mean exploring a more formal business structure. While creating an LLC for your side hustle is common, consider which structure best supports your long-term goals and legal needs. Depending on your industry, you may need licenses, permits, insurance, contracts or compliance paperwork before you can legally or safely scale operations.
If you want more assistance in taking your solo business to the next level, your local financial institution has resources that can help. You can also reach out to a Chase business banker today for more information and advice.
If you want more assistance in taking your solo business to the next level, your local financial institution has resources that can help. You can also reach out to a Chase business banker today for more information and advice.
This article is for Informational/Educational Purposes Only: The opinions expressed in this article may differ from the official policy or position of (or endorsement by) JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates. Opinions and strategies described may not be appropriate for everyone and are not intended as specific advice/recommendations for any individual or business. The material is not intended to provide legal, tax, or financial advice or to indicate the availability or suitability of any JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. product or service. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions and consult the appropriate professional(s). Outlooks and past performance are not guarantees of future results. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates are not responsible for, and do not provide or endorse third party products, services, or other content.
Deposit products provided JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender.
ABOUT EVERYDAY 401(k) BY J.P. MORGAN
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Much colder air will roll into the Deep South Wednesday night and Thursday which could lead to some headaches at home if proper preparations are not taken.
Streamline Plumbing and Drain said a few simple steps like dripping a faucet or opening cabinet doors can help save thousands of dollars when it gets cold out.
“Somewhat of a steady drip,” said Christian Sumpter, owner of Streamline Plumbing and Drain. “Doesn’t have to be a large stream of water. Just enough to keep the water somewhat moving. Whenever it sits stationary is when it will freeze and expand.”
Sumpter said it doesn’t take long for a pipe to freeze and burst in below freezing temperatures, which can make the winter a busy time for him.
“It can vary, but you can see it anywhere in the 10-20 calls,” Sumpter said. “Or if it’s really bad, it can even be up to 100 calls. More than you could get to.”
Sumpter said making sure water stays flowing through your pipes in the cold is the best way to prevent it from freezing.
“If you have a single handle faucet, I always like to put it right in the middle, so it’ll draw a little bit of water from the hot and cold,” Sumpter said. “So it’ll keep both sides of the system moving. They do say hot side freezes faster than cold.”
While doing prep work inside the home is a good step, Sumpter wants people to know that’s not where the biggest issues will happen.
“Have your pipes insulated if they’re exposed to any outside elements or exterior walls,” Sumpter said. “They’re supposed to be insulated. So if they’re not, you definitely want to look into that.”
“Some of the quickest and easiest things we would recommend here at Ace would be maybe some faucet covers to keep your lines from freezing,” said Ace Hardware Assistant Manager Jake Allen. “Also, we do sell pipe wrapping so for the pipe itself. It’s kind of like pool noodle material. You can just put it up on there.”
Like plumbers, the colder it gets, the busier the hardware store becomes.
“These are the faucet protectors. We’ve got a few different types,” Allen said. “We’ve got your generic type, and then we’ve got your hard plastic covered one. It’s a little bit more expensive, but it’s more protective so those are two good options. Outdoor faucets, any outdoor faucets, you want to keep them covered.”
Mountain Brook resident Harrison Peer said short stints of cold weather don’t worry him quite as much as long periods of freezing weather, but he still stays prepared to avoid costly emergencies like burst pipes.
“If you have the supplies, if you don’t have to run to a hardware store, 15 minutes,” Peer said. “Just knowing where everything is probably the most important thing.”
Trisha Dodson from Mountain Brook said she takes the outdoor precautions for protecting her pipes and goes a step further for one portion of her property.
“We actually have a fountain, and we put a cover over it and keep it running on the hope that it won’t totally freeze like using a dripping faucet,” Dodson said.
Streamline Plumbing and Drain said taking preventative measures is the best way to make sure your home won’t have an emergency as the temperatures get colder.
For millions of TikTok viewers, Leora “Queen Leora” Byrd is known for her wig installs, unfiltered humor and unmistakable voiceovers. (Provided)
By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
By the time Leora “Queen Leora” Byrd’s phone starts buzzing with direct messages asking her to post again on her social media platforms she’s often already booked, traveling between cities or working behind the scenes on her next move.
