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Birmingham Looks to Address Flood-Prone Roads Throughout City

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Birmingham Times
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Over the last five years, the city says it’s invested more than $20 million in drainage related projects. (Adobe Stock)

With the heavy and consistent rainfall, flooding roads can become a concern.

In the Birmingham-metro area, there are a handful of flood-prone areas. One of these flood-prone areas is along Messer Airport Highway. The city of Birmingham says the decision was made several months ago to close that road as it looks into long term solutions.

Over the last five years, the city says it’s invested more than $20 million in drainage related projects. According to the city, some of the projects include $2.8-million at 6th Avenue South in Titusville; $1.1-million at the Alabama Farmer’s Market; $350,000 to clean and inspect existing storm sewers to figure out the cause of localized flooding, Seventh Avenue South street scape; Center Place South storm sewer replacement, 9th Avenue North and 31st Street, and 2900 Norwood Boulevard.

Rick Journey, Director of Communications for the City of Birmingham released the following statement in regards to the severe weather potential:

Due to the potential for severe weather, residents and businesses are encouraged to monitor weather information and pay close attention to alerts such as watches and warnings. In the event there is flooding on a roadway, motorists should use extreme caution and turn around. Do not try to drive through a flooded street.

The City of Birmingham is dedicated to ensuring the safety of its residents and businesses during extreme weather. When forecasters predict the potential for flooding, the city’s response is a collaborative effort. The city conducts regular and daily maintenance on the storm drainage network. Projects aimed at improving infrastructure and resilience continue each year.

The city has activated its SWIFTT (Snow, Wind, Ice, Flood, Tornado Threat ) Essentials to establish readiness in the event of severe weather. The Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits (PEP) is coordinating with the Department of Public Works to inspect and service any potential “hot spots.”

Janet Berry was driving through Chilton County during some of Wednesday’s thunderstorm on her way to Foley. She says that sometimes getting on the road during rainy conditions is unavoidable.

“You do what you have to do because your appointments and stuff don’t wait,” Berry said.

She says she’s never hydroplaned or had issues driving in the rain. Berry says she takes it slow on wet roads and keeps a closer eye on other drivers.

“I have to watch all these people wanting to do 80-100,” she said. “People cutting you off or cutting back in front of you real quick. I see too many of them cutting in front of trucks.”

Jamie Smith Began Her UAB Work Shift Like Normal. 3 Days Later She Woke Up in a Hospital Bed.

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Birmingham Times
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When UAB employee Jamie Smith collapsed one morning while she was at work, UAB employees from multiple specialties stepped in to help save her life. (Ian Logue, UAB)

One Saturday morning in June, Jamie Smith, 47, began her shift at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. What Smith thought would be a normal day led to her waking up in a hospital bed three days later.

“When I opened my eyes in the hospital room, I had no idea what had happened,” said Smith, who works for UAB Environmental Health and Safety. “My husband told me that I had gone into cardiac arrest while at work. I was in shock. I had felt a little tired the morning of my incident, but I had not experienced any chest pain or any other symptoms out of the ordinary. I almost did not believe that what he was telling me was real.”

Smith’s morning began with a team meeting where she and her colleagues received their assignments for the day. During the meeting, Alfredo Hines, Smith’s team leader, noticed that she was slumped over and had become unresponsive. He quickly ran to find the nearest health care professional. A team of UAB providers rushed to Smith’s aid and immediately began administering CPR.

They retrieved the closest AED and shocked Smith’s heart to get a rhythm back. They administered medication and took Smith down to the UAB Emergency Department, where her care team had to administer CPR two more times to keep her alive.

“Mrs. Smith’s care was a collaborative effort among many different specialties across UAB,” said Darryl Prime, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at the UAB Cardiovascular Institute who helped Smith that day. “An impressive amount of coordination took place between bystander witnesses, personnel who went to get the AED, transport who quickly got her to the emergency room and the emergency response team. The team was incredibly efficient. They came together and acted quickly to save Mrs. Smith’s life.”

(Jody Potter, UAB)

In the emergency department, Smith was taken to the cardiac catheterization lab, and Prime performed a heart catheterization, a procedure that helps diagnose certain heart problems. The same day, Prime also inserted an intra-aortic balloon pump, which is a temporary device to help the heart pump more blood as it recovers from shock.

During her three days at UAB, Smith was intubated and eventually extubated once she was stable. After waking up, Smith discovered that she been diagnosed with stress cardiomyopathy, commonly known as broken heart syndrome, which is a condition that can weaken the heart muscles.

As she begins the new year, Smith says she is very grateful to have survived cardiac arrest.

“Words cannot explain how grateful I am to Dr. Prime and the rest of my care team at UAB,” Smith said. “After coding three times, it is a blessing to be able to be here this new year and still be able to work and spend time with my family. It is such a big deal.”

After her procedure, Smith wore a heart monitor for a few months and a device that would shock her heart if she experienced heart problems again. Today, Smith is no longer wearing any devices; but she continues to attend UAB’s Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program, which provides a structured exercise regimen for patients recovering from heart problems. Smith is back at work and has returned to her normal routine. While she continues to see Prime for her checkups, she says she is feeling much better and has continued to recover well.

“One takeaway from this story is that Mrs. Smith was lucky enough that she had bystanders who were health care providers who were well-trained in CPR and AED use,” Prime said. “This is sometimes not the case when something like this occurs in the community. For every minute that passes from a collapse from ventricular fibrillation, the chance of survival decreases by 10 percent each minute without bystander CPR. That is a 100 percent chance of death in 10 minutes. Education about CPR and AED use in the community thus is extremely important and can empower individuals to take the necessary steps to help save the life of someone who may experience an incident like Mrs. Smith.”

Learn more about sudden cardiac arrest and how to respond at uab.edu/news.

Birmingham, AL partners with Birmingham, England to Showcase Magic City to International Audience

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Birmingham Times
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The Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau partnership with Birmingham City began Saturday when The Blues played Newcastle United in the Emirates FA Cup, losing 3-2 in the competition’s fourth round. (Birmingham City)

Birmingham City Football Club

Birmingham City Football Club, an English football club in League One, has announced a partnership with the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, the official tourism and marketing organization for the Alabama destination.

The GBCVB logo will be featured on the back of Birmingham City uniforms until the end of the 2026–2027 season. The partnership began Saturday when Birmingham City played Newcastle United in the Emirates FA Cup, losing 3-2 in the competition’s fourth round.

