By Erica Wright
The Birmingham Times
2019 was a year of highs and lows across the Birmingham metro area. There were the tragic losses of a Birmingham police officer; three and four year olds and a 19-year-old Auburn student; the loss of a former mayor and two former Jefferson County Commissioners. There was controversy when the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute rescinded an invitation for international civil rights icon Angela Davis in her hometown. But there was also Promise – an Initiative, which will offer multiple pathways for city students to “earn and learn” as they develop skills and present an opportunity to attend any in-state two- or four-year school tuition free. These are just a few things that have happened in 2019 in the Birmingham metro area. Here is a closer look at those and other events.
JANUARY
4: The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute rescinds its prestigious Fred Shuttlesworth Human Right Award to Angela Davis causing an international firestorm. In September 2018, the BRCI’s board of directors selected Davis to receive the award at its annual gala in February then released a statement four months later that said in part: “Upon closer examination of Ms. Davis’ statements and public record, we concluded that she unfortunately does not meet all of the criteria on which the award is based.” Davis said she was stunned to learn of the board’s reversal. “The trip to Birmingham, where I was born and raised, to receive the Fred Shuttlesworth Award, was certain to be the highlight of my year, especially since I knew Rev. Shuttlesworth personally.”
6: Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin says he is dismayed that the BCRI’s decision will not recognize Davis with Fred Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award. “This controversy might have been avoided entirely, had it been handled differently,” he says. “I am dismayed because, as has been the case throughout Birmingham’s history, people of good will behaved reflexively, rather than engaging in meaningful discourse over their differences and seeking common ground.”
8: Larry Paul Langford, former Birmingham and Fairfield mayor and Jefferson County Commissioner dies. He was 72. As mayor of Fairfield, he brought a new vision to the city and the Bessemer area including establishing Visionland Amusement Park, now 
Alabama Splash Adventure. While serving on the Jefferson County Commission from 2002 to 2007, he was elected the first African-American president and helped pass the penny tax, which has helped pay for more than 10 new schools and where he first proposed replacing Legion Field with a domed stadium. In 2007, Langford successfully ran for the office of mayor in Birmingham, fueled by the campaign slogan, “Let’s Do Something.” In 2009, Langford was convicted of 60 counts of bribery, money laundering and other charges. He was handed a 15-year term in a federal prison.
9: Three BCRI board members Mike Oatridge, chair; Walter Body, vice chair and Janice Kelsey, secretary resign in the wake of the controversy surrounding the debacle created after the Angela Davis controversy.
An inter-generational group of civic, community, religious, legal, educational and business leaders in Birmingham announce they plan to honor Davis on February 16 during a day of community dialogue and an evening event titled “A Conversation with Angela Davis.”
11: Mark Pettway is sworn in as Jefferson County sheriff, the first black to hold the office. The ceremony is held at Greater Shiloh Baptist Church. He was administered the oath of office by retired federal Judge U.W. Clemon.
13: A Birmingham police officer is killed and another critically wounded following an investigation of a car burglary. The deceased officer has been identified as Sergeant Wytasha “Wyt” Carter. Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith says that one suspect is in critical condition and the second suspect in custody.
14: Friends and family spend more than two hours inside a packed St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Fairfield honoring Langford, the former Fairfield mayor and Jefferson County Commissioner, who passed in January. Those in attendance include U.S. Rep Terri A. Sewell; State Rep. Juandalynn Givan; Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway; Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr; Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin; former Birmingham mayors William Bell and Bernard Kincaid; and Miles College President, Dr. George T. French.
19: Birmingham Police Sergeant Wytasha Carter is given an emotional farewell during funeral services at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex Legacy Arena. Mayor Woodfin, Chief Smith, dozens of Birmingham police officers, elected officials, residents and other joined with members of Carter’s family to give the fallen officer a solemn, but fond farewell.
21: A one-mile stretch of I-59/20 that cuts through downtown Birmingham closes. It will be closed for 14 months while the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) replaces the bridge.
FEBRUARY
1: Emanuel Bell, 64, the legendary Wenonah High School girls’ basketball coach, dies. He was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in August 2016 and battled valiantly just like the teams he led to four straight 5A state titles. “Coach Bell cared about his players on and off the court,” said Mayor Woodfin. “He made sure they took time to do their homework when they were away from the classroom, and he showed them how far teamwork could take them to victory and beyond.”
2: To kick off Black History Month, students and leaders from Alabama’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) gather at Lawson State Community College in Birmingham to discuss opportunities and challenges and ways to strengthen the state’s workforce.
5: Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall informs the City of Hoover and the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation that the
police officer who shot and killed Emantic “E.J.” Bradford Jr. at the Riverchase Galleria mall on November 22, 2018, did not commit a crime. Marshall said the officer will not be criminally charged for his actions.
6: The lawyer for the Bradford family says it is “beyond comprehension” that the Alabama Attorney General concluded that the officer was justified.
9: Wenonah High School girls’ basketball coach Emanuel Bell is laid to rest.
