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Laila Miller, Birmingham City Schools Student, Illustrates Children’s Book for Author Ashlé Colston

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Laila Miller, left, lent her artistic talents to the children’s book Strong Enough? written by another Birmingham resident, Ashlé Colston. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

When Ramsay IB High School senior Laila Miller was given the chance to illustrate for a children’s book, she did not hesitate. Art has always been a part of her life.

Miller, 18, lent her artistic talents to the children’s book Strong Enough? written by another Birmingham resident, Ashlé Colston, which was released last year by Evolve Publishing.

Colston said she came up with the idea for Strong Enough? when she gave birth to her daughter Ahlani in 2020. The series is called Ahlani Love which means “Beautiful Love.”

“I started evaluating how I had been living my life. I lived my life like my mom and my grandmother. Trying to do everything for everybody at all times. I was over being called ‘strong,’” Colston said.

Being called strong “is not a compliment,” Colston continued. For her “it’s a badge of endearment, a badge of perseverance … I wanted to create a book for my daughter that rewrote the narrative about who she needs to be in order to be valuable. She doesn’t have to pour out everything she has to add value to people’s lives,” said the author.

The book highlights what it means to be Strong Enough? in a society where ambition is cherished. This story follows young Imani as she questions the meaning of strong, and goes on a journey to determine what that looks like.

Colston said Strong Enough? was written “to free our daughters from the belief that being a strong woman is measured by how much you put out instead of how much you pour in.”

Miller said she first heard about the opportunity to illustrate the book through her mom, Nekeisha Miller, and recalled the moment her mother told her Colton was searching for an illustrator.

“I went to school one day and after I came home, my mom said [someone was looking for an illustrator for a book]. … I thought it was cool, so we set up a meeting with the [Colston]. We met at Mellow Mushroom one afternoon and the rest is history.”

“Laila was dropped in my lap at the perfect time,” Colston said. “She is absolutely amazing. She’s super talented and she’s just stepping into all that she can be. If you see her, grab her for projects.”

Miller said she was, “nervous at first.”

“I was scared that I would not be up to standard, even though this was her first project as well. The more I got to know her, the more I got comfortable with the project itself. She really let me take the creative reins on the illustrative process.”

A lot of the inspiration [Miller] used for her drawings for the story come from a combination of Colston’s visions and Miller’s real life.

Laila Miller, 18, gets hug from proud mom, Nekeisha, after Laila lent her artistic talents to the children’s book Strong Enough? (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)

Miller’s love for art started from drawing pictures as a child.  “Since I was four or so, illustrating has always been a part of me and a part of my life,” said Miller.

“Since about second grade, my grandmother, (Sandra Page), and I would print books for fun and use a program to make comics. We would print those out until I had the thought to draw them. My grandma was a little artistic as well. I would copy off her or copy off the pictures that would go in the book”, Miller recalled.

When her grandmother found out that she would be illustrating a children’s book, “she was smiling a lot,” Miller recalled.

She did not start taking art seriously until she reached the fifth grade by writing her own stories and “imagining the characters to go with the stories. Up until that point, art was a fun activity. I started looking at references, how to draw people and animals. Art has always fascinated me. It’s just the way you can put your imagination on paper. “

As a product of the Birmingham City Schools, Miller attended Glen Iris Elementary School and John Herbert Phillips Academy.

Miller said she has not decided what she will do after she graduates in May, but hopes to, “continue to develop her art after high school.”

“I was thinking about majoring in character design or character storyboarding … I might end up just becoming an independent commissioned artist.”

For more on the book visit AhlaniloveSeries.com and on IG at Ahlanilovebooks.

PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS

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Mon Rovia with Oliver Hazard of Liberia, Africa performs at Saturn. (Photo Credit: monroviaboy.com)

By Gwen DeRu | The Birmingham Times

 TODAY…

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

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

**MON ROVIA with OLIVER HAZARD at Saturn. Mon Rovia is from Liberia

**NICK DITTMEIER AND THE SAWDUSTERS with KYLE KIMBRELL at the Nick Rocks.

**THURSDAY NIGHTS WITH ALABAMA SO & SO MACHINE at The Nick Rocks.

**TRAMPLED BY TURTLES at Iron City.

**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.

FRIDAY…IT IS Friday…the weekend starts…

**KPOP CLUB NIGHT with DJ CHEN at Saturn.

**HUSH MONEY at The Nick Rocks.

**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…

**EXPLORE SEED SAVING AT THE COMMUITY SEED SWAP, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on National Seed Swap Day at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

**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.

** DRAG NIGHT at The Nick Rocks.

**SATURDAY NIGHT LATE NIGHT with R.1.Y.T. at The Nick.

**AN EVENING with SHADOWGRASS at Saturn.

SUNDAY…

**BIRMINGHAM JEWISH FEDERATION AND FOUNDATION’S 2025 ANNUAL MEETING, 2-5 p.m. at the Temple Beth El.  Musical performance is by ARI AXELFORD.

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

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

**2nd SUNDAY WITH RICKY TATE at The Nick.

**Kyle Kimbrell Free Show at The Nick Rocks.

**GOLDPINE with The Burney Sisters at The Nick Rocks.

MONDAY…

**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND at the Nick.

**THE MOTH BIRMINGHAM STORYSLAM: RESET at Saturn.

TUESDAY…

**STORYTELLING THROUGH TOPIARY AND PROPERTY ART will be what MIKE GIBSON discusses as he takes center stage at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 5:30 p.m. reception with the lecture at 6 p.m.

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

**OSCILLATIONS: AN ELECTRONIC MUSIC OPEN MIC PERFORMANCE at Saturn.

WEDNESDAY…

**MOUNTAIN BROOK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL LUNCHEON, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Country Club of Birmingham is honoring Mrs. Virginia Smith, the Jemison Visionary Award; Mrs. Patsy D. Dreher, the O’Neal Library Tynes Award; Ms. Lindsy Gardner, City of Mountain Brook Employee of the Year and Mr. Joseph Braswell, the 2024 Chamber of Commerce Board President.

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

**SUNDROP, EVERY WEDNESDAY at the Nick.

**QUALIFIER, ROUGH DREAMS (TN), & VAMPIRE MANSION at Saturn.

NEXT THURSDAY…

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

**THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL WORLD OF LICHENS, 10 a.m. – Noon with CURTIS HANSEN.

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

**AX AND THE HATCHETMEN at Saturn.

**BY THE WAY OF FIRE, HIRAETH & EMBR at the Nick Rocks.

**THURSDAY NIGHTS WITH ALABAMA SO & SO MACHINE at The Nick Rocks.

NEXT FRIDAY….

**MICHIGANDER at Saturn.

**OXMOOR with MAD DAY OUT at The Nick.

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN…PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS TO WATCH…

FOR BASKETBALL LOVERS…

**SATURDAY – HBCU NIGHT 6 p.m. at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC with the BIRMINGHAM SQUADRON VS INDIANA.

FEBRUARY is full of things…VALENTINE’S DAY, MUSIC AND BLACK HISTORY MONTH …

VALENTINE’S DAY…

**FEBRUARY 14 – 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.

AT IRON CITY… Music in February.

**FEBRUARY 15 – COREY SMITH at Iron City.

**FEBRUARY 19 – TWO FRIENDS presents HEATWAVE: THE TOUR

**FEBRUARY 25 – PALAYE ROYALE

**FEBRUARY 26 – PALACE.

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

BLACK HISTORY MONTH… is right around the corner.  (Look for so much more!)