“We are thrilled about this new partnership with Birmingham City FC, strengthening the bond with our friends across the Atlantic,” said John Oros, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Birmingham CVB. “This collaboration is an incredible opportunity to showcase Birmingham, Alabama, to an international audience, highlighting our vibrant culture, rich history and world-class hospitality.

The sponsorship will run through the 2026-27 season. (Birmingham City)

“Sports has a unique way of bringing people together, and through this partnership we look forward to welcoming new visitors, fostering new relationships, and positioning our city as a premier destination for global travellers. We can’t wait to share the magic of Birmingham, Alabama with the world and unite our cities through the love of the game.”

Global interest in Birmingham City FC has grown considerably over the past 18 months with NFL legend Tom Brady joining the ownership group. Last year saw Birmingham, Alabama, sign a friendship agreement with Birmingham, England, as part of “United States of Birmingham,” an upcoming series hosted by Joe Lycett.

“We are delighted to welcome the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau to the Blues alliance,” said Jeremy Dale, interim chief executive officer at Birmingham City. “We share more than a name.  We  both have bold ambitions and the desire to make a statement on the global stage. Through this partnership we can help each other achieve our goals.”

Through the partnership there will be multiple opportunities to create content that tells the story of Birmingham, Alabama. The Greater Birmingham region welcomes more than 3.96 million visitors from around the globe each year, generating $2.52 billion in economic impact through tourism.

The Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB) is the official tourism and marketing organization for Birmingham, Alabama.

Mayor Woodfin, Bipartisan Coalition of Alabama Lawmakers Push Ban on Glock Switches

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Birmingham Times
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Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin’s campaign reported about $121,000 in cash contributions in March, bringing his total for cash raised in 2025 to about $350,000. (File)

BY SAFIYAH RIDDLE | Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A bipartisan coalition of mayors, lawmakers and law enforcement in Alabama endorsed a public safety package on Thursday that would ban the devices that convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns — a rare consensus on gun restrictions and a departure from years of conflict about how to stem gun violence.

Conversion devices that speed the firing of semi-automatic weapons are already banned under federal law, but there’s currently no state law prohibiting possession. One of the bills in the package would enable state prosecutors to charge people for possessing the conversion devices. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia already have such laws, according to the Giffords Law Center.

Birmingham’s Mayor Randall Woodfin had implored state lawmakers to address these devices in the immediate aftermath of the city’s third quadruple homicide last year.

“Even if there are some things we may not agree with, today is a major deal,” the mayor said Wednesday after local law enforcement and leaders in both legislative chambers endorsed Republican Gov. Kay Ivey’s public safety package.

On the same day, the Alabama Senate’s judicial committee advanced two bills introduced by both Democrats and Republicans that would make it a felony to possess a machine gun conversion device.

Police believe the devices — commonly referred to as Glock switches — dramatically increase gun violence casualties. They can be made on a 3D printer in under an hour or ordered from overseas online for less than $30.

A conversion device was used in a September shooting that killed four people outside a Birmingham lounge, police believe. At least one man in possession of a machine gun conversion device was arrested in November after a shooting on Tuskegee University’s campus that left one person dead and 16 others wounded.

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Hal Taylor said the moment of political unity reflected the urgency of the problem — both in stemming gun violence and in protecting police officers.

“I think it’s because they’ve realized that a bullet doesn’t know if you’re a Democrat or Republican,” Taylor said.

Not all aspects of the governor’s public safety package have such widespread support.

It includes bills that would increase penalties for illegal possession of firearms, enhance sentencing for firing a weapon into an occupied vehicle or home, expand the list of crimes where bail denial is allowed, and increase legal protections for police officers accused of excessive force.

Democratic representatives celebrated the conversion device ban and a bill that would provide scholarships for the children of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. But some expressed “deep concern” for other aspects of the governor’s package.

Representative Thomas Jackson said that he respected the challenges faced by law enforcement but said police officers already benefit from enhanced legal protections that make convictions relatively rare.

“Being a law enforcement officer doesn’t mean that you’re above the law. In fact, due to the power that comes along with the duties of our police, officers should be held in even higher standard of ethics and behavior with accountability,” Jackson said.

Birmingham’s A.H. Parker Faculty, Alums Add to the School’s Rich Tradition of Education

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Birmingham Times
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Parker High School Teachers of the Year, from left: Maia Lake, Mathematics teacher, class of '01; Andrea Hall-Toyer, English teacher, class of '00; Monquelle Shamburger, Cooperative Education teacher, class of '97; Alexis Montgomery, Mathematics teacher, class of '03. (Amarr Croskey Photos, For The Birmingham Times)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

(Second of Two Parts)

Name the career, and you’ll likely find a successful Arthur Harold Parker High School alum. Among its graduates are a state supreme court justice, a major general in the U.S. Army, an NFL Hall of Famer, and a Tony-award winner, as well as NBA and baseball stars and celebrated Civil Rights attorneys and activists.

There’s also a chemist, a mathematician, a renowned composer, a big band leader, a newspaper editor, a mayor, a state representative, a renowned pastor, a sculptor, and a district attorney.

(See a list of famous names here)

Birmingham’s oldest Black high school turns 125 this year, and some of its most illustrious graduates include those who’ve had their lives transformed after spending four years at the historic institution in the city’s Smithfield community.

“The courses I took at Parker High School were called ‘college-prep courses,’ and when I got to college it was simply for me a refresher course,” said Adrienne Reynolds (class of 1975), who serves as the neighborhood officer for the Smithfield community. “I was on the Dean’s List my whole four years at Alabama State University because of what I learned at Parker High, and from there I took those skills into the workforce. It was a breeze for me after what I learned education-wise and life-wise at Parker High School.”

Barry McNealy, Social Studies teacher/Historian, class of ’89. (Amarr Croskey Photos, For The Birmingham Times)

“Parker prepared me to stand on my own two feet and not question myself,” said Barry McNealy (class of 1989), a U.S. History teacher at Parker, who currently heads the school’s Social Studies department and serves as the Historical Content Expert at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI). “I knew I had a preparation that would see me through anything.”

He added, “The walls of Parker High School shielded students from feeling inferior because we were blessed to be around people who saw the greatest in us, and it was their passion in life to bring that out of us without hampering us with the idea [that] we’re seen as less than by the outside world.”

“Advance the Cause”

Arthur Harold Parker, the school’s founding principal and the pioneer of Black education in Birmingham, put an emphasis on finding the best instructors.