11: April Ryan, award-winning journalist, author and White House correspondent, visits Birmingham and talks about covering the President Donald Trump administration, black history and the power of helping others. Ryan was the guest speaker during Alabama Power’s “Power of Culture and Contribution” luncheon at The Theodore in Lakeview.
14: A 31-year-old suspect is charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Birmingham Police Sergeant Wytasha Carter. Jeremy Owens is charged with one count of capital murder, two counts of attempted murder, certain persons forbidden to possess a pistol, 3rd degree receiving stolen property and possession of marijuana.
16: Dr. Angela Davis returns home to Birmingham to speak publicly for the first time since the BCRI rescinded the planned Shuttlesworth Award in her honor. Davis speaks during a morning press conference at Tuggle Elementary School which she attended while growing up in Birmingham. Later that evening, during a sold out appearance at the Boutwell Auditorium, Davis said she never loved the city as much as she did during her visit. The “Conversation with Angela Davis” at the Boutwell culminated a series of daylong activities for Davis.
22: A white Alabama newspaper editor who advocated for a revival of the Ku Klux Klan is turning over control of the publication to a black woman. The Democrat-Reporter of Linden, Alabama announced that Elecia R. Dexter is taking over as the paper’s publisher and editor from Goodloe Sutton. However, Dexter would later resign citing interference from Goodloe.
MARCH
1: Mayor Woodfin declares “gun violence in the City of Birmingham is a public health crisis.” He unveils the City of Birmingham’s PEACE Campaign to counteract violent crime. The campaign is a coordinated effort between city, community and law enforcement to achieve change on multiple fronts. It includes an #IncreasePeace public service announcement campaign that features 30-second videos of mothers of gun violence victims telling their stories.
2: Many of Alabama’s political leaders, locally and nationally, gather in Birmingham for the 26th annual Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage. Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, (D-GA), who is from Alabama, and Mayor Woodfin are joined by dozens of members of Congress making a weekend-long civil rights pilgrimage through Alabama, visiting spots that were instrumental in the fight for racial equality under the law decades ago.
6: Calling it a “sad day” in the city of Birmingham, Councilor William Parker said Major League Baseball is now reassessing plans to locate a youth academy at George Ward Park in the Glen Iris neighborhood of the Southside community.
7: Wenonah High School limits Center Point to just two points in the second quarter en route to a 52-34 triumph as the Dragons claimed the school’s sixth state championship in the Class 5A
the school’s sixth state championship in the Class 5A boys’ state basketball
finals Saturday morning at the 97th AHSAA State Basketball Championship being held at the BJCC Legacy Arena. (FILE)
boys’ state basketball finals at the 97th AHSAA State Basketball Championships being held at the BJCC Legacy Arena.
The Miles College Golden Bears complete a stunning one-year turnaround, dismantling LeMoyne-Owen College (LOC) 70-46 at Bill Harris Arena in Birmingham to win their first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) title.
8: A federal jury finds Donald Watkins Sr. and his son Donald Watkins Jr. guilty of multiple charges for their roles in investment fraud and bank fraud schemes they defrauded over $10 million from individual investors—including multiple former professional athletes—and Alamerica Bank of Birmingham, Alabama. Watkins Sr., 70, of Atlanta, Georgia, was convicted on seven counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. Watkins Jr., 46, of Birmingham, was convicted on one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
12: Alabama drivers will see a 10-cent per gallon increase in the state gas tax to fund road and bridge construction, under legislation signed into law by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey.
14: Emantic “E.J.” Bradford’s parents, Bradford family attorney Ben Crump, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama, and Alabama NAACP sue the attorney general of Alabama and Hoover Police Department for the release of body camera footage, surveillance footage and documents regarding the shooting of E.J. Bradford, including release of the officer’s names.
19: The Birmingham City Council votes 8-1 to approve an agreement with Major League Baseball for a Youth Academy at George Ward Park. Council President Valerie Abbott was the lone “no” vote. The matter has divided the council and was delayed for several weeks because of community opposition.
21: Grammy-award winning R&B soul artist Anthony Hamilton was among the many celebrities, dignitaries, civic leaders, volunteers, public officials and alumni at the Sheraton Hotel Ballroom in downtown Birmingham for the United Negro College Fund’s 2019 Mayor’s Masked Ball.
23: The Auburn University Tigers are headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 16 years. Bryce Brown scored 25 points and hit seven 3-pointers, leading Auburn to an 89-75 takedown of might Kansas in the Midwest Region. The Tigers (28-9) were a surprise last season, earning a share of their first SEC title since 1999 and winning an NCAA Tournament game.
29: Behind yet another 3-point barrage, No. 5 seed Auburn overcame a slow start to roar past top-seeded North Carolina 97-80 in the Midwest Region semifinals in the NCAA Tournament.
31: The Auburn University Tigers finished off a joyful romp through college basketball royalty by bringing down the winningest program of all. Their 77-71 overtime win over second-seeded seed Kentucky in the finals of the Midwest Region came after blowouts of Kansas and North Carolina that served notice: Auburn is more than a football school.
