Kierraonna Keke Rice

Kierra’onna “Keke” Rice was a young teenager from Birmingham whose friends and family remember her for a warm smile and an eye for fashion. Born April 1, 2000, Kierra’onna was the eldest child of Alicia Rice and James Cooper Jr., and she grew up in a family that loved and supported her.

A freshman in high school, Kierra’onna enjoyed expressing herself through style and hair — small, everyday details that mattered to her and to those who knew her. Family members described her as kind-hearted and someone friends turned to; one relative said she was “the mama of the group,” a sign that even at 14 she offered care and companionship to peers.

Kierra’onna’s life was rooted in her community and family ties. She attended church in Birmingham and spent time with cousins and friends who shared her interests. Those who loved her recall the ordinary, human things that made up her days: going to school, talking with friends, and planning for the future that every teenager imagines.

Her death on February 27, 2015, was a profound loss to a family and circle of friends who remember her as more than the headlines that followed. While public reports provide some details about the events of that evening, what endures in memory are Kierra’onna’s relationships and the small kindnesses she offered others. Her grandmother, mother, siblings, and classmates have spoken about the space she left behind and their wish that her life be honored for who she was — a young person with energy, style, and a caring spirit.

Those who wish to honor Kierra’onna’s memory have shared photographs, memories, and messages of love; community notices at the time helped family and friends gather to mourn and remember. Though her life was short, those who knew her keep vivid the sense of a girl who mattered: to her family, to friends, and to a community left to grieve and to remember her gentle presence.