Comedian Roy Wood Jr. showed up in downtown Birmingham at 8 a.m. to help clean up after businesses were vandalized following violence in the wake of Sunday night’s protests.
But by the time he got there, other volunteers had already arrived and had been at work since 6 a.m. to help with the cleanup in his hometown, he said. The hometown comic set to work unloading plywood and helping to sweep up glass. He described the scene as “complete strangers helping complete strangers,” cutting across ages and races with a homeless person helping at one point.
“Showing up this morning and seeing people was reassuring in that I’m not alone in feeling this way about caring for strangers,” Wood said. "You can’t deny how fate sets you up to help someone else.
“And I needed the cardio,” he added.
Overnight, businesses in downtown Birmingham experienced at least 14 burglaries and 13 businesses reported significant property damage, Police Chief Patrick Smith said. Birmingham firefighters also responded to 22 fire calls and five commercial fires.
About 100 people joined Wood at Adams Eyecare on 5th Avenue North. Juanakee Adams, who has been there for 31 years, was Alabama’s first licensed black female optometrist. She said four windows and a door were busted out, with some eyeglasses frame cases broken and some frames taken.
She said help came from church members, sorority members, neighbors and fellow optometrists. So much help came, she said, she passed some of it off to neighboring businesses. She expects to see resume seeing patients later this week.
“I’ve just been so blessed by this positive response,” she said.
At California Fashion Mall on 19th Street, volunteers in face masks, careful to maintain precautions against COVID-19, showed up to help as the business boarded up windows smashed Sunday night. The smell of smoke and charred wood was still thick in the air around lunch time at the burned out location.
Chloe Cook was one of those who came. She works on 2nd Avenue and accompanied friends who wanted to help.
“We’re seeing a bunch of people who support different organizations and businesses downtown, some who took part in the protests, and wanted to contribute,” Cook said. “People have been asking for change. With the damage, no one likes to see it, but when people don’t feel like their voice is being heard, this is what can happen. I’m not going to pass judgement - this is where we are.”
Jason Templin is one of the four owners of Shu Shop on 3rd Avenue North. The restaurant’s front was boarded up after its glass front was broken overnight. The owners arrived last night and took shifts to make sure everything stayed put in the store until they could buy plywood to shore up the entrance.
By noon Monday, there were workers at other storefronts as others handed out free food to those who came.
“It was just glass to clean up. We are fine,” Templin said. “We’ve seen great support for our community. We are concerned with the health and welfare of our city, and we want this to mean something. We want to see change.”
Further down the street in the city’s theater district, both the Alabama Theatre and the Lyric were being boarded up. Glenny Brock, outreach director for Birmingham Landmarks Inc., said scores of people came asking how to help, bringing food and water.
“This is not the end of downtown,” she said. “This is something we will endure and come through in the way that Birmingham always does.”
The damage affected businesses large and small. Regions Bank’s remote drive-through location on 5th Avenue North was closed today after being damaged overnight, Evelyn Mitchell, Senior Vice President and Head of Media Relations for Regions, said Regions Center at 5th Ave. and 20th Street sustained minor damage.
Alabama Power said there was damage to the company’s headquarters building on 18th Street.
“While it’s unfortunate, it pales in comparison to the hurt, pain and concern faced by so many in our community and across the nation,” the company said in a statement. “Buildings can be replaced, but lives cannot. We must come together – business, communities and individuals alike – to fight against injustice and encourage and promote unity.”
Wood said he was encouraged to see the diversity of the groups coming to help. At Adams Eyecare, he saw children as young as eight pitching in.
“It was my first time there,” he said. “I’ve been blessed with 20/20 vision.”
Comedian Jermaine “FunnyMaine” Johnson was also at Adams Eyecare. On his Twitter account, he said he delivered $1,000 to Adams Eyecare to help with the cleanup. He also took to the account to say he was raising money to rebuild black businesses - one of several fundraising projects ongoing in the city.
Johnson earlier today responded to criticism that he helped to incite violent protests, saying those leveling charges "need to think again.”
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June 02, 2020 at 02:44AM
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Comedian Roy Wood Jr. among volunteers cleaning up Birmingham - AL.com
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