“Mama” Lois Coleman, founder of Grace House Ministries in
Fairfield, passes. She was 95. Ms. Coleman started Grace House Ministries in the Fairfield community near Birmingham in 1992, acting as a mother figure to the young ladies she mentored. She saw a need to help young girls who were in crisis, or who came from troubled homes and needed the stability, encouragement and life skills while transitioning to an adult.
Richard Ireland Pigford, known to everyone as “Dick” or “Dickie”, passes. He was 71. Mr. Pigford was born May 4, 1947 in Birmingham and helped transform the North Birmingham community.
APRIL
Woodfin signs “Good Neighbor Pledge” to combat poaching between Jefferson County cities. (FILE)
3: Mayors from nearly a dozen cities in Jefferson County announced a “historic” pact to combat poaching between cities and to pursue long-term economic growth for the region. Mayors who signed the “Good Neighbor Pledge” represent some of the largest cities in the county including Birmingham, Hoover, Bessemer, Center Point, Homewood, Mountain Brook, Trussville and Vestavia Hills. As part of the agreement, the mayors vow they will not lure businesses away from other cities. They also agree they will not provide incentives for businesses relocating from one city to another.
5: The Magic City hosts journalists from throughout the Southeast. The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) hosted its Region III Conference, Code Switching: Reporting the Virtual Truth, at the Sheraton Hotel in Birmingham April 5-6.
6: Virginia University’s Kyle Guy knocks down three free throws to bounce Auburn 63-62 from the Final Four.
8: Students obtaining an associate’s degree at Lawson State Community College (LSCC) can simultaneously work on a bachelor’s at Alabama State University (ASU), presidents of the two institutions announce. LSCC President Dr. Perry Ward and ASU President Dr. Quinton Ross Jr. announce the memorandum of understanding during a press conference at Lawson State.
9: The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) and Protective Life Corporation announced a 15-year agreement for the naming rights of Birmingham’s new multi-use stadium, which will now be called Protective Stadium.
10: Mayor Woodfin unveils the Birmingham Inclusive Growth (BIG) Partnership, a private sector-led, community-focused, city-inspired Opportunity Zone initiative to elevate the quality of life for residents and produce returns for investors.
16: Anthony Ray Hinton is honored as the 2019 Distinguished Author at the ninth annual Tom and Marla Corts Distinguished Author Series presented by Orlean Beeson School of Education. In 1985, Hinton was arrested and wrongfully convicted with two counts of capital murder. At the time, he was only 29-years-old. A case of mistaken identity placed Hinton in solitude at Holman State Prison. In April of 2015, with the help of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, Hinton was released after spending 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. In March of 2018, he released his personal memoir “The Sun Does Shine, How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row” which has been made into a major motion film starring Jamie Foxx.
23: Major League Baseball will no longer consider building a $10 million academy in the city’s George Ward Park. Instead, MLB plans to focus on a baseball complex in Vero Beach, Florida.
historic Fourth Avenue Business District, died. He was 78. (FILE)
24: Jessie Nelson, owner of Nelson Brother’s Café in Birmingham’s historic Fourth Avenue Business District, has died. He was 78. He was owner of Nelson Brother’s Café at 17th Street North since 1990, when he took over from the original owners- his father and uncle.
30: The Birmingham City Council unanimously passes a resolution opposing the relocation of a Sherman Industries concrete facility to Five Points West. Sherman Industries, LLC has requested to place a concrete batch plant at 3420 Fayette Avenue in Five Points West. That will replace the existing facility on Second Avenue South, which has been in operation since the 1950s.
MAY
3: Autherine Lucy Foster, the first African-American student to attend the University of Alabama, receives an honorary doctorate degree from the university where her presence brought mobs of protestors in 1956. Foster, 89, enrolled at the all-white university in 1956. However, she was expelled three days later after her presence brought protests and threats against her life. Foster receives a standing ovation at the graduation ceremony.
8: Jewell Christopher (Chris) McNair, the father of one of the four young girls killed in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist
Church, has died. He was 93. Mr. McNair is a former state legislator and former Jefferson County Commissioner.
10: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute gathered students of all ages at St. Paul United Methodist Church to march alongside the original “foot soldiers” to commemorate the 56th Anniversary of the Children’s Crusade.
13: Jefferson County kicks off its Bicentennial celebration at Vulcan Park and Museum
14: Mayor Woodfin proposes a $451 million fiscal 2020 budget that includes a focus on neighborhood revitalization and an increase in the pension fund for city employees. The budget is a 2.4 percent increase over the $440 million fiscal 2019 budget approved last year by the City Council.
Alabama’s Senate passed a near-total ban on abortion, sending what would be the nation’s most stringent abortion law to the state’s Republican governor. The GOP-dominated Senate voted 25-6 to make performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishably by up to 99 years or life in prison for the abortion provider. The only exception would be when the woman’s health is at serious risk. Senators rejected an attempt to add an exception for rape and incest. The amendment was voted down 21-11, with four Republicans joining Democrats. Ivey signs the bill into law.