**FEBRUARY 8 – 2025 BLACK MALE SUMMIT at the Hilton Birmingham Downtown at UAB with discussions, workshops and networking opportunities where attendees will gain valuable tools and strategies to navigate challenges and achieve success.  This summit unites students, professionals, change-makers, parents, pastors, allies, activists and community members to tackle the critical issues impacting Black males, inspire personal, collective growth to drive meaningful and lasting change.  Register at Eventbrite.

**NOW through FEBRUARY 9 – JCAC SCHOLARSHIP 2025 registration. Go to www.dstjcac.org/scholarship or scholarship@dstjcac.org.

FOR YOUTH…

**INTERESTED IN A SUMMER RESEARCH INTERNSHIP – There are opportunities for high school and undergraduate students to learn how to conduct their own research. Spend the summer being mentored by the USB’s Department of Surgery through the PRISM and FUSSION PROGRAMS.  For more information, contact SurgSummerPrograms@UABMC.edu.

**NOW through March 1 – BIRMINGHAM YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT FELLOWSHIP CHOIR is hosting auditions and looking for young people, ages 10-28 who have a passion for singing.  For more on how to qualify, info@bhamyyafc.org.

IN IRONDALE…

**PLAY BALL IRONDALE YOUTH SPORTS registration for T-Ball, Baseball & Softball for ages 4-12 is open. This is the inaugural season at the Ruffner Sports Complex in the City of Irondale. Register at irondaleyouthsports.com. Call 205-769-0730 for more.

**FEBRUARY 13 – STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS, 11:30 a.m. at the Church of the Highlands.

FOR MOVIE LOVERS…

**SO YOU WANNA WORK IN FILM – This in-person workshop, Thursday, 5-7 p.m. will give you advice and support in moving forward toward your film goals. Go to birmingham365.org for more.

AT SIDEWALK FILM FEST…

**TODAY, …

-THE LAST SHOWGIRL starring Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista and directed by Gia Coppola.

-PEDRO ALMODOVAR: PAIN AND GLORY starring Antonia Banderas, Asler Etxeandia, Leonardo Sbaraglia and directed by Pedro Almodovar.

-PEDRO ALMODOVAR: WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A -NERVOUS BREAKDOWN starring Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, Julieta Serrano and directed by Pedro Almodovar.

-SHOUT MOVIE NIGHT: BURLESQUE starring Cher, Christina Aguilera, Eric Dane and directed by Steve Antin. FREE

**FRIDAY …

-ANGUISH w/Q & A starring Zelda Rubinstein, Michael lerner, Talla Paul and directed by Bigas Luna.

-BAD MOVIE NIGHT. FREE.

**FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY …

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

-THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG 4L Restoration starring Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo, Anne Vernon and directed by Jacques Demyl.

-VERMIGLIO starring Tommaso Ragno, Giuseppe De Domenico, Roberta Rovelli and directed by Maura Delpero.

-FROZEN II starring Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad and directed by Jennifer Lee, and Chris Buck.

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

Safe Driving Practices During Frigid Temperatures

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Driving during winter weather can be unpredictable and dangerous especially in snow, icy conditions and sleet. On average, winter weather directly or indirectly contributes to more than 540,000 vehicular accidents in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that approximately 120,000 police reported crashes in 2021 occurred during snowy or sleet conditions.

Of course, staying off the road is the best safety tip during harrowing winter weather conditions, but this is not always possible. So, the next best safety precaution before driving during these wintery weather conditions is preparing your vehicle. Winterizing your vehicle is an additional essential maintenance.

Here are some simple safety tips to prepare your vehicle for winter:

  1. Check the weather before you travel — be aware of the winter risks in places you visit, from blizzards to ice storms. Check the local weather forecasts and warnings before heading out. If the roads to your destinations are in poor condition, consider postponing all non-essential travel until the roads are clear.

Consider leaving early or changing your departure to avoid being on the roads during a storm. In addition, familiarize yourself with directions and maps before you start your trip, even using a GPS. Someone should know your route and anticipated arrival time. Keep family and emergency phone numbers in your cell phone (make sure it has a full charge), including your auto insurance provider and a towing company. Visit the National Weather Service for up-to-date forecasts.