For millions of TikTok viewers, Byrd is known for her wig installs, unfiltered humor and unmistakable voiceovers. But for Byrd, the journey has always been about much more than going viral.
“I was already doing hair, and I was already in love with the hair culture,” Byrd, 27, said. “Growing up, I was always in the hair salon.”
That love followed her onto TikTok during the early days of the platform, just as hair content began gaining traction. Byrd had already been recording herself making and coloring wigs, silk presses and installs, posting videos consistently long before she realized she was building something bigger.
“When I saw TikTok and I saw that they were doing hair content, I’m like, ‘I could do that, that’s what I do all the time,’” she said.
Her first TikTok video took off almost immediately. “It got like almost 10,000 likes or something in a span of an hour,” said Byrd, who now has 2.8 million followers on TikTok (@thequeenleora) and nearly a million on Instagram (@leoraasqueendome). “And my heart dropped. I’m like, ‘Hold on. Wait a minute now.’”
Candor
What set Byrd apart wasn’t just her skill, but her authenticity. One of her most recognizable trademarks — candid, often hilarious voiceovers — came by accident.
“I tried to do the voiceover over and over again, and I just was so irritated,” she said. “I literally said, ‘What it do, bitch?’ … I was so mad I was saying anything that came to mind. And it actually worked.”
None of Byrd’s content is scripted. “I just record me getting my hair done… and then I sit there and just say whatever come to my mind.”
Before TikTok fame, Byrd was already thinking long-term. She began doing hair in 2018 and enrolled in cosmetology school not because she wanted to stay behind the chair forever, but because she wanted credibility.
“It was never for me to do hair. It was just for me to own my own salon,” Byrd said. “You gotta be a student before you can really be a master.”
That vision is now becoming a reality. Byrd, a registered cosmetician, recently announced her upcoming salon in Birmingham’s Lakeview area, featuring eight independent suites for stylists.
“I just want to make sure everything is perfect,” she said. “You gotta protect your dream. You can’t tell everybody everything.”
At Home
For Byrd, Birmingham is more than a business location — it’s home.
“Being in Birmingham just made me feel comfortable,” she said. “Ain’t nothing like home… I want to be able to have something here that says my name.”
Behind the confidence viewers see online, Byrd says she still faces doubt and pressure. “Sometimes people will think like, ‘Oh, you got it together. You already know what you gonna do. I’m human just like everybody else.”
Her grounding force, she says, is faith.
“I always try to reinforce like everything happens for a reason,” Byrd said. “You have to walk by faith… As long as you truly believe that God is gonna do everything. He said, He was gonna do, it’s gonna happen.”
That same honesty extends to the brands she works with and the advice she gives her audience. “I kind of got a little popular just from telling the truth,” Byrd said. “Whether it’s quality or whether it’s not, I just pride myself on being authentic.”
As her platform continues to grow, Byrd shows no signs of slowing down.
“This is definitely not the end,” she said. “It’s only the beginning.”
For many of her followers, especially young women watching from Birmingham and beyond — Byrd represents proof that success doesn’t have to look polished to be powerful.
“People genuinely enjoy [what I do],” she said. “And I have to remind myself of that.”
Jacqueline Allen Trimble is an award-winning poet and professor of English and chair of the Department of Languages and Literatures at Alabama State University. (Jerry Siegel)
“Your job is to support, promote, and encourage, the poets of the State of Alabama,” Trimble said, explaining the core of her duties in the new role, which will span four years. “I think that Alabama has some of the most brilliant poets writing today, and I think that they don’t get enough national attention.”
Trimble’s goal is to do what she can during her four years as poet laureate to change that.
But these accolades alone are not what made Trimble stand out from other candidates for Alabama’s poet laureate position.
“As an NEA and a Cave Canem Fellow who is widely published and celebrated, Jackie, of course, stood out for her vast accomplishments,” said Tina Mozelle Braziel, a Birmingham-based poet who served on the selection committee. “Even more impressive is how Jackie is a truth-teller. She skillfully uses humor and compassion in her poetry to ready her audience for the truths we need to hear.”
