-Harper Nichols, who has cerebral palsy, featured an exhibition of photographs at UAB, highlighting people who live with physical disabilities; The Birmingham Times, June 8
GWEN DERU
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND…From All of Us, To All of the Fathers and the Father Figures!!! ENJOY!!!
TODAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**SILENMARA at The Nick.
**COMPUTER CLASSES AT THE FIVE POINTS WEST LIBRARY every Tuesday and Thursday.
**MOVIES EVERY THURSDAY at Sidewalk Fest.
**KARAOKE, 5-9 p.m. at Courtyard Alabaster Bar and Grill.
**THIRD THURSDAY BLUES JAM, 7 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
**TASTEMAKER THURSDAY – Every Thursday at Blaze Ultra Lounge, 228 Roebuck Plaza Drive, 8 p.m.- 12 a.m. with DJ Ace Twon (95.7 JAMZ) in the mix hosted by Audio Life and GMC Promo.
**THIRSTY THURSDAY at Hookah 114 17th Street No.
**TEQUILA THURSDAY at the Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**THROW BACK THURSDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge, 3801 Richard Arrington, Jr., Blvd.
**FILMMAKER HAPPY HOUR-Every 3rd Thursday, at Sidewalk Film Fest. Meet with other filmmakers and discuss your newest projects.
FRIDAY…
**JAMES LEWIS TENNIS CENTER RED CUP & FISH FRY, (with a twist) June 16, 6 p.m. at the James Lewis Tennis Center. Call 205-215-1712 for more.
**R&B NIGHT with RYAN KEYZ at Perfect Note.
**BUFFALO LEMONPEPPER PROJECT with FREE CANDY at The Nick.
**THE MOLLY RINGWALDS at Iron City.
**FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY at City Hall, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the short 20th Street North.
**FRIDAY NIGHT WRITES, 8-11 p.m. EVERY FIRST FRIDAY, at 7611 First Avenue North with OBEAH, NINO BLACKNEZ, and hosted by TMBUK DA POET.
**RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.
**QUE’S BAR & GRILL GROOVIN’ on 19th Street in Ensley.
**LIT FRIDAYS WITH RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.
**AFRO CARIBBEAN NIGHTS (Every Friday Night) at Ash’s on 2nd, 7 p.m. until with Reggae, Afro Beats, Dancehall and Top 40 Hits.
**FIREBALL FRIDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**FRIDAY NIGHT RAP, Every 1st and 3rd Friday at Crescent Cultural Center, 1121 Tuscaloosa Avenue, W.
SATURDAY…**AFRICAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL, 10 a.m. at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
**VOCALIST SHERRI BROWN at Perfect Note, 7:30 p.m.
**WINE DOWN HAPPY HOUR, 4 p.m.- 9 p.m. at Saferoom Lounge Bar.
**MS. JOHNNIE AND THE JAMMERS Live After Five, 7-10 p.m. at Bistro on 19th located at 109 19th St. N., Bessemer. EVERY 2nd and 4th SATURDAY!!
**BLOOD MOON RIOT with ORANGE MUDD & GREAT JANE at The Nick.
SUNDAY…
**WORSHIP AT THE SIXTH, 9:30 a.m. at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.
**SUNDAY FUNDAY for the grown Folks Kickback at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**SUNDAY/HAPPY HOUR, 2-5 p.m. at Sidewalk Film Fest.
**CITY WIDE PRAYER MEETING, Every 4th Sunday, 4 p.m. for one hour at Birmingham Easonian Baptist Bible College. The Lord’s Supper will be served and hosted by the Knights of Pythias & Court of Calanthe.
**THE LOCKED BAND with at Perfect Note.
**DRAG NIGHT at The Nick.
**SUNDAY FUNDAY TUNES with. FREE at the Nick.
MONDAY…
**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND with Special Guests RUTHIE CRAFT & PINK PEUGEOT-DUO at the Nick.
TUESDAY…
**COMPUTER CLASSES AT THE FIVE POINTS WEST LIBRARY every Tuesday and Thursday.
**DIAPER GIVEAWAY every Tuesday, 10 a.m. at the Titusville Library.
**EVERY TUESDAY is SOUL CAFÉ Happy Hours introducing the Soul Café Happy Hour, 5:30-9:30 p.m. with Soul Goodies, Soul Spirits and Soul Music including $5 Titos and Redmont, at The Vault.
