Archive of ‘Wednesday’s Word’ category

Yo Mama’s Celebrates Fifth Birthday in Birmingham

Five delicious years: How Yo Mama’s became a downtown dining staple

By Chanda Temple

Once you’ve been in business for five years, you’d think there would be balloons, a cake and maybe even a DJ to help celebrate your years of success, right?

Not so for Yo Mama’s, the award-winning restaurant in downtown Birmingham. Instead of throwing a party to mark their 5 years in business this week, the mother-daughter team behind the popular eatery, donated their time last Friday night to feed guests staying at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama.

“We hope this meal brings a little sunshine to your Friday,’’ Yo Mama’s co-owner Crystal Peterson said as she joined her mother and business partner, Denise Peterson, in scooping up hot helpings of spaghetti and chicken Alfredo with sausage for parents and children. “It’s always good to give back. That’s why we are here.’’

Those on the receiving end were people like Pam Hallford from Montgomery, whose 15-year-old son, Josh, was in Birmingham to receive intensive physical therapy at Children’s Hospital. The Ronald McDonald House provides housing for families facing extended stays for their child’s medical care.

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Defying the Doubters: Anthony Ray Hinton and His Walk to Freedom

Four years after death row exoneration, Anthony Ray Hinton is a voice for change

By Chanda Temple

When Anthony Ray Hinton walked out of an Alabama lockup after spending nearly 30 years on Death Row for a crime he did not commit, a guard told him: “You’ll be back.’’

But Hinton knew that comment, just like his conviction, was a lie.

Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin, left, and Anthony Ray Hinton

“I said, ‘There was no way because I wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place. I told him just to watch and see,’ ‘’ Hinton recalled.

Four years after Hinton’s release on April 3, 2015, there’s been a lot he’s done for that guard to see.

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You can have it all. It all starts with whether you believe it.

So many times, folks believe they have to have this or that to feel as though they've "made it.'' But that's where they get it wrong. If you feel like you already are the brightest Crayon in the box or the baddest chick on the block, go with it. It's all about what you think. You are what you believe. As long as you believe it, you can achieve it. Go with what you have in your heart and make it work for you on your journey to be great.

So many times, folks believe they have to have this or that to feel as though they’ve “made it.” But that’s where they get it wrong. If you feel like you already are the brightest Crayon in the box or the baddest chick on the block, go with it. It’s all about what you think. You are what you believe. As long as you believe it, you can achieve it. Go with what you have in your heart and make it work for you on your journey to be great.

Will your tomorrow be better than your today?

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By Chanda Temple 

When the sun goes down today, will you weep or will you run?

Weird question, huh? But it’s pretty easy to answer.

Will you weep because you still haven’t done what you’ve been meaning to do to get ahead in life? Or will you run, run to your next destiny because you’ve started to implement a plan of improvement for yourself? It doesn’t matter if you’ve stalled or soared in your plan. The main point is that you’ve started.

No matter your answer in this little quiz, the meaning behind all of it comes down to you. You are the one with the power to decide what will happen when the sun goes down on your dreams. Will you be stumbling around in the dark or will you have vision to see light at the end of the tunnel?

Chanda Temple is a former reporter now working in public relations. She blogs at  http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. Follow her on Twitter at @chandatemple.

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