To celebrate her selection as Alabama Poet Laureate and the re-release of her first book, “American Happiness,” Trimble’s publisher NewSouth Books hosted a reading and reception in her honor. (contributed)
Trimble says her mantra is simple: The truth will set you free. She describes most of her poetry as “political,” though she said she uses history and humor to tackle tough topics.
“I always think that there’s a way to say something to anybody, to invite them into a conversation,” she said. “I don’t always know what the answer is. I know what the questions are. And I think asking questions invites people to ask their own questions.”
That said, Trimble isn’t worried if what she writes offends others – even in today’s political climate.
“I don’t think an artist can be worried about those things,” she said. “I’m not an advertisement. My job is not to offend the fewest number of people so I can sell hamburgers and cars. My job is a poet. Poets observe. Poets chronicle. Poets are truth tellers.”
Writers write
Trimble believes she was born to write.
“I always tell people I rolled out of the womb a writer,” Trimble said. “I just was waiting to learn how to read, and then it was on! Pretty much as soon as I learned to read, I started writing.”
Trimble has written essays and episodes for South African soap operas.
“But poetry was my first love,” she said. “My mother had this collection called the ‘Harvard Classics’ that is basically an encyclopedia of all of Western literature, from Plato through modernism. They’re mostly poets and I spent my childhood reading those things. I fell in love with T.S. Eliot and Edgar Allan Poe.”
She recalled memorizing Eliot’s “The Naming of Cats” when she was in the 4th or 5th grade.
“Now I’m not going to pretend that when I was 10 years old, I had any idea what these people were talking about, but I knew it was beautiful and it was transforming,” Trimble said. “For me, poems were like incantations and I said, ‘I want to do that.’”
But life had different plans. Instead of pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing, Trimble earned a PhD in English. And instead of being a writer, she devoted her career to teaching. For nearly 30 years, she put writing on the back burner.
It was my husband who said to me, ‘You have to start writing again,’” Trimble shared. “He said, ‘Writers write. You’re unhappy, and you are never going to be happy unless you write poetry.’ And so, I started writing poetry.”
Along with her husband, she also got encouragement from colleagues and from a weeklong workshop she did with renowned writer Marge Piercy.
“She went through my poems, talked to me about them, and then she gave me the nod – ‘You’re a poet.’ That was all I needed and I haven’t stopped writing since.”
Poetry for the people
As poet laureate, Trimble hopes to use technology to help shine a spotlight on local talent.
“One of the things I want to do is create an electronic archive that chronicles the career of every poet in this state and that gives a sample of their work and their bio that will be easily accessible and free,” she explained.
The archive will then be promoted on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
“The idea is to have a short interview of the poet, have the poet to present his, her or their work, and then to have a bio and some links where you can find more about this person,” she said.
But this will be just a small part of her duties over the next four years. Poet laureates are often asked to perform poetry and teach workshops across the state and are commissioned to write original work for special events. Even before being sworn as poet laureate, her spring 2026 schedule has already begun to fill up.
Trimble is ready for the busy season ahead and confident she’ll be able to balance it all with her role at Alabama State University.
“Anybody who knows me says I’m a workaholic, and I’ve always got 75 irons in the fire, so it’ll probably just feel like normal,” she said with a laugh.
Part of her role will also include bringing poetry into communities.
“Taking the poetry to the community is absolutely important, especially now,” she said. “We need poetry more than ever. I’m of the Walt Whitman philosophy that poetry is for the people.”
Trimble dismisses the idea that poetry is only for academics.
“Poetry was really a way of keeping history. It was a way of ritual,” she said. “Every culture has poetry, and the poetry in every culture almost is poetry for the people.”
She urges people who think poetry isn’t for them to give it a try anyway.
“There are lots of different types of poetry in the world,” she said. “Just like some people love mystery novels and some people love romances, you have to find the poetry that speaks to you and trust and believe there is a poet out there writing to you.”
Mayor Randall Woodfin announced the city is kicking off a major transportation plan in partnership with the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority called goBHM. (Adobe Stock)
When I was growing up in North Birmingham, I walked a lot of places. I would regularly walk to stores, a friend’s house, school, or a bus stop. I don’t walk as much today as I did back then, unfortunately. Too often, I feel that I need to drive to get where I need to go. And I think I’m not alone.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin
Based on census data, nearly all of us in the Birmingham region get to our jobs in a car. The Birmingham region is one of the most-car-dependent places in the country, and since we know the U.S. is one of the world’s most car-dependent countries, that means our city relies on cars more than most places on earth.