17: Chris McNair is remembered as a remarkable man whose love and forgiveness were stronger than one of the most unspeakable tragedies in the city’s history. Mr. McNair’s farewell was held in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, the same place where his daughter, Denise and three other girls were killed in a 1963 bombing.
25: The old wooden ship hull didn’t look like much when researchers first saw it: just broken, waterlogged boards and a few pieces of rusted metal, all stuck in the muddy bottom of a bug-infested Alabama bayou where an alligator and poisonous water moccasins swam nearby. Months later, after hundreds of hours of study and testing, historians say the wreck is the Clotilda, the last ship known to transport African captives to the American South for enslavement.
Rod Bramblett, the longtime radio announcer for Auburn football and basketball games, and his wife were killed in a two-vehicle accident. He was 53. Bramblett died at UAB Hospital in Birmingham from a head injury, Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said. Paula Bramblett, who worked in Auburn’s Information Technology Department died in the emergency room at East Alabama Medical Center from internal injuries. Bramblett, a 1988 Auburn graduate, had been the Tiger’s play-by-play announcer for football and basketball since 2003.
30: Jasmine Merlette, who teaches third grade at Sun Valley Elementary School, appears on The Ellen Show and is given a $10,000 gift by Shutterfly via Ellen for her motivating work with students. Her classroom video of students performing an uplifting version of “Old Town Road Remix” by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus has gone viral with over 12 million views.
31: After fierce neighborhood opposition, the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) will not issue a permit for Sherman Industries, LLC to relocate to the Five Points West Community.
JUNE
6: Birmingham’s historic Fourth Avenue business district, managed by Urban Impact, has been selected to join a statewide effort to build stronger communities through effective downtown and neighborhood commercial district revitalization. Main Street Alabama, a nonprofit organization that uses a national model with a 40-year track record of success, designated the towns after a rigorous application process.
7: Sen. Kamala Harris makes her first stop in Alabama as a Democratic candidate for U.S. President and speaks about the state’s recent near total ban on abortion as well as a number of other issues. She would later drop out of the race.
10: Twenty Birmingham City School students gather in downtown Birmingham at the Negro Southern League Museum for a signing ceremony as part of Birmingham Promise, which offers students work-based learning experiences in finance and insurance, healthcare and life sciences, energy and engineering and digital technology. Students are matched with a local company for a seven-week apprenticeship program as part of the Birmingham Promise Initiative, which will offer multiple pathways for students to “earn and learn” as they develop skills to prepare for jobs in industries that are growing in the regional economy.
The wait is nearly over for a new library in Wylam. City and library officials hold a ceremonial groundbreaking for a $1.6 million, 6,000-square-foot building that will feature a covered, outdoor patio, a reading room, a meeting room, work rooms, landscaping and a new parking lot.
11: The Birmingham City Council votes to purchase for $50,000 the former Ensley High School, which has been vacant since the 2005-2006 school year when students were transferred to the new P.D. Jackson-Olin High School. The agreement is between the city and the Birmingham Board of Education. The former Ensley High School, at 2301 Avenue J in Ensley, caught fire nearly a year ago and was severely damaged. City officials have not said what they will do with the property.
14: In an effort to reduce crime and broaden relations between public safety officials and youth, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin launches “Peace in the Park” at Legion Field and recreation centers.
19: George T. French Jr., announces he will step down as president of Miles College to become the president of Clark Atlanta University. French has served as president of Miles College since 2006.
21: The Birmingham City Schools releases a statement confirming the death of Alicia Williams, a ninth-grade English teacher at Huffman High School. Ms. Williams, a ninth-grade English teacher at Huffman High School, passed away in the Dominican Republic. Family members say Williams went to the Caribbean island to have elective procedures on Sunday, June 2. After the operations, she suffered from blood clots and other complications and died five days later.
25: America loses another of its original Tuskegee pilots with the passing of retired Lt. Col. Robert “Bob” Friend, who died at a hospital in Long Beach. Friend was 99 years old.
27: The Birmingham Times captures several top journalism awards at the 2019 National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Merit Awards in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Times wins first place for Best Layout and Design, Kacy Sesser-Dorne, designer; first place for Best Feature Story for “Survivor Sisters” written by staff reporter Erica Wright and second place for Best News Story for “The Life of Emantic Bradford Jr.” by staff reporter Ameera Steward.
29: Birmingham native Rickey Smiley will take over The Tom Joyner Morning Show when Joyner retires at the end of the year, it is announced.
JULY
1: A Birmingham attorney says she plans to file a motion to dismiss charges against an Alabama woman whose unborn child was killed in a shooting. Jones was five months pregnant when 23-year-old Ebony Jemison shot her in the stomach during a December altercation over the fetus’s father, authorities said. Jemison was initially Marshae charged with manslaughter, but a Jefferson County grand jury declined to indict her after police said an investigation determined Jones started the fight, and Jemison ultimately fired in self-defense. Jones, 27, was later indicted by that same grand jury.
2: Relatives of Birmingham business mogul, Dr. Arthur George Gaston are on hand along with Mayor Woodfin; Alabama Sen. Doug Jones and other city officials in the courtyard at the A.G. Gaston Motel in downtown Birmingham to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the hotel’s opening.