**TITO’S TUESDAY at Dirty Ash’s 8 p.m. with DAVID TALLEY IV.
**CARIBBEAN NIGHTS with Reggae, Caribbean and Island Vibes, 9 p.m. – until… with DJ Serious Mixing and hosted by KJ and MANNY at The Vault, downtown.
**EVERY TUESDAY – TRUE STORY BREWING JAZZ SESSIONS, 7- 10 p.m., 5510 Crestwood Blvd.
**TASTY TUESDAYS at Platinum of Birmingham.
WEDNESDAY…
**VESTAVIA HILLS FARMERS MARKET, every Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Scout Square.
**INTERFAITH NOONDAY PRAYER SERVICES every Wednesday, Noon at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham.
**WORKOUT WEDNESDAY at Five Points West Library at 10:30 a.m. for chair yoga and other chair exercises.
**WEDNESDAYS WEEKLY JAZZ JAM, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing Company, 5510 Crestwood Blvd. Food until 9 p.m.,
Music until 10 p.m. and Drink until 11 p.m.
**EVERY 4th WEDNESDAY at FACE’S LOUNGE KARAOKE hosted by ARETTA, 6:30 p.m. at 7070 Aaron Aronov Dr. in Fairfield.
NEXT THURSDAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
NEXT FRIDAY
**FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE with R&B DIVA DEIRDRE GADDIS at Perfect Note.
**SAVAGE MASTER and CROSSED HEARTS with KAMIKAZE ZOMBIE and NOLAN FLIGHT at The Nick.
**EARTHBOUND at Elysian, 8 – 11 p.m.
IT’S 2023! NEWS TO USE…IN ALABAMA…
THIS IS FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND! Celebrate the Fathers in your life whether here or not. Celebrate those that fill in and those that have been active or not…they are fathers, still!! Let’s Honor and Thank them for it all, the little and big things!!
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!
AT SIDEWALK CINEMA THEATER…
**FATHER’S DAY WESTERN WEEKEND including films: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Young Guns, The Magnificent Seven, drink specials and 3 films for $30.
**FRIDAY – SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS the SPIDER-VERSE.
**FRIDAY – THE LOST WEEKEND: A LOVE STORY.
**FRIDAY – NETWORKING NIGHTS. FREE.
**FRIDAY – LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.
**FRIDAY AND SUNDAY – MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME.
**FRIDAY – SUNDAY – CLIMAX.
**SATURDAY – MIDNIGHT MADNESS: KILL BILL.
**AUGUST 21-27 – SIDEWALK FILM FESTIVAL. See you there!
FOR ART, PERFORMING ART, FILM LOVERS…
AT UAB’S ABROMS-ENGEL INSTITUTE FOR THE VISUAL ARTS (AEIVA) –
**JUNE 9 – AUGUST 12 – The three exhibitions at AEIVA include: DELIRICO GIBSON: Strings of Gratitude, LAVAUGHAN JENKINS: The Watcher and the Watchman and last VADIS TURNER: She Drank Gold.
AT BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART…
**WALL-TO-WALL: RICO GATSON through July.
FOR FOODIES, FARMERS MARKETS AND HEALTHY FOOD LOVERS…
**JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST – WEST HOMEWOOD FARMER’S MARKET, 160 Oxmoor Road in Homewood.
**D6 SUMMER FARMERS’ MARKET, EVERY 2nd Saturday, June – August, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at Memorial Park with fresh fruits, vegetables, breads, honey, jams.
THIS JUNE…
JUNETEENTH EVENTS…PLUS…
**SATURDAY- REMEMBERING OUR MEN IN UNIFORM WHO SERVED FOR THE GOOD OF THIS COUNTRY, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. at StarBucks in Five Points West/Crossplex, 2401 Crossplex Blvd.
**SATURDAY – The 2nd ANNUAL JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL, 11 a.m. at the Gardendale Civic Center.
**SATURDAY – JUNETEENTH IN THE MAGIC CITY 2023, 4 p.m. at Club M with the Center Point Food Trucks, fire works, live band African dancers and vendors.
