Alabama

Life After Hate: Leaving the White Supremacist Movement

Angela King was a neo-Nazi in her home state of Florida for eight years. After the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, King started to question how far she was willing to go for her white supremacist beliefs. She tried to leave the group, but failed.

Al Sharpton Challenges Adults To Support Wenonah Students

“You are not responsible for how you was born or who your parents were,” he said, “but you are responsible for what you do with the rest of your life," Rev. Al Sharpton.

Congressman Gary Palmer Holds Town Hall Despite Recent Protests

U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer fielded questions from constituents at a town hall in Hoover Saturday. Palmer’s visit follows a slew of contentious public meetings involving members of Congress and their […]

Birmingham Immigrant Communities on Edge Following Crackdown

Raids in search of undocumented immigrants have yet to take place in Alabama, but many immigrant communities in the state fear it’s only a matter of time.

Pro-Life, Higher Ed Bills Gain Traction Days Into The Legislative Session

Funding cuts for public colleges and universities that don’t follow federal and state immigration law, and an amendment declaring Alabama a pro-life state were among the issues quickly making their way […]

Rise in Anti-Minority Violence Appears Tied to Current Political Climate

There’s been a dramatic rise in hate-related crimes and anti-minority violence in the last year. The Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham was evacuated on Jan. 9 following a bomb […]

Alabama GOP Leader on Trump, Protests and More

There's been no shortage of controversy about President Donald Trump's first days in office, but the Republican grass roots of Alabama generally support what he's done so far. So we checked in with state Republican party chair Terry Lathan to get her perspective.

Noise Music and Birmingham’s Growing Local Music Scene

When it comes to live, local music, Birmingham is still in it's infancy. From The Spring Street Firehouse, Saturn and WorkPlay have emerged as creative spaces where the city's many talented, local artists can perform and make a name for themselves.

Attorney General: Alabama Death Penalty Law “Constitutional”

The U.S. Supreme Court is refusing to hear arguments in a case involving Alabama’s death penalty sentencing scheme.

Birmingham Women’s March Draws Massive Crowd

Weather forecasters warned of severe thunderstorms and the possibility of tornadoes, but even that wasn’t enough to keep hundreds from gathering at Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham for the Women’s March.

Birmingham: A Community that Speaks for the Trees

As you travel around Birmingham, you might notice signs that billing it as “Tree City USA.” The city was given the designation because of its sprawling urban forest. The term urban forest refers to the tree-top landscape seen in some major cities, especially ones in the South. However, the issue is how to balance the vitality and existence of Birmingham’s trees with the city’s planned renaissance and expansion.

Achievement, Graduation Rates Top State Superintendent’s Agenda

"There are certain schools, there are certain programs in this state that are as good as you’re going to find in the United States of America. We don’t have enough of them." Michael Sentance.

US Attorney General Lynch Gives Final Speech in Birmingham

US Attorney General Loretta Lynch spoke to a packed congregation at the 16th St. Baptist Church yesterday to commemorate Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Lynch says the city’s past and King’s work have made Birmingham a beacon for civil rights in the United States.

Magical Things Happen Here….

Musician Kevin Kozak of Homewood…

The Power of Music…

Dementia Care Coordinator Pam Leonard of Alabaster…

How Do National Championship Foes Alabama and Clemson Really Compare?

Most analysts compare defensive lines, secondaries, quarterbacks and ground games. But the Southern Education Desk decided to look at other facts about these two southern universities.

U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions and a Look at Civil Rights

Jeff Sessions’ civil rights track record is on trial and is likely to remain a topic of conversation until his confirmation hearing. Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper Weld discusses a little about how civil rights actually work.

Talladega College President Undecided On Band’s Inauguration Performance

Talladega College doesn’t have a football team, but it has a band – the Marching Tornadoes. More than 100 band members from the historically black college east of Birmingham have been […]

The Queer Library: A New Home for LGBT Literature

The brainchild of Change Project founder Steven Romeo, every book is written by an LGBT author or contains LGBT content.

Gardendale School System Hearings End, Federal Judge Weighs Decision On Independent System

Federal Judge Madeline Haikala is considering whether Gardendale can pull out of the Jefferson County system & start its own without violating civil rights.

Two Mountain Brook Students to take the Big TED-Ed Stage

Mountain Brook High School sophomores Brett Lewis and Sean Fredella have been selected to present their talks at the first ever TED-Ed Weekend in New York.

First Rain After Drought is Both Good and Bad

Groups that monitor Alabama’s waterways say there are some drawbacks and are warning of potential health risks found in and around rivers and streams.

Alabama Cattle Ranchers Hit Hard by Drought

After months of warm, dry weather, it did finally rain this week. But a few days of precipitation won’t erase months of drought. The lack of rainfall has crippled the state’s $2 billion cattle industry. The drought has forced ranchers to buy hay from out-of-state and if the dry weather persists this winter, things could get a lot worse for farmers and their herds.

Anxiety and Fear: Birmingham Muslims React to Election of Donald Trump

When Donald Trump was on the campaign trail, he made a promise to “make America great again.” Part of that plan involves a complete and total ban on Muslim immigrants […]

Jeff Co Death Sentence Numbers One of Highest in Nation, Report Finds

Jefferson County has one of the highest rates of capital punishment in the nation, according to a report released last month by Harvard Law School’s Fair Punishment Project. The report […]

Big Push to Make AL Civil Rights Monuments National Parks

A big push is underway to designate several Alabama civil rights locations as national parks. National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, Congresswoman Terri Sewell and Mayor William Bell joined Jewell for a tour of Birmingham's civil rights district.

Protecting Yourself from a Cyber Attack

A cyber attack known as a distributed denial of service or DDoS took out several website-based companies last Friday. Users of Twitter, Netflix and the Birmingham News’ AL.com were denied access to these sites for several hours. Nick Patterson, from the weekly newspaper Weld, looks at how this attack affects you and what you can do to prevent being a victim of this in the future.

Affecting your surroundings…

Aspiring hip-hop artist and vegan activist, Walter Duke of Birmingham…

Making a quilt doesn’t have to take that long…

Retired quilter, Vasha Rosenblum of Birmingham…

We have to work together…

Manager of Primates and Giant Otters, Danielle Williams of Birmingham…

Attorney: Suspension is Not Removal; Roy Moore Still Chief Justice

Attorneys for Roy Moore say he’s technically still Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, despite being suspended for the remainder of his term without pay. Mat Staver is with […]

AL Climatologists: Current Drought Once in a Lifetime Phenomenon

State climatologists say the ongoing drought in some areas of Alabama is a phenomenon seen roughly once in a lifetime. The U.S. Drought Monitor rates stricken areas on a scale […]