Many of the teachers Parker hired after he started what was to become Industrial High School in 1900 were Black people with master’s and doctorate degrees from Northern universities who wanted to return home but couldn’t find work at segregated Southern colleges.

“Parker developed in his faculty a commitment to a school system designed to advance the cause of his people. The teachers felt they were part of a cause that was greater than themselves,” said Carl Harris, a history professor, during a May 1985 interview with The Birmingham News.

“Parker’s message to his students and faculty was, ‘Don’t look at what we don’t have—let’s look at what we do have.’ [Even 50 years after graduating], students remember the names of most their teachers because the teachers worked so intensely with the students,” said Harris, who taught at the University of California–Santa Barbara for 30 years and studied early Black education in Birmingham.

Nearly a dozen A.H. Parker graduates now teach at the school. Here are some. Bottom row from left: Tom Hall, Graphic Arts teacher, Class of 1981; Alexis Montgomery, Mathematics teacher, Class of ‘03; Barry McNealy, Social Studies Teacher, Class of ‘89. Second row from left: Kristin Cox, English teacher, Class of ‘00; Monquelle Shamburger, Cooperative Education teacher, Class of ‘97; Cheryl Ramsey, Guidance Counselor. Top row from left: Beverly Brown, librarian; Andrea Hall Toyer, English teacher, Class of ‘00; Maia Lake, Mathematics teacher, Class of ‘01; Sara Brown, CNP Manager, Class of ‘79. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

The faculty had an expectation that started with Parker and can be traced all the way down through the nine principals that followed him, McNealy said.

“That expectation was that students were going to be capable of being the best citizens they could be,” said McNealy, who has been teaching at Parker High School since 1998. “With a constant chain of faculty members like myself, we can reach back to the days of Arthur Harold Parker because every step of the way, there has been somebody here who was taught by somebody in those 125 years, and we take it upon ourselves to try to uphold that standard.”

“All the Difference”

In 1899, the Birmingham Board of Education agreed to create a high school for African American students. Superintendent Dr. John Herbert Phillips selected Parker to become the sole teacher for Industrial High School—dedicated to Black students—when it opened on the second floor of the Cameron Elementary School at 800 14th Street South in September 1900.

Parker was more than the principal. He was also one of the instructors, teaching gardening and carpentry along with science, math, and English. He retired as principal of Industrial High School in 1939. In his honor, the school was renamed A. H. Parker High School. Parker died on August 17, 1939.

“The kind of teachers we had at Parker made all the difference in the world—not the building or the grounds but the teachers,” the Rev. Dr. John Thomas Porter, pastor of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church and a graduate of A. H. Parker High School (class of 1949), said in a 1998 interview with The Birmingham World newspaper.

Many of the students came from families “whose parents had not gone to college,” Porter added. “We could not get inspiration for post high school education from our parents because they really had no experience themselves. We had to get it from our high school teachers. I think the teachers, and just name them one after another, made all the difference. … How blessed we were to have that opportunity to be exposed, to be inspired.”

Alexis Montgomery, A.H. Parker math instructor teacher and Class of ’03 graduate, goes over lesson with student Jacalin Adams during recent class. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

“Pride and Dignity”

That inspiration gave Parker students a certain air, said McNealy: “To some people that would seem like an arrogance, but it wasn’t. It was pride.”

“People mistake that pride for a haughtiness, which it’s not,” he added. “It’s just an unvarnished view of ourselves as marginalized people. We don’t see ourselves as minorities. We see ourselves as the best of the best.”

And the students looked out for one another: “We didn’t want to see someone else fail,” said Jackie Shaw (class of 1982).

“It was always a friendly competition. It was competition with your class work. You wanted to make that good grade because [your classmate] was making a good grade. It was just pride and dignity. With Parker, it gave you that confidence that you could do almost anything,” Shaw added.

Parker students also developed tight bonds, said Veronica Jackson (class of 1971).

“[We] mingled together, and it was not always through academics. They had sororities and fraternities. Our social life was centered around Parker, and Parker provided the most social skills you could get for kids at that age.”

“Privileged”

Pamela Steele (class of 1982) knew she would always find a way to give back to her alma mater. Last year, she became president of the A.H. Parker United Alumni Association.

“It had such a rich history. I can remember being a little girl, and my dad bringing my sister and me to the football games. Parker has always been part of my life,” she said.

Founded in 1996, the Alumni Association supports students and their needs.

“We give scholarships to graduating seniors each year. If it is something that is needed here, we try to find out how we can assist,” said Steele, a student from 1978 to 1982 who remembers forming lifelong friendships.

“When I came to Parker, it was like I was able to make friends easily here,” she said. “I found a lot of people who were like me that I fit in with. “

McNealy tells his students to continue Parker’s rich tradition, he said.

“Add to the story,” he tells them. “You are a privileged person to be immersed in a narrative that began [in 1900] and has seen people go to [some of] the highest offices in this land. You are part of that story. Don’t take from it—add to it.”

(See Part One here)

How ‘Unfinished Business’ Propelled Parker High to its First-Ever Football Title in Alabama

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Birmingham Times
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A.H. Parker High School Principal Darrell Hudson, far left, coach Frank Warren, next to Hudson, and assistant coaches of the state 6A championship-winning team are honored by the Jefferson County Commission. (Solomon Crenshaw Jr., For The Birmingham Times)

By Solomon Crenshaw Jr. | For The Birmingham Times

Unfinished business. That’s what A.H. Parker High School’s victory in December to capture the state 6A championship, the first in the school’s 125-year history, meant for some at the school. It was more than about school pride.

Jacoby Leonard would know. He was a member of the 1980 Parker football team that reached the Class 4A championship game only to lose 15-13 to Vestavia Hills. He was also the son of Cecil Leonard, the head coach of the 1980 squad.

Jacoby Leonard was in the stands of Protective Stadium in December when the Herd finished the journey his 1980 team began. Leonard’s team reached the championship game; the 2024 squad claimed the title, the first in the Bison’s 125-year history, ironically as Parker celebrates its founding in 1900 as Birmingham’s oldest Black High School.

“To me, Parker has always been a quality style school as far as championship play,” he said. “To finish that overall goal there is huge, man, because that will establish them for what they’ve been trying to do for many years as a football powerhouse. Now they can finally say, ‘Hey, we’re a powerhouse in football overall.’”