**MONDAY – OUR FREEDOM DAY OF THE OFFICIAL NATIONAL JUNETEENTH OF ALABAMA PARADE – Parade Line Up is 8:30 a.m. Parade starts at 9 a.m. Festivities are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. with a Dove Release at 4 p.m. in the parking lot corner of 16th Street and 6th Avenue across the street from the church.
**JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION is at Kelly Ingram Park. FREE! There will be free food, children stories, prizes, games, tour rides of the city and Kelly Ingram Park with live entertainment, music, dance, guest speakers and much more. For more, call 205-593-7171, leave a message.
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION-BRIDGING THE GREAT DIVIDE, 3 p.m. at the Historic Bethel Baptist Church, 3200 29th Avenue North with food trucks, live entertainment with MAD SKILLZ, NATHIFA DANCE COMPANY, LOGAN THE ENTERTAINER, SHERRI BROWN AND CLUTCH BAND.
**JUNE 24 – ELECTRIC AVENUE – THE 80’S MTV EXPERIENCE.
**JUNE 24 – SUMMER LEMONADE – THE DAY PARTY, 2- 6 p.m. at
FOR BLUES LOVERS…IN JUNE…
**JUNE 30 – SOUTHERN SOUL BLUES CELEBRATION FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND, 7:30 p.m. at the Alabama Theatre with KING GEORGE, POKEY, SIR CHARLES JONES, J-WONN and WEST LOVE, hosted by MC LIGHTFOOT.
IN THE CARIBBEAN…IN JUNE…
**NEVIS MANGO FESTIVAL on June 30 – July 2 gives visitors a chance to learn about and savor 44 varieties of mangoes that are produced on the island.
AT SIXTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH
…SEE YOU AT THE SIXTH …EVERY SUNDAY!
**EVERY MONDAY MORNING MEDITATION WITH PASTOR CANTELOW, 7:15 a.m. Contact the church at (205) 321-1136 or (205) 321-1137.
**CHILDREN’S CHURCH & COLLISION CHURCH, each First Sunday at 9:30 a.m. for K-5th(Children’s Church), 6-12th (Collision)
COMING SOON!!!…
**AUGUST 4 – Look for SLOSS TECH.
**AUGUST 4 – ART ON THE ROCKS at the Birmingham Museum of Art, since 2005.
**AUGUST 19 – JODECI with SWV & DRU HILL at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre.
**AUGUST 22 – 50 CENT “THE FINAL LAP TOUR 2023” with BUSTA RHYMES AND JEREMIAH at Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre.
**AUGUST 21-27 -25th SIDEWALK FILM FESTIVAL in the Downtown Birmingham’s Historic Theatre District.
**SEPTEMBER 1 – HARDY “The Mockingbird & THE CROW Fall Tour” with LAINEY WILSON & CYLAN MARLOWE at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre.
**OCTOBER 6 – MAXWELL with MUSIQ SOULCHILD & LEELA JAMES at Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre.
Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time. People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send events, your things of interest and more to my emails: gwenderu@yahoo.com and thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com.
The Birmingham Museum of Art will celebrate the vibrant traditions of African cultures and the Museum’s African art galleries on Saturday, June 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the return of the African Heritage Festival sponsored by Medical Properties Trust with support by Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Face Painting Fun: Dive into the colors and shapes of Africa with artist Yogi Dada and our talented team of face painters. Yogi’s style is a beautiful blend of African culture and urban graffiti, and she’s ready to help you show off your spirit with elaborate, African-inspired designs. Embrace the artist in you and let your face be the canvas!
Taste of Africa: Tickle your taste buds with a sampling of authentic Nairobi cuisine from Sahani, meaning ‘plate’ in Swahili (while supplies last). The food truck will also be onsite, so you can purchase and savor even more delicious African dishes. Get ready for an exciting African culinary journey!
Rhythms of Africa: Experience the energetic beats and moves of Africa with a performance by Natifha Dance Company. Led by LaVondia B. Smith, a seasoned dancer, choreographer, and long-time community servant, you’ll enjoy incredible live performances, incorporating West African and Modern dance styles. Notable performers include Dennis Harris, a local percussionist with expertise in Congo and Djembe drumming for over 30 years, Nkosi Lateef Johnson, a professional drummer from childhood, and many other talented dancers and percussionists. The sounds and sights promise to be unforgettable!
