Sherrel Stewart
Reporter
Sherrel Wheeler Stewart is a veteran journalist with experience in print, digital, and broadcasting. She began her work in professional media in 1982 after graduating from the University of Alabama where she was an editor at The Crimson White student newspaper and also an associate producer with University Television Services.
At The Birmingham News she covered communities, education, and local government before moving to Nashville, Tennessee and working as education editor at The Tennessean. She has also worked in corporate communications and as a visiting professor of journalism at the University of Alabama. In 1998, she returned to The Birmingham News and was the breaking news editor before leaving in 2012.
A founding member of the Birmingham Association of Black Journalists, Sherrell is active in several community organizations. She is on the board of Special Equestrians and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Down Syndrome Alabama, and the Echo Highlands Neighborhood Association.
Alabama Charter Schools Group Awarded $25 Million Federal Grant
08-23-2019
The U.S. Department of Education announced a $25 million grant today to support charter schools in Alabama.
MAX Transit Weighs Cuts, Fare Increases
08-22-2019
The Birmingham Jefferson Transit Authority (BJCTA) is considering cuts and fare increases to the MAX bus system. Many bus riders around Birmingham say the buses are unreliable and inefficient.
Revitalization Planned for Historic Black Business District
07-25-2019
The Fourth Avenue Business District in downtown Birmingham once teemed with life. But over decades, the area’s experienced a decline. Many hope a revitalization effort underway could breathe new life into the district.
Avondale Elementary Climate Frustrates Parents and Teachers
07-16-2019
Next month, many area students go back to school. But at Birmingham’s Avondale Elementary School, several teachers and students won’t be returning after what they say was a chaotic year.
Birmingham Celebrates Historic A.G. Gaston Motel Anniversary
07-1-2019
Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. often planned strategy for the civil rights movement in room 30 at the A.G. Gaston Motel. For others, it was a place for wedding receptions and fancy dances. As restoration of the famed but deteriorating structure begins, Birmingham celebrated the motel’s anniversary and its founder on Monday.
Federal Appeals Court Hears Arguments in Birmingham Minimum Wage Case
06-25-2019
Last summer, a three-judge panel said in its ruling that the “plaintiffs have stated a plausible claim that the Minimum Wage Act had the purpose and effect of depriving Birmingham’s black citizens equal economic opportunities on the basis of race.”
Two Homewood Dispatchers Claim Discrimination in Lawsuit
06-24-2019
The City of Homewood is facing a federal lawsuit after two police dispatchers say department leaders discriminated against them at work.
Southern Baptists Apologize for Sex Abuse Coverups
06-13-2019
In the last day of the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Birmingham, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination apologized for decades of sexual abuse and cover ups in the church.
Southern Baptists Vote to Address Sex Abuse in Churches
06-12-2019
Thousands of Southern Baptists are in Birmingham this week for the denomination’s annual meeting. In the first day of business, the convention voted to amend its constitution to take steps against sex abuse.
Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris Campaigns in Birmingham
06-7-2019
In her Friday speech in Birmingham, Sen. Kamala Harris promised to stand up for women’s access to reproductive care, take on gun control and work to give all Americans quality healthcare.