  1. Get your vehicle winter ready — make sure your vehicle is winterized for a potential emergency by following some of these safety tips:
  • Test your battery, battery power drops as the temperature drops
  • Check antifreeze levels
  • Check your ignition system
  • Check your brakes
  • Check tire pressure, which drops as the temperature drops
  • Check your heater and defroster
  • Check your lights and flashing hazard lights
  • Check your oil
  • Check your wiper blades and replace them if needed
  • Check your washer fluid level; add wiper fluid for -30 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas lines freeze; its better to have full tank

By getting your vehicle ready for winter and using some of these simple safety tips, you can Keep an Eye on Safety when driving during winter weather.

What Area Would You Like to See an Upgrade?

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I haven’t heard very many people talk about New Year’s resolutions in recent years. Even as the month comes to an end, have you noticed? It seems the dawn of new calendar years are taking a turn into more themes and intentions, but not necessarily people resolving to do anything.

Maybe we’ve become jaded at how successful resolutions really are. Maybe we’re simply focusing on living and enjoying our lives and being thankful in every moment. Or maybe we recognize that success is not in a timeframe, but in a committed lifestyle every day of the year, and in every season.

Either way, I still want to take a moment to tap us on the shoulder and at least remind all of us to take stock and at least aim to improve in some areas. If that is the case, in what area would you like to see an upgrade?

In 2025 and beyond, would your health, finances, career, family or self-improvement take priority? I’m not asking you to produce any action sheet or list of steps. Just asking you to take an honest look at where you could see or do better. And my second ask, start moving in that direction in small steps.

If you’d like to increase your savings, what step can you take now to start seeing results – even if you start with a minimal amount? Then define that amount. And take action to set up a process to do it continually. Fix it, or set it, and forget it. The amount is not as important as your action and intentionality.

If you’re endeavoring to improve your health, what would be your first step? Can you incorporate a few minutes of exercise 3-4 days a week? No sweeping changes but think small wins that will make it part of your routine.

And if you’d like to spend more time with your spouse or family, why not add a night once a week, bi-weekly, or even monthly if time is really tight? When bringing others along, you’ll want to cast the vision first so they can first see it in order to support you.

Explain to them what you’re looking to implement and tell them how much you’d love their input and presence — talk about curating an instant fan club! You know the area in which you’d like to see change. I’m simply your cheerleader telling you, “You got this!” And you do.

I’ve identified my area….and I am taking steps daily to make it happen. I miss the mark at times, but I’m applying gradual pressure for holistic and lasting change. I’m cheering for you to do the same. Blessings to you and remember, I’m an email away if you need a word of encouragement.

Cheers to your best year yet!

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.

“It’s very important to do it on MLK Jr. Day of Service, this is a day where we give back. This was our opportunity to show that we care about the unsheltered, we care about this community.”

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ART FRANKLIN, BASILEUS OF THE ALPHA PHI CHAPTER, ON HELPING THOSE IN NEED DURING MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY; CBS42.COM.

Miles College Baseball Returns to Historic Rickwood Field with Willie Mays Open

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Miles College will host its first Willie Mays Open during on Feb. 7-9 at Birmingham's Rickwood Field. (File)

By Mark Inabinett |minabinett@al.com

Baseball and Willie Mays will intersect at Rickwood Field again when Miles College hosts its first Willie Mays Open during Black History Month on Feb. 7-9.

Joining Miles in the field for the event are the baseball teams from five other Historically Black Colleges and Universities — Stillman College (Tuscaloosa, Alabama), Claflin University (Orangeburg. South Carolina); Dillard University (New Orleans, Louisiana), Harris-Stowe State University (St. Louis, Missouri) and Southern University (Baton Rouge, Louisiana).

The Willie Mays Open will feature three games daily and mark the return of the Golden Bears to their historic home for the first time since the 2023 season.