3: An Alabama district attorney says she is dropping the manslaughter charge against a woman who lost her fetus when she was shot during a fight. Marshae Jones was arrested last week after a grand jury concluded she intentionally caused the death of her fetus by initiating a fight, knowing she was pregnant. Jones was five months pregnant when she was shot.
11: LaRhonda Magras, Ed. D. is elected CEO of YWCA Central Alabama. Magras succeeds Yolanda Sullivan, who retired as CEO late last year.
13: DC Blox opens its flagship hub data center in Birmingham, the first of what could become a $785 million investment in
infrastructure seen as key to the city and state’s growth in the technology-based economy. DC Blox opens the first phase of its Alabama headquarters with 13,000 square feet of office space and 18,000 square feet of data center space. The company said growth plans could add 18 more buildings and a total of 200,000 square feet to the former Trinity Steel site in Birmingham’s Titusville community.
16: Lawyer Donald Watkins Sr. is sentenced to five years in prison after earlier being convicted of swindling NBA star Charles Barkley and using the name of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to bolster an investment scam. U.S. District Judge Karon O. Bowdre also ordered Watkins to pay about $14 million in restitution. The younger Watkins was sentenced later Tuesday to 27 months in prison.
18: Martha Dawson, DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice), assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, has been elected to serve as the president of the National Black Nurses Association, Inc. She will serve a two-year term.
Atlanta University.
19: The Board of Trustees of Miles College announces that retired Alabama Power Executive Bobbie Knight will serve as the college’s Interim President, the first female to hold the position. Knight will replace Dr. George T. French Jr. who is leaving Birmingham to become president of Clark Atlanta University.
20: The Southwestern Athletic Conference announces that the SWAC basketball championship and city of Birmingham have an agreement to play hoops title games in the Magic City the next five years.
21: Chef Andrea “Dre” Foster, owner of The Preservery Birmingham in Five Points South, opens her “elevated soul food restaurant with an international twist.”
24: More than two months after Mayor Randall Woodfin presented his fiscal 2020 budget and three weeks after the fiscal year began July 1, the Birmingham City Council votes to approve the mayor’s $451 million operating budget.
25: Andrew Zow uses the word “challenge” a lot as he describes his new position as head coach of the Bessemer City High School Purple Tigers football team. Zow, a former University of Alabama starting quarterback, is the fourth head football coach in four years for Bessemer City.
27: The City of Birmingham’s inaugural Freedom Fest draws thousands for a day long series of entertainment and empowerment in the heart of the Civil Rights District in
the ninth annual Tom and Marla Corts Distinguished Author Series presented by Orlean Beeson School of Education. Hinton had been arrested and wrongfully convicted with two counts of capital murder. Hinton was released after spending 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. In July, he spoke during a panel discussion during Birmingham’s inaugural Freedom Fest. (FILE)
downtown. The festival offers a balance of entertainment and education. Performers included Birmingham talents Ruben Studdard and Alvin Garrett as well as Huntsville hip hop artist Translee. The fest also gave attendees a chance to hear leaders and innovators in business, technology, beauty, the arts, and urban planning during seven empowerment sessions held in places such as the historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Panel discussions included “Justice, Empathy and Advocacy” panel with Mayor Randall Woodfin, U.S. Senator Doug Jones, and Prison reform advocate Anthony Ray Hinton.
28: A suspect is in custody in connection with a shooting that seriously injured a 4-year-old girl Sunday night in Marks Village. The girl, whose name is Jurnee, was shot in the head when gunfire outside entered her family’s apartment in the Marks Village housing community on the east side of Birmingham.
31: The 4-year-old girl shot in Marks Village Sunday night has died. Jurnee Coleman died from her injuries at Children’s of Alabama her father wrote in a Facebook post.
AUGUST
2: Deborah Grimes, the chief diversity officer for the UAB Health System, has been named one of the most influential women in corporate America for 2019 by Savoy Magazine.
7: Following a moving ceremony in Kingston attended by family, friends and members from some of the city’s leading organizations, the legacy of architect Richard I. Pigford, also known as “Dick,” will live for generations. The Kingston Teaching Farm located on Center Street North is renamed the “Richard Ireland Pigford Memorial Kingston Teaching Farm” in memory of Mr. Pigford, who passed March 31.
The City Council votes on an agreement with the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority (BJCTA) to use federal grant funds to purchase up to 15 new buses for the Bus Rapid Transit project. The Council approves $9 million in federal funds that will allow the BJCTA to purchase the new, low-floor, 40-foot, compressed natural gas (CNG) at $602,500 per bus. The new bus rapid transit (BRT) system will connect 25 neighborhoods from Woodlawn on the east side to Five Points on the west side. The new system will replace the BJCTA’s MAX bus services that currently operate in these areas and the buses will operate in both dedicated lanes and in mixed traffic.