Carl Crosby (class of ’78) played guard from 1974 to 1978 for Hall of Fame basketball coach William “Cap” Brown and was frequently reminded of the Parker legacy.

“I thought about it often because, of course, I played basketball and baseball for Cap Brown and he constantly reinforced the legacy that we were following the legacy that had been laid for us,” Crosby said. “It was a constant. It was something that was constantly brought to bear, to our consciousness, that we were at a special place and that we were following people who had laid the groundwork for us. That demanded greatness be achieved.”

“Finest Lineman I Have Ever Seen”

Buck Buchannon (File)

That demand for greatness led Parker grad Buck Buchanan into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. A 1959 grad, Buchanan was captain of the basketball and football teams for the Thundering Herd. He went to Grambling State to also play both sports but left the hardwood behind for gridiron greatness.

Grambling State football coach Eddie Robinson called Buchanan “the finest lineman I have ever seen.” Buchanan earned All-America honors at Grambling and All-Pro in the NFL.

The 6-foot-7, 274-pounder was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame after a stellar career with the Kansas City Chiefs which included being a runner-up in the first Super Bowl in 1963 and grabbing a championship in Super Bowl IV.

In that first Super Bowl, he recorded the first sack in Super Bowl history, taking down former Alabama QB Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers.

Buchanan was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and he is one of four Grambling State players coached by Eddie Robinson who is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 1999, Sports Illustrated included him on its All-Century Team for college football. The FCS (Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known at Division I-AA) presents the Buck Buchanan Award annually to the FCS’s best defensive player.

Top Players

Rubin Grant, the former Birmingham Post-Herald sportswriter, said Parker produced more than just great players on the gridiron and a strong football program.

For example, the University of Alabama built its men’s basketball program on players from Birmingham, featuring Parker standouts Robert “RahRah” Scott and Eddie Phillips. Before them, Alabama’s first Black men’s basketball player hailed from Parker – Wendell Hudson, who was inducted to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.

On February 17, 2020, Hudson’s number 20 jersey was retired by the Alabama men’s basketball team, becoming the first and only player to have his jersey number retired by the program.

Still another Parker guard was Allen Murphy, who went on to play shooting guard for the University of Louisville Cardinals. Murphy was part of Louisville’s 1975 Final Four team before having a short stint with the NBA‘s Los Angeles Lakers.

Grant pointed out the May brothers – Lee and Carlos played baseball for the Thundering Herd and ultimately took their skills on the diamond to Major League Baseball.

Carlos May’s 10-year career went from May 1968 to October 1977. He hit .274 with 90 home runs and 536 RBIs in 1,165 games. He had 85 career stolen bases and 545 runs scored. In 4,120 at-bats, he had 1,127 career hits.

“Lee May was one of the top players when I became a Major League fan,” Grant said, “playing for the (Cincinnati) Reds until he was supplanted by Tony Perez at first base.”

Lee May was a standout in both baseball and football at Parker. He played fullback on the varsity football team and was offered a scholarship at the University of Nebraska. However, the Cincinnati Reds organization was also interested in him, and the team signed him to an amateur free agent contract with a $12,000 bonus on June 1, 1961.

Accolades

After his 18-season career, the Big Bopper, as he was called, was inducted to three Halls of Fame: Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame (1988), Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame (2006) and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (2009).

Carlos May (File)

Carlos May won the Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award, but lost to Lou Piniella for the Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder, first baseman and designated hitter from 1968 to 1977, most prominently for the Chicago White Sox where he was a two-time American League All-Star player.

Carlos May also played for the New York Yankees and the California Angels.

The Crosby brothers – Carl and Gerald – made names for themselves as basketball players at Parker High. Carl, three years older, graduated and ventured a few blocks west where is earned a spot in the Birmingham-Southern College Sports Hall of Fame.

Gerald earned Parade All America honors at Parker before taking his sharpshooting talents to the University of Georgia. He helped the Bulldogs reach the NCAA Final Four, falling in the semifinal to eventual national champion North Carolina State.

Still another Parker guard, Eric Bledsoe, led the Thundering Herd to the 2008-09 Class 5A AHSAA state championship. He played one season at Kentucky before playing 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Phoenix Suns, the Milwaukee Bucks and the  New Orleans Pelicans.

Barry McNealy (class of ’89) who teaches history at Parker and is an historical content specialist at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, said the school’s wealth of athletic talent is at least partly due to generations of segregation that sent Black students to the school. But Parker’s successes go beyond that concentration of students, he said.

“As time moved forward, those people have children and they have children and they have children,” he said. “These people have a connection to this institution. As generations go, people tend to want to be a part of that family story or that family tradition. We could pretty much rely on the best of the best, and the largest number of people wanting to get in because of what Parker represented.

“When you have a product that is something that people want, you don’t have to work too hard to sell it,” McNealy said. “It sells itself.”

Shurlock Hubbart: Birmingham Music Producer Spotlights Signs of Depression

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Birmingham Times
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Shurlock Hubbart is a music producer and artist and has collaborated on musical projects with other national recording artists like Musiq Soul Child, The Temptations featuring Dennis Edwards, the Platters, the Chi Lites, other artists while traveling the world. (Provided)

By Keisa Sharpe | For The Birmingham Times

While a fourth grader at Dupuy Elementary School in Birmingham’s Avon Park Community Shurlock Hubbart was so excited to attend a New Edition concert in at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex Exhibition Hall with his god sister that it would change his life.

He remembers the R&B pop group hitting the stage “and they all had on all white shirts with the pockets on the sleeve and the dress shoes,” said Shurlock. “And they had a band and everything. My god sister got me to the front of the stage, and I just looked up and saw them just dancing and singing and saw all the girls and grown women screaming. Whatever that was they were doing, that’s what I wanted.”

Hubbart says he didn’t know exactly what part of the performance or business he wanted (making music, directing the band, being out front or managing the group), but says he knew that day “that’s what I had to do.”

Hubbart eventually went on to become a music producer and artist and collaborate on musical projects with other national recording artists like Musiq Soul Child, The Temptations featuring Dennis Edwards, the Platters, the Chi Lites, other artists while traveling the world.

After 30 years in the music industry Hubbart said he’s ready to slow down. His swan song to the music business is a project entitled The Finale.

“I’ve done everything I wanted to do, and I am wrapping up that part. It’s now time for me to focus on some other items,” he said.

One of the items is to spread the message about recognizing the signs of depression in men – a direct charge from his mother.  She asked him to continue his musical journey and to use that platform to spread awareness about mental health.