A press release from Miles said the event had received “the blessing” of Mays’ family, with the Golden Bears, under coach Milton Barney, hoping “to build off of the momentum of last year’s great Major League Baseball event at Rickwood Field.”

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-5 on June 20 at Rickwood Field, after MLB and Birmingham poured millions into preparing the nation’s oldest professional ballpark for the nationally televised National League game.

The MLB contest was the crowning event of a week of activities under the banner “MLB at Rickwood: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues” that highlighted the significance of the black-baseball organizations in baseball’s history

Major League Baseball’s visit to Birmingham took on an even deeper meaning when Mays died two days before the game at age 93.

A Birmingham area native, Mays was one of the reasons that MLB chose Rickwood Field for the Negro League salute. As the home field for the Birmingham Black Barons, one of the flagship teams of Black baseball during the game’s segregated era, Rickwood was the site of Mays’ home games as a teenage professional to begin his Hall of Fame career.

The week also included a Southern League game, and the Double-A league will be back at Rickwood on June 4, when the Birmingham Barons and Rocket City Trash Pandas square off.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

Birmingham’s 99 Neighborhood Associations No Longer Serve Residents. Here’s The Fix

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Citizens participate in one of Birmingham’s 99 Neighborhood Association meetings. (Provided

By Hunter Williams | Special to The Times

An Opinion

Our current neighborhood association process needs to be blown up — and rebuilt.

Stay with me.

City Councilor Hunter Williams

We’re operating under a Citizen Participation Plan that made a lot of sense in 1975 (as did typewriters, pay phones and printing movie times in the newspaper). Just about everything in the world has changed since then. So why are we still subjecting ourselves to a legacy system that is no longer fit for purpose?

I want to be perfectly clear. Our current process is not inclusive — residents are left out of the decisions, they’re not provided with relevant information prior to meetings, and God forbid they might have a scheduling conflict for the once-a-month meeting time. A friend of mine doesn’t get off work until after 7 p.m. and they would love to vote on the issues. We can do better than that.

Every single resident of a neighborhood needs an opportunity to have their voice heard on matters that impact them, especially in this era of rapid information exchange. I know plenty of people who want to be involved, but don’t want to sit and listen to the same three people air out their dirty laundry for an hour just so they can cast their vote on a rezoning case. Obviously discourse is important, but simple accommodations need to be made for people to vote without being subjected to that if they don’t want to be.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that I’ve watched a neighborhood officer advocate for a strip club in their neighborhood multiple times. I have seen neighborhood officers say they would be totally fine with an “entertainment center” that promoters can rent out until 2 a.m. I’ve seen liquor stores get the thumbs up for opening in the middle of a neighborhood with just five or six votes. My guess is that if you polled the entire neighborhood they would not want these businesses next door to their homes.

Not every neighborhood association is the same; some have little to no attendance and others have very active participation. However, during my time as a neighborhood officer and a city councilor, I’ve seen countless examples of neighborhood associations having less than five people vote on major issues like rezoning cases, liquor licenses, you name it.

We can remedy this broken system.

A solution would be having an online platform where residents can verify their identity and have the ability to cast a vote remotely. This would have to be secure, and you would need to be able to prove your residence to be verified, but these platforms already exist — we do this to renew our car tags, passports, licenses etc.

This online portal would also allow residents the opportunity to read proposals — site maps, graphics, zoning information — to have a clear understanding of the issue before they vote.

In this hypothetical scenario (heavy emphasis on ‘hypothetical’ because this is merely my own opinion and absolutely no steps have been taken to implement this) in-person meetings could still happen if that’s what a neighborhood wanted. But the truth is having a scheduled monthly neighborhood vote where everybody could participate, regardless if they can attend in person or not, would give everyone a voice. That’s what we all want, right?