20: New Orleans TV anchor Nancy Parker, a graduate of the University of Alabama, dies in a plane crash alongside pilot Franklin Augustus. The small aircraft went down in a field near New Orleans Lakefront Airport. The award-winning anchor was working on a story about a pilot whose work included helping at-risk youth when the fatal crash occurred.
26: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey apologizes for wearing blackface during a skit at Auburn University more than 50 years ago. Ivey
during a skit at Auburn University more than 50 years ago. (FILE)
said she still doesn’t recall the incident, but after a recording surfaced of her discussing the sketch with her then-fiancé and later first husband, Ben LaRavia, Ivey admitted it must be true.
27: Following backlash from a decision to rescind an invitation to civil rights activist Angela Davis, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) will get a dozen new board members. The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of 17 members – 12 new — to the BCRI board.
two- or four-year school tuition free, the city announced in August. (FILE)
28: Students who have attended Birmingham City Schools are eligible for a free in-state tuition program through the Birmingham Promise Program, Mayor Randall Woodfin announces. The first phase of the program was launched in the summer; and Woodfin announces the second phase on Twitter. “Starting in 2020, any Birmingham City School student that walks across the graduation stage will have the opportunity to attend any in-state two- or four-year school tuition free. #BirminghamPromise.”
30: The Alabama State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) issues a statement responding to Gov. Kay Ivey’s apology for wearing blackface in college. “The Alabama NAACP is disappointed in learning of Governor Kay Ivey’s blackface skits in the 1960’s,” the statement reads. “Although Governor Ivey has apologized for her participation in such divisive and racist events, it still does not erase the fact that she participated in these activities that mocked and intimidated African Americans.” Ivey apologized August 26 for wearing blackface decades ago.
SEPTEMBER
3: The Birmingham City Council votes to name the underpass bridge on 6th Ave. South in Titusville after Iva Williams Jr. who is well-known for his corporate leadership roles in the city.
7: A black dean at the University of Alabama resigns after a conservative website highlights old tweets he sent linking the U.S. flag with racism. Jamie R. Riley, dean of students and assistant vice president, resigns a day after the story by Breitbart News.
8: U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat, launches his reelection bid, seeking to create another Deep South victory in a Republican-dominated state two years after pulling off a stunning political upset in Alabama. Invoking the campaign theme of “One Alabama,” Jones said he is a senator who represents all of Alabama and will fight for everyone in the state.
9: More than 300 people join members of the Jefferson County Memorial Project (JCMP), city and county officials, residents and
In Septemnber, more than 300 people join members of the Jefferson County Memorial Project (JCMP), city and county officials, residents and civic leaders at Sloss Furnaces to dedicate a historical marker in memory of two lynching victims. (FILE)
civic leaders at Sloss Furnaces to dedicate a historical marker in memory of two lynching victims. The plaque, the first historical marker by the JCMP, memorializes Jake McKenzie and Tom Redmond who were both lynched at Brookside mines, owned by Sloss-Sheffield Iron and Steel Company, during altercations with law enforcement.
12: After years of inoperative escalators, the Central Birmingham Public Library downtown will begin construction of a new staircase with a completion date scheduled for February 2020.
Juanita Abernathy, who wrote the business plan for the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and took other influential steps in helping to build the American civil rights movement, dies. She was 88.
15: Visiting a black church bombed by the Ku Klux Klan during the civil rights era, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden frames the country’s current racial tensions as part of an enduring struggle that is older than the nation. Biden is in downtown Birmingham as part of the 56th anniversary of the bombing that killed four black girls in 1963.
19: The Jefferson County Board of Education has appointed Dr. Walter Gonsoulin as interim superintendent. Gonsoulin is currently the deputy superintendent of School and Community Support.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announces that she will receive treatment for a malignant spot on her lung. The 74-year-old Republican governor said the spot was discovered in a routine exam and was later confirmed to be what she called a tiny, isolated malignancy. “The good news is I am one of the fortunate ones where this was discovered early, and it is very treatable,” Ivey said in a statement.
24: The Housing Authority of the Birmingham District’s (HABD) Board of Commissioners unanimously approves a redevelopment agreement that moves forward plans for the new Southtown Court which include rezoning, resident relocation, design, demolition, contracting, and site work.
25: The Birmingham City Council unanimously votes to invest $250,000 to launch a new shared ride service that will provide on-demand public transportation for residents. Along with an investment up to $502,000 from the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, the city will enter an agreement with Via, the leader in on-demand public mobility, to develop and operate the shared ride service as part of a six-month micro transit pilot.
OCTOBER
1: Six months after being named executive director of Clastran, Bacarra Mauldin confirmed on Monday that she has stepped down. Mauldin told The Birmingham Times that she was “looking for bigger challenges. I’m proud of the work we did at ClasTran . . . I’m not ready to announce where I’m going, I’m trying to let the ink dry,” she said. Mauldin made history when she became the first African American woman to become permanent executive director of ClasTran in March. Mauldin is now Director of Policy and Innovation for the Regional Transit Authority in New Orleans.
