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Birmingham 101 series pays tribute to Parker High SchoolThe Birmingham 101 series continues this semester with a focus on the historic A.H. Parker High School on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the UAB Hill Student Center Ballroom. The evening begins with a 5 p.m. reception, followed by a panel discussion at 6 p.m. and a Q&A session at 7:30 p.m. All events in the series are free and open to the public.

UAB Student Involvement and Leadership and the Leadership and Service Council are the hosts for this four-part series that focuses on the rich heritage of Birmingham neighborhoods as reflected through the local high schools. David Dada, Coordinator of Civic Engagement, shares that the idea for this series came about as he was reflecting on the fact that many UAB students are not from the Birmingham area and he saw the need to combat misinformation about the city in general.

“Being a product of Birmingham City Schools myself, I knew that in the urban context, the makeup of the local public high school often mirrors the population of the neighborhood. That's where the idea came from to feature two schools a semester and host panel discussions with graduates of the featured school from each decade starting with the 1950's and 60's to now, or when the school closed if it is no longer open. This would allow for us to facilitate a conversation around the development of the school and surrounding community over time with people who would be some of the most knowledgeable about the area.”

Alumni will share their experiences of growing up in these communities. Many of them are also affiliated with UAB in some way. Last semester’s events highlighted West End and Woodlawn high schools with panelists including a number of distinguished guests such as UAB President Ray Watts (West End ‘72) and State Representative Oliver Robinson (Woodlawn ‘78). The final event will be in April, focusing on Ensley High School.

Panelists for this month’s event include:

  • Dr. Willie May, director, National Institute of Standards and Technology (Parker ‘64)
  • Dr. Pamela Brown, assistant professor, UAB School of Nursing (Parker ‘84)
  • Mr. Rodney George, coordinator, UAB Campus Dining Services (Parker ‘90)
  • Ms. Alanah Melton, operations administrator, City of Birmingham’s Mayor Office - Division of Youth Services (Parker ‘98)

Prior to 1939, Parker was known as Negro High School as it was the first public high school for African Americans in Birmingham. It was renamed in honor of its first principal, A. H. Parker.

The university’s ties to Parker go further than the featured panelists. Drs. Richard C. Dale and Samuel W. Sullivan, the first two black medical students to attend UAB School of Medicine, were Parker graduates. Next fall, UAB will welcome Eugene Minter, senior wide receiver at Parker High School, who recently committed to play for UAB Football.

For more information about the Birmingham 101 series, contact Student Involvement and Leadership at 205-934-8020 or at getinvolved@uab.edu.