Three local African Americans have served in Walker County’s juvenile court as probation officers over the last 37 years.
Jerry Callahan is a 1986 graduate of Walker High School and later received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Mississippi Valley State University in 1993. In 1994, Callahan became the first African-American Walker County Juvenile Probation Officer hired by Judge James C. Brotherton until 1999. Later, Callahan became a Supervision Juvenile Probation Officer at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court in Cleveland, Ohio for 10 years. Presently, Callahan is the Court Clerk and Magistrate at The Town of Parrish Municipal Court since 2013. Callahan serves as Chairman on the Board of Directors for Capstone Rural Health. Callahan hobbies include being a referee for The Alabama High School Athletic Association in basketball, volleyball, and a basketball referee for the Alabama Community College Conference.
On Jan. 3, 2022, Saderia Danielle Morman became the second African-American (first Female African-American) Walker County Juvenile Probation Officer and Magistrate hired by Judge Henry Allred. Morman is a 1993 graduate of Parrish High School. She is also a graduate of Bevill State Community College with an Associate Degree in Business Administration, a graduate of The University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations along with completed coursework at The University of West Alabama with a focus in Counseling and Psychology.
Morman has 20-plus years of working with children and families in the Walker County area which includes the Jasper Family Services Center, Bevill State Community College, Alabama Career Center, Salvation Army (1st African-American Service Center Director) and the Beacon House (1st African-American Executive Director).
Morman is the daughter of the Tyletha Morman-Sealey and the late Horace L. Morman Sr., the mother of Malika Morman and soon to be DeeDee of Nylah Brielle. She is also a Licensed Evangelist in the Church of God in Christ and truly feels that the work she does is her calling from God.
On Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, Shaneeka Evans became the third African-American (2nd Female African-American) Walker County Juvenile Court Probation Officer & Magistrate hired by Allred. Evans graduated from Parrish High School in 1993 and attended Alabama State University before transferring to Bevill State Community College and obtaining an Associate’s Degree in History. Evans obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social and Behavioral Science from The University of Alabama in Birmingham, AL.
Evans has over 20 years of experience working with children and adolescents in the Jasper City School System and Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center, as well as mentoring and assisting adults that struggled with homelessness (first African-American Mentor Coordinator for the Coalition for the Homeless) and mental illness (Residential Group Home Manager, Case Manager, & In-Home Co-Therapist for NWAMHC).
Evans is the proud mother of two handsome sons (Christopher and Christian). Evans enjoys cooking, traveling, dancing, visiting art museums, listening to music, crafting, spending time with family and friends and watching and attending sporting events.
Written by Shaneeka Evans in honor of Black History Month.