I’d like to build the case that we need more choices in how we travel. Cars can be great. If you’re fortunate enough to own a car, you’ve likely built a life that revolves around that mode of transportation. However, I also believe that if we build a world that assumes everyone will go everywhere in a car, that comes with more tradeoffs than we realize. Here are a few examples of things we’re missing out on:
More mobility options will allow us to have infrastructure that actually works. We can’t afford to maintain a world where we all drive everywhere. Car-oriented growth means that everything spreads out. That leads to bigger roads, and that requires more asphalt, striping, signals, signs, stormwater pipes, stormwater inlets, sidewalks, street lighting, landscaping, bridges, and more. It’s a very costly venture. My administration has proudly invested more than $100 million into paving during my first two terms in office. However, our backlog of infrastructure needs is massive and ever-growing. We know that more walkable cities are more compact and therefore are more affordable to maintain.
More mobility options will put money in our wallets. The American Automobile Association estimates that the average cost of car ownership in the United States is more than $12,000 per year, about $1,000 per month. Many households have more than one car. Imagine what an additional $1,000 per month would do for your household.
More mobility options will make us safer. Around 40 people die each year in the City of Birmingham in vehicle crashes; hundreds more in the city are severely injured. These numbers are much higher for the larger region. Many of us know someone in our lives who has been personally affected by a car crash. We don’t have to accept these tragedies as the cost of modern convenience. There are many examples of advanced vibrant competitive cities around the country and around the world where more people walk, take public transportation, and ride bikes. Those cities don’t have nearly the same rates of transportation-related death and injury that we have.
Providing mobility options will improve our health. In Alabama, we have some of the lowest health rankings in the country in almost any health metric you can name — heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and others. While walking is not a cure-all, it seems clear that if we provide more options for us to move our bodies throughout the day, we’ll have better health outcomes.
Providing mobility options raises quality of life for everyone. Driving doesn’t work for everyone. Many of our neighbors are too young, too old, physically unable or simply cannot afford the financial costs of operating their own vehicles. Yet, we know from a study by the Brookings Institute that people in Birmingham with cars have access to 100 times more jobs than people who rely on public transportation. The system we have today is leaving too many people stranded.
Providing mobility options helps the environment. Driving causes greenhouse gas emissions, excessive land consumption, and excessive energy consumption. In the United States, transportation is actually the leading generator of greenhouse gases. When we assume that everyone will drive cars, we build a world with larger roadways, intersections, private land developments, and larger parking lots. Even if we all ride in electric, fully-autonomous cars, a world built for automobiles will still have far too great of an impact on our environment.
I’d like to set a new vision for Birmingham’s future. It’s actually a future that resembles the way we’ve built cities for thousands of years. I’d like to make Birmingham walkable. I’d also like to strengthen our public transportation system and make us more bikeable too. And yes, I still want Birmingham to be accessible for cars.
Our kids should be able to walk to school or to grandma’s house. Catching a transit bus should be just as easy and convenient as driving. You should feel safe on a bicycle. I also don’t think it’s crazy to dream about a frequent and fast passenger rail connection from Birmingham to Atlanta. We can achieve these things.
To that end, we’re kicking off a major citywide transportation plan in partnership with the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority called goBHM, and I’d like you to join me in shaping this effort. If you live in Birmingham, work in Birmingham, or regularly visit Birmingham, visit letsgobhm.com to learn more and to stay informed. Over the next year, we’ll be sharing information and hosting public meetings to create a strong transportation vision for the future. Walk along with us on this journey and lean in.
I look forward to running into you out on the sidewalk.
Randall Woodfin is the mayor of Birmingham. This is from his Substack article, ‘Let’s Go for a Walk, Birmingham.’
Birmingham police say they are doing everything they can to keep residents safe after city leaders expressed frustration over celebratory gunfire. (File)
“We hear them, and we do understand,” said BPD Public Information Officer Sgt. LaQuitta Wade. “Because if it was the other way around, I would want someone to listen to me.”
