In June 2015, three friends came together with a vision. While preparing for their first year in college, they organized a back-to-school concert to help the community. They called their former school classmates, friends, family, and church members to form a choir for the occasion. The result became “The Birmingham Youth Fellowship Choir.”  On the night of July 24, 2015, the choir held its first concert and donated over 200 school supply bags to students across the Birmingham Community. Initially, the choir was organized for the one-time event, but after overwhelming acclaim, it continued. 

The founder and choir director is Ahkeem R. Lee. The choir’s membership comprises over fifty dedicated youth and young adults across the Birmingham Metropolitan Area. The choir has opened for Former Senator Doug Jones, Bishop Marvin Winans, Tamela Mann, and Maurette Brown-Clark, and has performed at conventions and events such as the Gospel Music Workshop of America and the Atlanta Hawks. 

In 2022, the choir officially changed its name to the Birmingham Youth & Young Adult Fellowship Choir to represent its growing membership. Most recently, the choir was featured on America’s Got Talent Season 20, earning Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer. The choir is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to provide a creative space for youth and young adults to develop and share their musical talents through proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Ahkeem Lee (Director)

Ahkeem Lee is an educator, choir director, nonprofit leader, and historian from Birmingham, Alabama. A lifelong member of the Historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, he developed a passion for history early—beginning as a tour guide for visitors at just eight years old. He specializes in African American Studies, with a particular focus on the Civil Rights Era and Birmingham history. Ahkeem earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Birmingham-Southern College (2019) and a Master of Education in Higher Education from the University of West Alabama (2020).

Two weeks after graduating from Ramsay High School in 2015, Ahkeem founded the Birmingham Youth & Young Adult Fellowship Choir, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization he has led for nearly 11 years. The choir recently appeared on Season 20 of America’s Got Talent, earning the Golden Buzzer from Simon Cowell and advancing to the Semifinals, and has released new music including an original single and a collaboration with Grammy Award-winning artist Chris Tomlin. Ahkeem is employed in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he advises the Blazer Mentorship Collective—a large mentorship program specializing in supporting underrepresented students through connection, leadership development, and campus resources. He is passionate about uplifting the next generation through gospel music, history, and education.