“She told me I was a great entertainer and a great son and to live my life in service to others,” Hubbart told The Birmingham Times . He says he will also do a show dedicated to his mom as well, called “The Night of Roses. It will be held in the spring.

It Was All a Dream

Hubbart graduated in 1990 from Woodlawn High School and attended Florida A & M University in Tallahassee, Florida  Just a few months after settling in at college, he received an invite for a musical tour from his god brother and paid $20,000 to work with the popular late 80’s, award-winning, hip hop Afrocentric group Arrested Development, known for such popular hits as “People Everyday” and “Mr. Wendal.” He took the opportunity and never looked back at college.

“I am a producer first and foremost,” explained Hubbart. “My career started (in 1991) with me being a ghost producer (someone who works in production for a weekly salary to get experience). I never wanted to be in the front because I’m so shy.  Being in the background and being able to do music, and still get credit for it, but never have to be in the public eye was the greatest thing ever.”

He bounced between Birmingham and Atlanta until permanently moving to Atlanta in 1994. Other musical groups he worked with during this time included Xscape (female singing group), Ghost Town DJ’s (hip hop bass group from Atlanta), music producer Byron the Aquarius and Birmingham R & B singer Deidra Gaddis.

He would then deal with a series of challenges.

Challenges

After learning his manager had been stealing money from him, Hubbart moved back to Birmingham in 1995 – flat broke. While home with his mother, she noticed he was depressed.

“My mom said you got to do something,” recalled Hubbart. “My mom really didn’t understand depression and thought I was being lazy and seeking attention. But she was trying to motivate me,” he said. As he watched television, he noticed a number of movies based around the US Navy.  Hubbart took it as a sign to join the Navy, called the recruiter, went to Montgomery to test, and began his life in military service.

Serving Others and His Country

In 1996, Hubbart joined the US Navy. He shipped out of Everett, Washington in September of that year.

“At that point, mentally, I was dealing with a whole bunch of things – the lies and the deceit of the (manager) robbing me, and me not being able to do anything,” he said. “(I knew) lawyers cost, and (my thought was) lawyers are not just going to take my case to try to fight a manager who’s been in the business for over 15 years.”

While in the military, based out of Everett, Hubbart was stationed aboard the USS Ford FFG-54 from 1996 until 1999.

He faced another crisis.

During his third year on board the ship he was lost at sea for three days in Alaska.

Hubbart was on what’s known as the flight deck. “Then the ship made a sharp turn to miss debris in the water. I lost my balance and went over the lifelines and fell into the water.” The fall was equivalent to falling four stories from an apartment building, he said.

Hubbart was wearing a very thick and weighty naval anti exposure suit (which doubled as flotation device), or what’s called a “pumpkin suit,” when he fell and went unconscious in the waters off the coast Kodiak, Alaska in the Pacific Ocean.

The crew didn’t notice Hubbart was missing until the next morning and sent out a search team who found Hubbart on the third day of the search (just before they were about to give up). He was rescued by a member of the Navy Seals and taken to a hospital in San Diego.

Hubbart says he has no idea how he survived, but when they found him, “I had a piece of driftwood underneath my arm that was keeping my head above water. At some point, I was conscious, but my brain won’t allow me to know what happened,” he said.

Mental Health Matters

After his hospital stay, Hubbart returned to Birmingham to stay with his mom and received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy in 1999.

Soon after arriving back in the Magic City. he learned his mom was fighting breast cancer.

Hubbart supported his mother, 72-year-old Frankie Tippett, on her journey and was able to help her successfully overcome the first round of the disease. (Tippett lost her fight with the disease on January 17).

In 2001, Hubbart moved to Seattle and married in 2008.

While there, his music career took off again and he toured and performed with his sister along the West Coast. It was during this time he learned his marriage wasn’t as rosy as he’d thought. He discovered infidelity which led to a major mental breakdown and thoughts of suicide.

Eventually the couple divorced in 2011.

Signs of Depression in Men

Hubbart says depression first surfaced when he felt he failed in his music career (after his record label manager stole his money). And those feelings began to surface again after being discharged from the military. Neither time did he see it as a mental health red flag, but he knows better now.

His journey through depression has produced a determination to share and shine light on the condition to help others.

For example, he supports his friends in their time of need by providing a listening ear; actively looks for opportunities to share his mental health challenges on others’ platforms, hoping his story will give others strength to fight; and is committed to hosting \events to spread information and awareness about Black men and mental health.

“Sometimes I have to fight to think I’m ok,” said Hubbart. “On stage, I am arrogant. But LaMilton (his birth name), is painfully shy and reserved. Shurlock, the artist, protects LaMilton.”

Marriage Matters

Hubbart says he has a group of caring friends to thank for him not taking his own life. And he has sought medical help and supports taking medicine to treat mental health conditions such as depression.

Hubbart said he advises women to ask their significant others questions regarding how they’re doing and pay close attention to his feelings, emotions and reactions to challenging situations.

Some common signs of depression in men include changes in sleeping or eating habits; emotional extremes, like becoming agitated more easily; or, engaging in risky behaviors like drinking or using drugs.

Hubbart says ladies should also pay attention to a key phrase of a depressed male such as, “I’m just tired.”

“So many of my male friends feel invisible and unseen by their partners,” said Hubbart. “Most of the times, a lot of us guys rely on each other. Or we just bury it (depressed feelings).”

Hubbart said his mother told him to focus on being of service to others, and he’s heeding her advice. “I need you to tell people about depression and do that as an act of service,” she said.

For more information on men and mental health, visit the https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/men-and-mental-health.

Follow Shurlock Hubbart on Instagram @Shurlock.2020.

Follow him on Facebook at ShurlockHubbart.

Follow him on TikTok at Shurlocklive2020 and on YouTube at woodgrayneent.

Black History Moment: William H. Councill, founder Alabama A&M

By
Birmingham Times
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Last week I began a new series commemorating Black History Month which focused on education as a safety instrument for thousands of African Americans. This perspective is not typically synonymous with safety, but if it is viewed in a broad sense one can understand how the two words are equal.

This week we will explore William Hooper Councill, who also made a significant impact in the field of education in our state. His impact was so far reaching that he had two schools named after him, one was a Birmingham City School– William Hooper Councill Elementary. In 1898 it originally opened as Davis School at the corner of 20th Street and Avenue L (now Avenue P) in the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama.

