Area Students Protest to Push for Safe Schools
Around the country and throughout metro Birmingham Wednesday, students from kindergarten through 12th grade participated in National Walkout Day. They were honoring recent school shooting victims and raising awareness about the need for school safety.
Hundreds of Mountain Brook High students walked down the school hallway. They said they feel safe. But they also said they feel connected to students in Parkland, Florida and across town in Huffman, where there have been fatal school shootings.
“ These were people just like me,” says Nik Dworek, student body president. “This could have been very easily me could have happened at any high school.”
Students packed into the center of the school. Most of them wore black. They set up little boxes and note paper on tables around the school for students to write notes to lawmakers. In his speech, Dworek called for unity and challenged students to tell leaders what they want.
“Let’s change the status quo,” he said. “Let’s do it, not only for us and our generation, but for generations to come.
Kary Utomi, a junior, led a memorial to 17 students killed in Parkland, Florida a month ago, and Courtlin Arrington, a senior killed at Huffman High School last week.
“This isn’t about a political statement. It’s about legislators being able to hear what we need and we want from them,” she said.
Mountain Brook’s event started at 9:50 a.m. Participation was voluntary, but student organizers said most of the school’s 1,000 students were gathered in a large open space inside the school. The students decided to stay inside for access to a sound system and video screen, said Simona Shirley, one of the organizers.
At other schools, like Spain Park High School in Hoover, administrators did not support the walkout, and parents say students were threatened with suspension. Administrators did not return calls for comment. At Vestavia Hills High School, the principal didn’t allow media on campus during the walkout. Birmingham schools supported the walkout, and Superintendent Lisa Herring tweeted: “I’m standing with students.”
Mountain Brook High School Principal Amanda Hood watched the 18-minute program. She said she wants students to know they are safe so they can focus on their education. But she also wants them to learn from sharing opinions and taking action.
Crowds in Railroad Park protest Trump administration for “No Kings” day
The event was part of protests across the country under a theme of "No Kings in America." The protests, organized by the 50501 movement, was held on April 19, the 250th anniversary of the battle of Lexington and Concord, an early fight in the Revolutionary War.
She grew up believing she was a U.S. citizen. Then she applied for a passport
Among those fearful of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown are adoptees who grew up thinking they were U.S. citizens — only to find out years later, in adulthood, they're not.
Alabama to honor wastewater sanitation projects despite losing federal backing
The Alabama Department of Public Health says it will honor its wastewater contracts for Lowndes County in spite of the Department of Justice’s recent decision to cancel its two-year-old agreement with the state supporting septic system improvements in the region.
Iran and the U.S. plan expert-level talks over Tehran’s nuclear program
The two countries will begin having experts meet to discuss details of a possible deal over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, the top Iranian diplomat said after a second round of talks.
Putin calls an Easter ceasefire as Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds of POWs
The Russian president announced a temporary ceasefire, citing humanitarian reasons, as Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds of captured soldiers.
White House solicits corporate sponsors for its Easter Egg Roll event
Corporate sponsors for the usually apolitical event held on the White House South Lawn include tech giants Meta, YouTube and Amazon.
