Birmingham Sigmabetaclub

As we move through August, salute and celebrate Black Women!!!
💙Meet Jessie Shepherd💙

As we move through August, salute and celebrate Black Women!!!
💙Meet AL State Senator Merika Coleman💙
Merika Coleman (born
September 6, 1973) who is
a member of the Alabama Senate, representing the 19th district since 2022.
She previously served in the Alabama House of Representatives, representing its 57th
district from 2002 to 2022.

As we move through August, salute and celebrate Black Women!!!
💙Meet Sigma Beta Parent 💙
💙MONIQUE WOODS PIERCE💙

As we move through August, salute and celebrate Black Women!!!
💙Meet Mrs. Chalmers💙
On one protest demonstration, Mrs . Mamie Ruth King Chalmers was captured on film by photographer, Charles Moore, being abused while demonstrating.The image of her and two other males pinned to the wall by high- pressured water force administered by two Birmingham firemen was published in LIFE Magazine of 1963.

As we move through August, salute and celebrate Black Women!!!
💙Meet Mrs. Rudolph 💙
Sarah Collins Rudolph was “The Fifth Victim” in September, 1963 when the Ku Klux Klan bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Mrs Rudolph, 12 at the time, survived the bombing but suffered critical injuries. Her sister, Addie Mae, was one of the 4 girls killed by the bomb. She lives with her husband George C. Rudolph not far from Birmingham.

THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS ACCEPTING THE RESPONSIBILITY AND LOVING THE CHALLENGE.

As we move through August, salute and celebrate Black Women!!! 💙Meet Maria Hatch💙

As we move through August, salute and celebrate Black Women!!!
💙Meet Eloise Gaffney💙
Dr. Eloise Ford Gaffney is a Birmingham civil rights activist, gospel musician, choir director, and community leader whose life connects two important parts of Birmingham’s history: the Civil Rights Movement and the city’s rich gospel music tradition.

Civil Rights Movement
Gaffney became involved in the movement as a young girl. At 13 years old, she became the youngest member of the Christian Unity Choir, which sang at civil rights meetings and demonstrations. The choir was organized in connection with the movement led by Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth and became an important source of music and encouragement during the struggle for racial equality.

The 1963 Children's Crusade
In 1963, Gaffney participated in Birmingham’s historic Children’s Crusade, when thousands of young people protested segregation. She was among the teenagers arrested during the demonstrations and experienced the harsh treatment used against protesters, including police dogs and high-pressure fire hoses.

A Personal Connection to 16th Street Baptist Church
Gaffney’s experiences were deeply personal. She was a classmate and friend of Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley, two of the four girls killed in the bombing of Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15, 1963.
Gospel Music Leadership
Gaffney’s influence extends beyond the Civil Rights Movement. She became a prominent figure in Birmingham’s gospel music community and has held leadership positions within the Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA). She has served as Chairlady of the GMWA Women of Worship, a member of the GMWA National Board, and a representative of the Birmingham chapter.

Carlton Reese Memorial Unity Choir
Gaffney is closely associated with the Carlton Reese Memorial Unity Choir, which grew out of Birmingham’s Civil Rights Movement. Through her work with the choir and the broader gospel community, she has helped preserve the musical and spiritual legacy of Birmingham’s movement history.

Legacy
Dr. Eloise Ford Gaffney represents an important living connection to Birmingham’s civil rights history. Her story reflects the courage of young people who participated in the movement and the enduring role that gospel music played in giving strength, unity, and hope to the community. Her work as a musician, educator, choir leader, and community advocate

As we move through August, salute and celebrate Black Women!!! 💙Meet Cleo Kennedy💙

Cleo “Cleopatra” Kennedy is a Birmingham, Alabama, gospel vocalist whose life connects the city’s Civil Rights Movement with the wider history of American gospel and popular music. As a young woman in Birmingham, she became a featured singer in the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) choir, the musical voice of the local movement. Historical recordings and archival notes preserve her voice from the Birmingham campaign era.
Kennedy was closely associated with Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, a central Birmingham movement site.
A later account describes her as a standout choir member who was often called upon to sing solos before sermons by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She also participated directly in demonstrations and was jailed during the Birmingham Campaign.
Her recorded work from the period is especially important. Smithsonian Folkways documents City Called Heaven with Cleo Kennedy and Carlton Reese, as well as Yes, We Want Our Freedom performed by Kennedy and Reese. The recordings show that Kennedy’s voice and Reese’s musical leadership were part of the same freedom-song tradition.
After the movement years, Kennedy built an extensive gospel career. She joined Dorothy Love Coates and the Gospel Harmonettes in the late 1960s, later worked with Rev. James Cleveland and his musical organizations, and performed or recorded in the popular-music world. Her career eventually included work with artists such as Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen.
In 1992-1993, Kennedy toured internationally as a background vocalist with Bruce Springsteen. Her career therefore represents a remarkable journey from Birmingham freedom songs to major national and international stages.

Leaders.
Gentlemen.
The Whole Package.