William Hooper Councill made a significant impact in the field of education in our state. (Wikipedia)

The current school building was constructed on a triangular site for 1,040 African Americans students in 1926 and expanded in 1928. It was renamed in the memory of Councill, the founder and first president of A & M College at Normal, currently known as Alabama A & M University in Normal (Huntsville), Alabama.

The other school was the first public school for Negros in Huntsville – William Hooper High School. It began as Councill Training School in 1897. The school closed in 1966 during integration. In 2018, the school’s alumni broke ground on the old school site for the William Hooper Councill High School Memorial Park.

Councill was born a slave in Fayetteville, North Carolina on July 12, 1848, to William and Mary Jane Councill. His father escaped to freedom in 1854 to Canada. He made several attempts to free his family without success.

In 1857, Councill, his mother and brothers were taken to Huntsville, Alabama by slave traders and sold on the auction block to Judge David Campbell Humphreys. Unfortunately, two of his brothers were sold and he never heard from them again.

During the American Civil War, he and his remaining brothers were taken to rural areas to keep them from joining the Union Army. Before the war ended, he and his brothers escaped to the Union lines.

After the war, they attended the Freemen’s Bureau’s school opened by northerners in Stevenson, Alabama. He began teaching and became the first person to teach a school for Black students outside of a city in northern Alabama. This drew opposition from the Ku Klux Klan. Councill helped start the Lincoln School, four miles west of Huntsville in 1868. By 1870, the school had 36 students.

During the reconstruction, he served as an assistant enrollment clerk in the Alabama Legislature in 1872 and 1874. He was secretary of the Colored National Civil Rights Convention in Washington, D. C. in 1873. He taught at Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia and edited a newspaper, the Negro Watchman in 1874 in Huntsville.

Councill used his connections in the Democratic Party and state legislature to gain approval for his plan the start the Normal School for Negroes in 1875. This school is presently known as Alabama A & M University. He became the first principal and later, president.  He was appointed to notary public by Governor Rufus Cobb in 1882. The next year, Councill was admitted to the practice before the Supreme Court of Alabama.

In 1884, Councill married Maria H. Wheeden from Huntsville. He and Booker T. Washington (Tuskegee Institute later Tuskegee University) were contemporaries and competed for funding from the Alabama Legislature and other northern philanthropists.  Under Councill’s leadership the school was second only to Tuskegee Institute in size among Alabama Negro industrial schools.

Councill died on April0, 1909, following a long illness. In 2020, Alabama A & M University announced the construction of the William Hooper Councill Eternal Flame Memorial, described as “a lasting tribute…” It will be erected at the current gravesite.

One Act of Kindness

By
Birmingham Times
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We love celebrating a victor.  We love cheering for the overcomer. And we adore those who triumph over their challenges. I dare say it’s because they made it through (the obstacle). But I want to step back and give a nod to those who are in the middle.

There are people who — right now — are battling a deadly disease. Some are coping with a separation or facing divorce, and it is the most devastating thing they’ve ever encountered. There are others who are facing homelessness and looking to land in their next house safely and securely. There are people who are hungry – desperate to secure their next meal or their next source of continual meals. And then others who are trying to conceive their first child and are having complications along the journey.

I’m talking about those who are in the middle of the battle; those in the throes of the challenge; our brothers and sisters who are enduring current crisis. I don’t know if we stop long enough to think about what that process looks like or how they feel as everything underneath and ahead appears unstable.

Have you ever been there? And have you ever thought about the battle they wage on a day-by-day basis until they get to the other side? Because whether we like it or not, there are some who don’t make it through. This may be an unpopular thought, but it is absolutely true.

So, I wanted to pause a moment and give a nod to those who are in the midst. If you are in the middle and you’re reading this today, we salute you. And we encourage you to keep moving forward. And remember, it’s not always in the large steps, but it could very well be that singular step in this moment that helps you keep hope alive.

If you know of someone facing something, pick up the phone. Perhaps they need you to listen patiently. Or maybe you can share a resource or an encouraging word. And if you’re a person of faith, remember them in prayer. It doesn’t take much, just a smidgeon of empathy.

You never know what your one act of kindness can do to help someone in the midst keep forging forward. If that is you, I encourage you. Another day means another opportunity and open door for you. And if you know someone, I encourage you too. Let’s be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers and show love in action. We need it now more than ever.

Remember, I’m cheering for you, and I believe in you. Don’t allow a temporary situation or challenge to cause you to give up hope. As the saying goes, “You got this!”

Keisa Sharpe is a life coach, author and speaker. Her column appears each month online and in The Birmingham Times. You can contact Keisa at keisasharpe@yahoo.com and visit http://www.allsheanaturals.com for natural hair and body products.

PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS

By
Birmingham Times
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Harry "Traveling Shoes" Turner. (File)

By Gwen DeRu | The Birmingham Times

“HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY WEEKEND TO ALL OF YOU … FROM ALL OF US!!”

TODAY…

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

**STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS, 11:30 a.m. at the Church of the Highlands in Irondale.

**BLUES JAM EVERY 3rd THURSDAY, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

**HIGH FADE at Saturn.

**PATTY PERCHAYA at the Nick Rocks.

**RICKEY SMILEY LIVE at the StarDome Comedy Club.

**THURSDAY NIGHTS WITH CHEYLOE AND KYLE at The Nick Rocks.

**EVERY THURSDAY- THAT’S MY JAM THURSDAYS, 7 p.m. at Platinum of Birmingham with DJ Slugga.

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

**FILM at Sidewalk Film.

**KARAOKE, 7 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!

“SHOW A LITTLE LOVE”

FRIDAY…

IT IS Friday…the weekend starts…

**EVERY FRIDAY IN FEBRUARY – MINI MAKERS AT THE GARDENS, 10 – 11 a.m. in the Adventure Classroom with Erica Scott of Dabble Arts Studio for child-led art playgrounds where children can create, explore and enjoy art. Register.

**VALENTINE WITH VULCAN, 6-8 p.m. at the Vulcan Park & Museum.

**VALENTINE’S DINNER at Silver Coin Indian Grill, 6:30p.m.

**VALENTINE’S DAY – VALENTINE LOVE featuring ABRAHAM THE VOICE, 7 p.m. with a Candlelight Dinner by Chef Kris Hicks of Infinit Eats at Jazzi’s on 3rd Music Gallery.

**COMEDIAN RICKEY SMILEY LIVE – CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF COMEDY at the StarDome Comedy Club.