This would curb the misinformation that is typically spread online by letting residents review proposals themselves and then cast a vote. Maybe a small liquor store makes sense to serve the neighborhood, but maybe it doesn’t if there are already four or five within a few blocks. We need more than a handful of people voting on these things or else what’s the point?

Perhaps most importantly, we need a pre-authorization vote for zoning. Unfortunately, the current process brings zoning cases to the neighborhood meetings after the ball is already rolling on a development.

There is also a major issue with notification. State law dictates that only residents living within a few hundred feet of a proposed zoning change be notified by mail.

If we had a requirement for a preauthorization vote, a developer or business owner could get a clear picture of whether or not their vision lines up with what the residents want to see.

I would challenge everyone reading this to attend one of Birmingham’s 99 Neighborhood Association meetings and ask themselves: Is this the best way to gauge how an entire neighborhood feels? On a really good night, these meetings have 20 to 30 people — often the same people in a neighborhood with 2,000 to 3,000 residents. If the true ethos of a neighborhood association is grounded in having everyone’s voice being heard, in 2025, there are simply better ways to achieve that. And I think together we can make that happen.

Hunter Williams represents Birmingham City Council District 2

Updated at 10:42 a.m. on 1/122/2025 to clarify this is an Opinion column

‘When She Came In … I Took Her Hand in Mine and Asked Her to Marry Me’

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BY JE’DON HOLLOWAY-TALLEY | Special to the Birmingham Times

REGINALD AND GWENDOLYN WILLIAMS

Live: Fairfield

Married: Nov. 30, 2001

Met: June 1998 at Fairfield Rehabilitation Center. Gwendolyn was already working in the laundry department when Reginald joined the team.

“When I came in, I caught them [Gwendolyn and a female coworker] looking at my butt,” Reginald said.

Gwendolyn laughed and gave this version of what happened. “Me and another laundry attendant were sitting up there folding the laundry and he came in there for his interview wearing some black Levi jeans, and he was cute and bow-legged, and that’s why we were looking at him,” Gwendolyn said.

Reginald got the job and asked her out. “I told him no, because I didn’t date guys I worked with,” said Gwendolyn, “but eventually, I changed my mind.”

“Flowers and candy go a long way,” Reginald said, “and she gets [on me now] because I stopped with the candy and flowers … ain’t no more ‘just because flowers’, it’s only every now and then.”

“He wasn’t supposed to stop doing it,” Gwendolyn said, “I say, the way you get him is how you got to keep them.”

It took Reginald a whole year of flowers and candy to wear Gwendolyn down and get her to say ‘yes’ to a date. “That’s why I stopped buying flowers and candy. Do you know how many [bouquets of] flowers and candy I bought in that year?” Reginald laughed.

First date: Summer 1999. The pair had arranged to meet at the Krispy Kreme donut shop in Midfield, but the meetup didn’t go smoothly, and to make up for it, Reginald took Gwendolyn to dinner at Ruth’s Chris at the Embassy Suites hotel in downtown Birmingham.

“We kept crisscrossing and missing each other [at Krispy Kreme], it was hectic,” said Gwendolyn. “We were supposed to meet [at the donut shop], and I waited and waited and got tired of waiting and then went to his mama’s house in Midfield to catch up with him, and while I was doing that, he was doing the same thing. Reginald would be waiting on me [at Krispy Kreme] while I was waiting on him at his mama’s house. We did that back and forth three times before we finally caught each other at Krispy Kreme and [to make it up to me for the confusion], he said why don’t we go have a steak at the steakhouse.”

Reginald said he was a smooth guy and offered a fancy steak dinner. “I took her to Ruth’s Chris at the Embassy, and we got a room at the same hotel the same night… I more than made up for it,” Reginald laughed.

The turn: Exclusivity was established on their first date, Reginald said. “After that night, I knew there wasn’t nobody else for me, she was the one,” he said.

