By Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
For The Birmingham Times
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring joined dozens of students at Huffman High on Wednesday who walked out of school in protest of gun violence and to raise awareness of school safety.
The students at Huffman were among thousands across America who left school for 17 minutes, exactly four weeks after 17 students died in a Florida school shooting and one week after Courtlin Arrington, a senior, was killed in a shooting at Huffman, where students formed a circle around the flag at 10 a.m.
“I stand in solidarity with our children on the frontline of being vocal to fight not only for themselves but for our country to make a difference,” Woodfin said. “I’m glad to see our children exercise their First Amendment rights.”
Herring in a statement before the walkout said, “We commend our students for taking an active role in bringing about positive change. These students are the future leaders of our country, and we want them to know the power of their voices.”
Those who knew 17-year-old Arrington described her as a loving spirit with a smile that lit up the room.
“Courtlin was one of the last people on my mind to expect to be in an incident like this,” classmate De’Carlos Bates said.
“Courtlin meant something to everybody and not just one person,” classmate Jada Lanier said. “She meant something to everybody from Huffman to her home. It’s not over. We’re going to hang in there for everything she said she was going to do, we’re going to do it for her. She’s still in our prayers and she’s still with us, even if she is not with us visibly, but spiritually and mentally Courtlin is still there at our school, and she will graduate.”
Arrington was a senior who had plans to attend college and become a nurse.
School Support
Wednesday’s walkout came as support for Huffman and students has been widespread.
On Monday, nearly 300 people lined both sides of Springville Road to greet students as they returned to class at Huffman after the shooting death of Arrington last Wednesday, March 7.
Members of New Birth Birmingham Church arrived as early as 6 a.m. to support students as they returned to school, many for the first time since the incident.
“This is to bring comfort to the students who are coming back,” said Bishop Stephen A. Davis, the church’s pastor. “I heard on Friday only 120 showed up out of 1,200. More are coming . . . and we wanted them to see that they’ve got support from our church and our community.”
Church members were clad in blue T-shirts that read, “Love, Live, Lead Like Him.” They wished arriving students a good day as they made their way to campus.
Despite shivering in near-freezing temperatures, they chanted, “Rise Up” to passing motorists.
“It’s significant of rising up as one, as the church, to be the support to the community that it should have been a long time ago,” Davis said. “We’re rising up and we have a reason to because of the shootings in schools these days.”
High School Junior Charged
Last week, Arrington and a male student were shot just before 4 p.m. as school was being let out. The male student was treated and released from the hospital.
The Associated Press reported last week that a 17-year-old high school junior was charged Friday with manslaughter and illegal firearms possession in a classroom shooting that killed Arrington.
The charges against Michael Jerome Barber were announced after authorities interviewed witnesses and reviewed video in connection with the shooting at Huffman High. Arrington was a senior who had dreams of becoming a nurse.
Students Attend New Birth
New Birth is about a mile away from the Huffman High campus, on the west side of Center Point Parkway. While Arrington was not a member of the church, Davis said she was a friend to some of the girls in the church.
The pastor added that at least 10 Huffman High students attend New Birth. Davis said Monday’s showing was just part of the church’s support for schools.
“We’ve already been supporting schools, the Center Point schools – the high school, elementary school,” he said. “We’re putting a plan together to support Huffman school as well. We have more than enough people to support the school system, mainly with our presence.
“Not just praying but we’re out and present in the schools,” the pastor continued. “We’re within reach. We’re going to make sure that we’re within reach and anything we can do for the faculty, the principals, all they have to do is let us know.”
School Safety
While student resource officers were on site, the school’s metal detectors were not utilized in this instance, officials said. Herring refused to say why the detectors were not used but acknowledged room for improvement in school safety.
“Number one, we must be more watchful of the many access points of our buildings,” said Herring. “Huffman High School has over 43 entry points. We are aware of the importance of maintaining security with access.”
Erica Wright, of The Birmingham Times, and ABC 33/40 contributed to this report.