**MILK AND HONEY on VALENTINE’ S DAY. at Saturn.

**VALENTINE’S with THE D.O.O.D.m A3M, MILLENIUM GREY, BRIDGES BURN at The Nick.

**BIRTHDAY FREE SECTIONS ON A FRIDAY at Tha Vibe Bar and Lounge

**LATE NIGHT FRIDAYS with DJ JACK BAMA at The Nick Rocks.

**GOOD PEOPLE & GOOD MUSIC WITH GOOD PEOPLE BREWING at Dave’s, 6 p.m. at Dave’s Pub.

SATURDAY…

**KARAOKE SATURDAYS, 3 p.m. at 3605 Gray Avenue, Adamsville, with the ALL-EN ONE BBQ with Chef Randy ”Dee” Allen and The Lovely LaToria at the 7 Angels Coffee & Smoothie Café.

**BRUH COLLECTIVE, ALEX WILKERSON, BROTHA JOSH at The Nick.

**SATURDAY NIGHT LATE NIGHT with DJ STEVO BLAQYE and R.1.Y.T. at The Nick.

**COMEDIAN RICKEY SMILEY LIVE at the StarDome Comedy Club.

**HEIDECKER: SLIPPING AWAY TOUR at Saturn.

**COREY SMITH at Iron City.

SUNDAY…

**SINGO BINGO EVERY SUNDAY, 1 p.m. at Cahaba Brewing Company.

**SANKOFA: GATHERING FAMILY & COMMUNITY HISTORY, 3-5 p.m. at the Historic Ballard house. FREE.

**EASE BACK 4th SUNDAYS, 5 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

**2nd SUNDAY WITH ZAXH AUSTIN at The Nick.

**HAM BAGBY & THE SIEGE at The Nick Rocks.

**THE WLDLFE WITH FOX ROYALE at Saturn.

**COMEDIAN RICKEY SMILEY LIVE at the StarDome Comedy Club.

MONDAY…

**BBG SUMMERCAMPS registration opens February 17. Ages 4-12. Dates May 27 – July 25. Themes include Art in the Gardens, Enchanted Forest, Nature’s Kitchen and more. Camps include daily explorations of the Gardens, STEM and literacy activities, and learning in the garden lab. Call 205-414-3950 for more.

**SCHOOL DAY OUT: WINTER BIRDING ADVENTURE FOR KIDS, 1 a.m. – Noon in the Adventure Classroom at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Explore forest habitats at the Gardens seeking what birds and other wildlife need while taking a nature hike. Learn how to identify birds using our senses. Make birdseed ornaments for home and to welcome the birds to your backyard. Register.

**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND at the Nick.

**JEFF ROSENSTOCK with SOUL GLO, BAD OPERATION at Saturn.

TUESDAY…

**THE ORIGIN AND LEGACIES OF THE ENGLISH ARTS AND CRAFTS GARDEN, 11 a.m. – Noon in the Hodges Room at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Join Professor Emerita English and Master Gardener Susan K. Hagen in an idea-generating digital tour of some of Britain’s most influential arts and Crafts gardens and gardeners. Register.

**JOSE CARR EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT at True Story Brewing.

**SUBSTRATE BINGO with JACKIE LO at Saturn.

**SOCCER MOMMY at Saturn.

**ABBY K and CR26 at The Nick.

WEDNESDAY…

**REAL FUNNY COMEDY WEDNESDAYS at True Story Brewing. Sign up at 7:30 p.m.

**JACK BLOCKER at the Nick.

**EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT with SUNDROP at The Nick.

**BRENT COBB – COUNTRY’S BACK IN TOWN TOUR with MADISON HUGHES at Saturn.

**TWO FRIENDS presents HEATWAVE: THE TOUR at Iron City.

NEXT THURSDAY…

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

**BLUES JAM EVERY 3rd THURSDAY, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing.

**GLADYS IMPROV at Saturn.

**AN EVENING WITH JESSICA MEUSE at the Nick Rocks.

**THURSDAY NIGHT with CHEYLOE AND KYLE at The Nick.

NEXT FRIDAY….

**EVERY FRIDAY IN FEBRUARY – MINI MAKERS AT THE GARDENS, 10 – 11 a.m. in the Adventure Classroom with Erica Scott of Dabble Arts Studio for child-led art playgrounds where children can create, explore and enjoy art. Register.

**THE ART AND SCIENCE OF FIELD JOURNALING, 10 – 11:30 a.m. with Teaching Artist Melissa Shultz-Jones at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Learn about the living world of plants on a leisurely stroll in the Gardens. Register.

**HOT IN HERRE: 2000s DANCE PARTY at Saturn.

**MILLENNIAL JONES, METTLE AND MERCURY at The Nick.

WATCH – TONIGHT!!

**HARRY TURNER APPEARS ON ‘THE FIRST 48’ – Birmingham’s Own Community Crime Activist Harry “Traveling Shoes” Turner will appear in an episode of the First 48, TODAY, at 8 p.m. on A&E.  The episode is called “Silent Parties” and YOU should check it out.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH IS FULL OF GOOD THINGS TO DO…

**NEXT SATURDAY – JOIN THE CARAVAN OF HOPE on the BLACK PRIDE RIDE, 2 – 4 p.m. at the McAlpine Park (1115 Avenue F, Ensley) across from Jackson-Olin High School to the Erskine Hawkins Park (1900 Ensley Avenue). There will be FREE FOOD and Beverages, so RSVP to 205-588-0703 or email: brendasbrnbosbuddies@gmail.com.  Line-Up at 1:45 p.m. Vehicle Decorating Time is NOON. FREE.