“I knew he was the one the day he came into work with lipstick on his collar. One of them nurses had hemmed him up in a room, and I went around looking at all the nurses trying to find out which woman had that lipstick color on,” Gwendolyn laughed. “He used to call himself trying to be so innocent acting … when really, he was a ladies’ man. But when I saw that lipstick and I went looking to find out who’s it was, I knew wanted him, and that was before we even had gone out on a date.” (Gwendolyn said she never did find whose lipstick it was.)

Reginald and Gwendolyn Williams met in 1998 while working at Fairfield Rehabilitation Center. The couple married in 2001. (Provided Photos)

The proposal: Valentine’s Day 2001, at Reginald’s apartment in Inglenook. “I had rose petals going from the front door to the bedroom, candles lit, and music going. And when Gwen came in [the apartment] I was standing up in the doorway of the bedroom, and when she reached me I took her hand in mine and asked her to marry me,” Reginald said.

“I was smiling, it was nice. I said, ‘are you for real?’ and after he said ‘yes, I want you to be my wife’, I said ‘yes’,” said Gwendolyn.

The wedding: At the Birmingham Courthouse in front of City Hall, officiated by a courthouse clergyman. Reginald and Gwendolyn wore matching black leather jackets and cowboy boots.

Most memorable for the bride and groom was a shared moment after taking their vows. “For me, it was walking back to the car and crossing in front of that big fountain as Mrs. Williams,” said Gwendolyn. “And for me, it was singing ‘I got a yooooung wife, I got a yooooung wife’, all the way back to the car,” Reginald laughed.

Gwendolyn was 36, and Reginald was 46 on the day of their nuptials.

They honeymooned in Las Vegas, Nevada, and stayed at Circus Circus Hotel and Casino. “That was my first time in Vegas, and I enjoyed being there with my new, young wife,” Reginald said. “I always used to call her ‘baby girl’, but she’s all grown up now,” he said.

“I loved the lights and the Vegas strip, and being there with him as Mrs. Williams,” Gwendolyn said.

Words of wisdom: “Never go to be angry,” Reginald said. “And I say, everything you did to get her, you gotta continue doing it to keep her,” said Gwendolyn.

Happily ever after: The Williams attend Mount Ararat Missionary Baptist Church, in Birmingham. They have five adult children: Reginald Bonner, Kewannecca Turner, Cordaro Simmons, Hurtis Nelson, and Kiara Nelson, 16 grandchildren, and 1 great grandchild.

Gwendolyn, 58, is a Wenonah native and Wenonah High School grad. She attended Lawson State Community College where earned an associate’s degree in nursing assistance. Gwendolyn is an Eastern Star, and retired from surgery scheduling at Brookwood Medical Center, in 2019.

Reginald, 67, is an Inglenook native and Hayes High School grad. He retired from the laundry department at Fairfield Rehabilitation Center in 2000.

“You Had Me at Hello’’ highlights married couples and the love that binds them. If you would like to be considered for a future “Hello’’ column, or know someone, please send nominations to Barnett Wright bwright@birminghamtimes.com. Include the couple’s name, contact number(s) and what makes their love story unique.

Birmingham Personal Injury Attorney | Guster Law Firm, LLC

MLK Jr. Unity Breakfast in Birmingham: A Time for Reflection and Celebration

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MLK Jr. Unity Breakfast at the Sheraton in downtown Birmingham featured a time of reflection and celebration. (Marika N. Johnson, For The Birmingham Times)

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

On Monday, Birmingham held its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast at the downtown Sheraton with hundreds of state, local, civic and neighborhoods leaders, as well students and area residents, in reflection and celebration.

Birmingham ’s Community Affairs Committee (CAC) hosted the 39th Unity Breakfast which featured keynote speaker Margaret Norman, Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Birmingham Jewish Federation (BJF); and 2025 MLK Essay Competition winners Morgan Hughley and McKensie Fenil, of Fairfield Preparatory High School.