5: The National Park Service (NPS) adds the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church to its network of protected sites and programs. The historic church in downtown Birmingham was added to the African American Civil Rights Network (AACRN), a listing of sites and programs significant to the African American Civil Rights Movement. The AACRN was established to honor the sacrifices made during the Civil Rights Movement, and to ensure the protection of its history through the preservation of key landmarks.
8: In the special election, Birmingham residents voted overwhelmingly to renew the ad valorem property tax that supports the Birmingham City Schools (BCS) system. School officials said the property tax renewal protects areas such as pre-k, technology, and job readiness.
In the district races, Clinton Woods, District 1 Birmingham City Councilor, easily wins his race; Crystal Smitherman, narrowly avoids a runoff election in a crowded District 6 race and Wardine Alexander is headed to a runoff in her District 7 race. Woods and Smitherman, who were appointed last winter, will serve until the next election in 2021. Alexander, the incumbent and Ray Brooks, a retired senior executive, will meet in a runoff on November 19.
Alabama’s capital, a city once known as the cradle of the Confederacy and later the birthplace of the civil rights movement, elects its first African American mayor. Probate Judge Steven Reed, 45, defeats businessman David Woods by a decisive margin and wins about 67 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s mayoral runoff.
9: Henry “Gip” Gipson, the musician and owner of a popular juke joint in Bessemer, Alabama, passes at the age of 99. Gip’s Place, his legendary juke joint, l stands a monument to Southern blues.
12: An Amber Alert is issued for a three -year-old girl who was kidnapped from the Tom Brown Village housing community. Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney was at a children’s birthday party around 8 p.m. when she was taken.
13: A person of interest in the kidnapping of 3-year-old Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney has been taken into custody for questioning. Police detained the man at Woodside Condominiums in Center Point. They also locate an SUV matching the description of a Toyota Sequoia sought in the investigation.
14: The Alabama Amber for 3-year-old Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney has been expanded to include other states. Two persons of interest in custody, they were found in Center Point, along with an SUV sought in the investigation.
15: The Birmingham City Council unanimously passes an ordinance to establish a non-smoking Health District on Birmingham’s Southside. The ordinance prohibits smoking on city sidewalks and streets, as well as other outdoor public places within the district.
19: Birmingham City Schools makes significant strides based on the newly released A-F Report Cards published by the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE). The district elevated to a 71 percent for the 2018-2019 academic year, which marks a letter-grade increase since the inception of the A-F Report Cards. BCS improved from a 66 percent in 2016-2017 followed by 68 percent in 2017-2018.
22: The body of Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney, the three-year-old girl who was abducted in Birmingham on Oct. 12, is found inside
of a dumpster at a landfill. Police obtain murder warrants against two people previously identified as persons of interest in the case: 39-year-old Patrick Devone Stallworth and his 29-year-old girlfriend, Derick Irisha Brown.
The Birmingham City Council approves an agreement between the city and Ensley District Developers, LLC to redevelop the historic Ramsay-McCormack building in downtown Ensley. The council approves spending $1.5 million towards the pre-development work and $2.5 million for construction. The vote came during a meeting where the body unanimously elected Councilor William Parker as the Birmingham City Council President and Councilor Wardine Alexander as President Pro Tempore. Parker replaces Valerie Abbott who had served as president since 2017.
23: In three short years, Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney was able to change the city of Birmingham for the better, Police Chief Patrick Smith tells a hushed crowd in Linn Park during a candlelight vigil for the little girl who was abducted on Oct. 12 and was found inside of a dumpster at a landfill on Oct. 22.
Korey Wise, known as one of the ‘Exonerated Five’, kicks off his national Wise Up Tour at Historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in downtown Birmingham. “I wasn’t arrested, I was kidnapped,” Wise tells the audience. Wise shares his truth in his role as a national advocate for criminal justice reform as part of efforts by the city, Dannon Project and the Jefferson County Commission called the Social Justice Initiative.
25: Birmingham city officials re-dedicate a memorial sign for Bonita Carter, a 20-year-old unarmed black woman, who was shot and killed in 1979 by Birmingham Police Officer George Sands. The ceremony is held at the intersection of Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd. N and 45th Street in the Kingston community where former mayor Arrington and Mayor Woodfin unveiled the memorial. Frustrated by Carter’s death, Arrington traded his council seat for the mayor’s seat and was elected as Birmingham’s first black mayor.
27: Hundreds pack New Beginning Christian Ministry Church in Birmingham for the funeral of 3-year-old Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney. The 700-seat church is less than 10 miles from a public housing project where Kamille was abducted. A fellowship hall was used to seat a large overflow crowd amid a program marked by tears, somber prayer and joyous gospel music. Purple and pink flowers and balloons adorn Kamille’s tiny casket at the “Homegoing Service.” Colorful cupcakes and an artistic rendering of little Kamille sit alongside the white casket.
29: A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Alabama’s near-total abortion ban from taking effect and called the law — part of a wave of new abortion restrictions by conservative states — clearly unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson issued a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking Alabama from enforcing the law that would make performing an abortion a felony in almost all cases. The ruling came after abortion providers sued to block the law from taking effect. The injunction was widely expected and will remain in place until Thompson decides the full case.