FOR ART LOVERS…

AT THE BIRMINGHAM LIBRARY DOWNTOWN…

**ART EXHIBIT – VESSELS OF POSSIBILITY by LARRY ALLEN, now through February 28 on the First Floor Lobby Gallery.

**ART EXHIBIT – ISSUES – TIME by JOURDAN TRUTH MCGOWAN, now through April 18 on the Fourth Floor Downtown Library.

A Little…FOR THE WORLD …BY WAY OF NEW YORK CITY…FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH –

**THE SOLOVIEV FOUNDATION GALLERY will present African and Afrodiasporic Artworks to Honor Black History Month. The gallery will feature the significant works of sculpture from Ashanti, Cameroonian, Chokwe, Eko, Fang, Kongo, Luba, Sapi and Yoruba peoples of continental Africa, alongside a selection of photographs by the renowned photographer James Van Der Zee. The exhibition features historical sculptures from continental Africa and remarkable portraits from Harlem Renaissance photographer James Van Der Zee. The works will be on view for the month of February in recognition of Black history Month.  (If in New York City this is A Must See exhibit.) It is titled ‘something you cannot hold’.  The works featured are a preview of the foundation’s upcoming exhibition, BETWEEN DISTANCE AND DESIRE: African Diasporic Perspectives that will open May 1. Curated by TUMELPO MOSAKA, the exhibition explores the circulation of African masks in western culture, exploring how these objects have been interpreted and recontextualized by African and Western artistic practices. It also delves into the discourses and institutional frameworks that both preserve and confine African Art in museums and other collecting spaces. Ti brings a fresh perspective to the question of how these histories of capture and extraction can be reexamined and reworked.

**COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS SERIES IN 2025…

SANKOFA: FAMILY & COMMUNITY HISTORY, SUNDAY, 3 – 5 p.m. at the Historic Ballard House, 1420 7th Avenue North.  Intended for adults and students, this Community Conversation is one in a series planned for 2025.  Presenters are Debra Love, Barry McNealy, Victor Blackledge, Michelle Craig, and Dr. Majella Chube Hamilton.  FREE. For more, info@ballardhouseproject.org.

**CITY OF IRONDALE STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS…

TODAY…Mayor James D. Stewart is presenting the State of the City, 11:30 a.m. at the Church of the Highlands, 4700 Highlands Way in Irondale.

FOR MOTORSPORTS LOVERS…

**NASCAR KICKS OFF THE 2025 SEASON – Talladega Superspeedway’s President Brian Crichton speaks on the start of the 2025 NASCAR season ahead of the Daytona Beach action and the Daytona 500.  The action at Daytona started Wednesday (yesterday) with the Daytona 500 Qualifying by Busch Light, setting the field for the Duel at Daytona, TODAY, where drivers will battle it out for s spot in the Great American Race. This season’s opening races for all three of NASCAR national series are ARCA Menards Series on FRIDAY, starting with the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250. Then SATURDAY will feature an action-packed double-header with the ARCA Menards Series Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente 200 race followed by the Xfinity Series United Rentals 300.  SUNDAY the drivers will compete in the 67th DAYTONA 500. The drivers head to Talladega Superspeedway for races APRIL 25 through April 27 and again October 17 through October 19. SEE YOU AT THE RACES!!!

FOR MUSIC LOVERS…

AT IRON CITY… Music in February.

**FEBRUARY 25 – PALAYE ROYALE.

**FEBRUARY 26 – PALACE.

**FEBRUARY 27  – UMPHREY’S MCGEE – CRUISING ALTITUDE 2025 TOUR.

AT THE ALABAMA BALLET…

**PETER PAN, February 28- March 9 at the BJCC Concert Hall.

AT VULCAN PARK AND MUSEUM…

**FROM STEEL TO STAGE: THE HISTORY OF THEATRE IN BIRMINGHAM – This exhibition features artifacts, photos and stories from various sources in and around Birmingham. It will reflect how creativity and vision of the past continue to inspire the thriving arts and cultural scene through January, 2026.

AT THE BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS…

**FEBURAY 28 – PROPAGATING WOODY PLANTS, 10 – Noon. Practice grafting with Horticulturist Julia Adams, using Japanese Maples and experiment with camellias to learn air layering technique. She will guide the attendees on how each can be used to propagate plants that don’t root well form cuttings. Register.

**MARCH 21-22 – 2025 – Native Plant Conference with Keynote Speaker Benjamin Vogt.

FOR THE YOUTH…

**THINK BIG FOUNDATION x BETTER HELP – FREE THERAPY – This free therapy is with a licensed therapist based on your needs, preferences and location. For more and to address questions: contact@betterhelp.com. It is convenient wherever you are – video, phone or text. Three Months FREE!!!

ADDICTION PREVENTION COALITION – RAISING RESILIENT YOUTH SERIES (Upcoming Events) in February and future…

**FEBRUARY 29 FREE WEBINAR – WEEDING OUT THE TRUTH: Investigating Today’s Marijuana Laws, Products and Precautions, 11a.m. – Noon.  Dr. Valentine, Youth Coordinator, Impact Montevallo will talk about the products that he has come across when working with Alabama teens and the precautions needed to consider with these products. Find out about THC-O, CBD Marijuana, gummies, candies, the vapes, the drinks, are they legal, do you really get high, medicinal dispensaries and more.

**APRIL 5 – END ADDICTION WALK 2025 at City Walk Bham. To get involved or learn more: endaddictionbham.org. SAVE THE DATE.

For more about the Addiction Prevention Coalition and info about these events: nichole@addictionpreventioncoalition.ccsend.com or communicaitons@apcbham.org.

FOR CREATIVES…

**AAF’s BEHIND THE BRANDS: ADVERTISING CEOs SERIES is featuring BRIAN “B.J.” ELLIS, Telegraph Creative, February 20, 11:30- 12 NOON for the Networking Lunch and from Noon – 1 p.m. for the presentation at AmFirst Community Room.

**The 2025 AMERICAN ADVERTISING AWARDS is February 28, 6 p.m. at the Theodore. For more, addys@aafbirmingham.com.

AT SIDEWALK FILM FEST…

**TODAY…

-ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT starring Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam and directed by Payal Kapadia.

-THE BRUTALIST starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce and directed by Brady Corbet.

-SOUNDTRACK KARAOKE: Night of Love Songs. FREE.

**TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY…

-ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT, starring Kani Kusruti. Divya PRabha, Chhaya Kadam and directed by Maura Delpero.

**FRIDAY AND SATURDAY …

-ROMAN HOLIDAY- VALENTINE’S STAFF PICK starring Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Eddie Albert and Directed by William Wyler

**FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY…

-NICKEL BOYS, starring Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and directed by RaMell Ross.

-ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND – VALENTINE’S STAFF PICK starring Jim Carey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst and directed by Michael Gondry.

-ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE – VALENTINE’S STAFF PICK starring Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Anton Velchin and directed by Jim Jarmusch.

**SUNDAY…

-BAFTA AWARDS WATCH PARTY. FREE.

COMING…

**MARCH 6-9 – SELMA JUBILEE (More Soon!)

**DAVE MATTHEWS at the Coca-Cola Amphitheater.

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

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