African Headwrap and Fabric Exploration: Join Dr. Tolu of Modaheadwraps in a fascinating exploration of traditional African headwraps and fabric. She helps women of color to connect to their African roots through vibrant and culturally rich textiles. These items are more than just fashion—they’re love letters to the history and culture of Africa. Be ready to immerse yourself in the textures, colors, and stories of Africa!
Batik Art Creation: Embrace the magic of African textile art in our Batik Art Creation activity! Batik is a traditional art form that originated from Africa and Asia, which involves the use of wax and dyes to create intricate patterns and vibrant designs on fabric. In this activity, our young festival-goers can take part in creating their own batik-style art pieces using crayons and watercolor paints to simulate the batik effect on a piece of heavy-duty paper.
For more visit artsbma.org
Sponsored Content
(Talladega, AL) NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and award-winning global entrepreneur, CEO and television producer Jeff Hoffman are teaming up to help bring transformative economic development and educational initiatives to Talladega, Alabama.
“Almost everyone has heard of Talladega Superspeedway – NASCAR’s biggest track,” said Talladega City Manager Seddrick Hill Sr., who is Talladega’s first black city manager. “However, many people have limited knowledge about the city of Talladega, its considerable assets and its tremendous potential.”
When Hill was named city manager in 2021, he began discussing Talladega’s potential with O’Neal and several members of O’Neal’s fraternity, Omega Psi Phi. Omega Psi Phi Grand Basileus Dr. David Marion; Omega Psi Phi Sports, Entertainment Committee Chair Dr. Mark E. Stevens; and Lamar Williams took a tour of the city that included stops at Talladega Municipal Golf Course and the East Side Head Start building. Both the golf course and the head start building had been vacant for several years and city leaders were eager to see the abandoned spaces revived. O’Neal, Marion, Stevens, and Williams were excited about taking on a project that would reflect Omega Psi Phi’s core principles, which are “manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplift.”
The group proposed to establish the Omega Academy of Science and Fine Arts at the head start, which is located in an underserved community. Their suggestions for the 38-acre golf course included creating a program that integrates the game of golf with a curriculum focused on diverse life skills.
In a videotaped message, O’Neal publicly applauded Hill, Talladega Councilwoman Vickey Hall and other city leaders for blight-removal initiatives and other major improvements underway.
“The city is knocking down buildings, renovating parks and trying to build a safer, stronger community. Change is coming to Talladega and I am proud to be a part of it,” said O’Neal, who later encouraged Jeff Hoffman to also consider investing in Talladega.
On May 30, 2023, Hill led Hoffman and his business partner, Rochester Johnson Jr., on an extensive tour of Talladega. After meeting business and industry leaders and getting a closeup look at institutions such as Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind and Talladega College, Hoffman observed that Talladega was brimming with potential. During a Talladega City Council meeting, Hoffman formally expressed his commitment to becoming a part of Talladega’s transformation.
“No one is going to save America’s cities — they have to save themselves. Talladega is a shining example of an entire city coming together to design its future, an inclusive and comprehensive future for all its residents,” Hoffman said. “I am excited about establishing relationships in a city that is so clearly poised for advancement.”
Hoffman is an award-winning global entrepreneur, acclaimed CEO, worldwide motivational speaker, bestselling author, Hollywood film producer, a producer of a Grammy Award winning jazz album, and executive producer of an Emmy Award winning television show. He is an executive producer and stars in the groundbreaking TV series Going Public, a show which allows viewers worldwide to invest in the startups that Hoffman mentors on the air. He has founded multiple startups, served as CEO of both public and private companies, and been a part of several prominent successful startups, including Priceline.com/Booking.com, uBid.com and more.
The City of Talladega is home to the renowned Amistad Murals at Talladega College’s Dr. William R. Harvey Museum of Art; Talladega Superspeedway; Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB); International Motorsports Hall of Fame; Historic Silk Stocking District; Hall of Heroes Museum; CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park; Heritage Hall Museum; Historic Ritz Theatre; TOP Trails OHV Park; Davey Allison Memorial Park and other unique attractions and shops.
“Talladega is a good place to live, work and invest in. Gaining attention and support from Jeff Hoffman and Shaquille O’Neal will increase our city’s profile exponentially and make it a phenomenal place to live, work and invest in,” said Hill.