30: Sherry Lewis, now former chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Birmingham Water Works, is convicted on two
felony counts of violating the state ethics law. Under state law, she no longer holds her position upon her felony conviction. Lewis was convicted by a jury in Jefferson County Circuit Court following a six-day trial, and immediately taken into custody. Specifically, she was convicted of using her official position for personal gain and for voting or participating on a matter in which she or her family had a financial interest or gain. Lewis was taken into custody after the verdicts were returned.
The Birmingham Central Market opens at the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority central station downtown and is a partnership between the BJCTA and the City of Birmingham designed to provide healthy, high-quality food to underserved communities in Birmingham.
NOVEMBER
2: Birmingham will host the 2023 National Association of Black Journalists Convention & Career Fair, the NABJ, it is announced. This is the first time Birmingham has been a location for the national convention.
on Saturday, becoming the first African-American to hold the position in the
state Party’s history. Patricia Todd is elected Vice Chair.
3: Representative Chris England, of Tuscaloosa, is elected Chair of the Alabama Democratic Party on Saturday, becoming the first African-American to hold the position in the state Party’s history. Patricia Todd is elected vice chair.
9: For the second straight year and the fifth time since 2011, Miles College will play for the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) title. The Golden Bears on Saturday dismantle host Tuskegee, 20-6, to capture the league’s Western Division crown and set it up for a championship matchup at Albany State next week.
16: Donte Edwards (three touchdowns) and the defense dominated on both sides of the ball Saturday to help the Golden Bears win their second consecutive league title with a 21-6 win over Albany State in the SIAC Championship Game. The win set the school record for victories in a single season. Miles became the first team in the SIAC Championship Game era (since 2011) to win consecutive league titles and the first school to win consecutive titles since Tuskegee ended a run of four straight titles in 2009.
19: Birmingham City Council President Pro-Tempore Wardine Alexander will get to keep her District 7 seat. Alexander receives 869 votes, or 53 percent, to defeat challenger Ray Brooks, who received 751 votes, or 46 percent, in the runoff election. Alexander will serve through the next municipal elections in 2021.
21: The Jefferson County Board of Education appoints Walter Gonsoulin Jr., Ph.D. to lead the school system, the first African American to become permanent superintendent.
23: Unfortunately, Miles does not have enough to upend No. 6 Lenoir-Rhyne in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Football Championship. Despite a defense that forced four turnovers, the Golden Bears were only able to muster 125 yards of total offense and seven first downs in a 36-7 loss, which ended the team’s 2019 campaign with a 9-3 mark.
25: Mayor Woodfin announces an initiative that will allow individuals previously convicted of unlawful possession of marijuana to apply for a pardon. Pardons for Progress is designed to remove barriers to employment for individuals who have been convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession.
An Alabama district attorney says authorities have “good reason” to believe human remains found in a wooded area belong Aniah 
Blanchard, of Homewood Ala., last seen Oct. 23 in Auburn. Police arrest Ibraheem Yazeed, 29 and two others in in connection with the disappearance of Blanchard, 19.
DECEMBER
1: -Rosa Parks is honored with a new statue in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, 64 years to the day she was arrested for refusing to move to the back of a city bus. Sunday marks the second annual Rosa Parks Day in Alabama, after the Legislature approved the honor for the civil rights icon last year.
3: The City of Birmingham launches its new pilot program that extends public transportation around the city. Birmingham On-Demand powered by Via will serve riders and operate in marked Mercedes Metris vans. The program will also provide accessible vehicles for riders with disabilities and will hire local driver-partners. The 6.7-mile service area for the pilot includes parts of West Birmingham in neighborhoods such as Fairview, Fountain Heights, Druid Hills, Smithfield, Bush Hills, Central City, College Hills and others to downtown Birmingham.
6: The World Games 2021 board of directors names Nick Sellers as its new chief executive officer,
9: The House of Representatives passed a bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), meant to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that would make it more difficult for states to discriminate against voters of color. Sewell’s Voting Rights Advancement Act, H.R. 4, would give the federal government a stronger ability to take action against states with a history of discrimination. In a mostly party-line vote, the legislation was approved 228-187.
11: A $123 million renovation of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex’s Legacy Arena moves one step closer with
the Birmingham Design Review Committee’s unanimous approval of the plan. The committee signed off on the designs, materials, landscaping and lighting. A separate signage plan will be presented to the Design Review Committee next year.
12: Sherry Lewis, the former board president of the Birmingham Water Works who faced up to 20 years for two felony ethics convictions, has avoided jail time. Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Clyde Jones sentenced Lewis to 36 months of supervised probation, 400 hours of community services and ordered her to pay court fees and fines after she was convicted back in October. Lewis will have to pay a $30,000 fine ($15,000 for each count) and serve 400 hours of community service for charities or agencies that feed the elderly and homeless.
13: Jefferson County, home to nearly 660,000 residents, Alabama’s most populous county, commemorates its bicentennial.
20: The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Authority board awards Birmingham-based contractor Brasfield & Gorrie General Contractors a $179 million bid to build Protective Stadium.