WBRC was scheduled to meet with Birmingham Chief of Police Michael Pickett Thursday to discuss the city council’s concerns. When the time came for the interview, WBRC was informed that Pickett was unable to meet for the conversation.
On Friday, Jan. 2, BPD issued a report claiming incidents of celebratory gunfire were down 37% compared to New Year’s Eve of 2024. The report also says 4,688 rounds were fired city-wide — nearly 2,000 fewer than the previous year.
“I’m somewhat skeptical [of the reported number of rounds fired] just because of what I heard on New Year’s Eve,” District 2 Councilor Hunter Williams said during a city council meeting the following Tuesday, Jan 6.
Wade said the department used several new technologies to determine how many rounds were fired, but relied heavily on ShotSpotter.
Wade said using ShotSpotter data, BPD mapped where most celebratory gunfire happened during previous New Year’s holidays and deployed extra officers to those locations. She credited this strategy for the reported reduction of incidents in 2025.
“With the mapping and the technology and the strategy that we used, we felt as if we had success.”
Wade added that ShotSpotter can have difficulty distinguishing between gunshots and other loud noises the system might register, like fireworks.
Williams also demanded to see arrest numbers for celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve, saying he had also asked for arrest numbers for the 2024 New Year’s and never received them.
“I would like to know the actual arrest numbers. Because I don’t know how aggressive we were, but from what I heard, it did not seem that way,” he said Tuesday.
District 5 Councilor Darrell O’Quinn was also in favor of seeing how many arrests were made.
“I believe we need to put some people behind bars and make examples of them for this,” O’Quinn said. “That’s absolutely got to happen for this to change.”
When asked if the department had the number of arrests for celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve 2025, Wade said:
“The Special Operations Division may have those numbers, but that is something that we will discuss with [Councilor Williams] off-camera.”
Wade said BPD would share those arrest numbers if they became available.
“Celebratory gunfire is not OK,” said Wade. “There is a law in place where you cannot fire a weapon within the city limits of Birmingham. And that law will be in place any time, whether it’s New Year’s Eve, whether it’s today, or whether it’s tomorrow.”
Wade said the department understands there can be a disconnect between the number of recorded celebratory gunshots decreasing and the feeling Birmingham residents have about their safety.
“Everyone would want to have zero celebratory gunfire in their city all over this country,” said Wade. “The Birmingham Police Department will continue, year after year, to get better in their strategy. In technology. In mapping. To do everything that we can to protect the citizens of Birmingham.”
The U.S. Postal Service is honoring Phillis Wheatley, the first author of African descent in the American Colonies. (File)
usps.com
The U.S. Postal Service is honoring Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784), the first author of African descent in the American Colonies to publish a book, with the 49th stamp in the Black Heritage series.
The first-day-of-issue event for the Phillis Wheatley Black Heritage stamp in Boston later this month is free and open to the public.
Born in West Africa and brought to Boston on a slave ship, Phillis Wheatley was enslaved but educated in the Wheatley household. Wheatley published her first collection, “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral,” in 1773. This collection showcased her impressive mastery of various poetic forms, including hymns, elegies, and narrative verse, securing her place in history.
Freed from slavery that same year, she went on to correspond with figures such as George Washington, who praised her poetic talent.
Wheatley’s legacy continues to inspire generations, earning her the title “the mother of African American literature.” Before the Civil War, abolitionists used her accomplishments to affirm the intellectual capability of people of African descent and argue against slavery. Today schools, libraries, community centers and university buildings across the country have been named for Wheatley, and she has been the subject of numerous inspirational books for children.
In 2003, a statue of the poet was included in a new Boston Women’s Memorial. The first full-length scholarly biography of Wheatley was published in 2011, with a second biographical study published in 2023, part of an ongoing effort to recognize her resilience in adversity.
Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp using an existing portrait by Kerry James Marshall.
The Phillis Wheatley stamp will be issued in panes of 20. As a Forever stamp, it will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
Born in West Africa and brought to Boston on a slave ship, Phillis Wheatley was enslaved but educated in the Wheatley household. Wheatley published her first collection, “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral,” in 1773. This collection showcased her impressive mastery of various poetic forms, including hymns, elegies, and narrative verse, securing her place in history.