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s impact on Generation Z is profound and multifaceted,” said Hughley, reading her first place winning essay. “His teachings provide a moral compass and strategic framework for a generation committed to building a more equitable and inclusive world.

Morgan Hughley, of Fairfield Preparatory High School, reads from her first-place essay.(Marika N. Johnson, For The Birmingham Times)

“Through social media, education, and a commitment to intersectional activism, Generation Z not only honors King’s legacy but also carries it forward, proving that his dream of justice and equality remains alive and relevant in the 21st century,” read Hughley.

Norman said she wondered whether she was the right pick for keynote speaker. “I thought, is taking the stand as a leader in the Jewish community on a day about Dr. King appropriate or right … today is about unity.”

Before joining the BJF, Norman served as the Director of Programming at Temple Beth El, where she helped launch the Beth El Civil Rights Experience; a public history project exploring Birmingham’s Jewish and Civil Rights histories.

Keynote speaker, Margaret Norman, Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Birmingham Jewish Federation. (Marika N. Johnson, For The Birmingham Times)

During her address, she also quoted from Dr. King’s famous “Letter From Birmingham”: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

As the only federal holiday that honors an African American, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first celebrated on January 20, 1986. That date also serves as the anniversary for the first MLK Unity Breakfast.

During Birmingham’s Monday celebration State Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, said, “Today we reflect on not only how far we’ve come, but on the journey that still lies ahead. A journey we must continue with courage, unity, and unwavering determination.”

And State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, last year’s keynote speaker, said, “We are assembled here at the Sheraton Hotel, Black people, white people, old and young, Catholic, Baptist, Protestants, and Jewish to celebrate a man that simply stood in Washington to declare that [he] had a dream … a dream of hope, a dream of peace, and dream for equality.”

Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. join hands to sing We Shall Overcome during MLK Jr. Unity Breakfast at the Sheraton in downtown Birmingham. (Marika N. Johnson, For The Birmingham Times)

These Birmingham Groups Helped Keep the Homeless Safe on a Frigid MLK Day

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Food For Our Journey was busy on Monday passing out food, jackets and telling people about the city’s warming station for the unhoused. (CBS42)

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is not a day off for those helping the unsheltered and food insecure especially in subfreezing temperatures.

“We definitely need hand warmers,” said Christine Golab, the Assistant Executive Director of Food for our Journey. “I mean we cannot have enough of these, we give out so many of these every single day. They also need gloves.

The non-profit ministry was busy on Monday passing out food, jackets and telling people about the city’s warming station for the unhoused and those who lack sufficient heat in their homes. On Monday, the Alpha Phi Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in Birmingham organized a coat giveaway, CBS 42 caught up with them while they were also passing out gloves and hats in a parking lot off of 3rd Avenue North to try and help people stay warm.

“It’s very important to do it on MLK Junior Day of Service, this is a day where we give back,” noted Art Franklin, Basileus of the Alpha Phi Chapter. “This was our opportunity to show that we care about the unsheltered, we care about this community.”

“It’s not about the money, I just would like you know someone to just show that they at least care,” said Antoinette Davis, who got a new coat and after we made some calls, a ride from BPD to the warming station on Cooper Hill Road.

When we ran into Davis, who needed a ride to the warming station, CBS 42 tried calling Urban Alchemy, which just landed a contract with the city to help the homeless, but found out their Birmingham team is off today. CBS 42 ended up calling 911 to secure Davis a ride Monday afternoon after being put on hold when we tried calling the city’s 311 number.

“This is dangerously cold,” said Demetrius Vines, the Director of Jessie’s Place with the Jimmie Hale Mission. “If you’re out here long enough you can get hypothermia.”

The city’s warming shelter, which is open through midday on Wednesday, does provide a free shuttle ride from 6-7 p.m. from the main entrance of Linn Park at the intersection of Park Place and 20th Street North in Birmingham.  For more information on the warming station, click here.

For more information on Food for Our Journey, click here. And for information on the Jimmie Hale Mission, click here.