Activities Commemorate 50th Anniversary of UA’s Desegregation

From the September 2013 Desktop News | As part of the yearlong commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of The University of Alabama, the College has a full schedule of “Through the Doors” events underway, including lectures and trips to the state’s capital. The events highlight the last 50 years of transformation on campus with an emphasis on courage, change, and progress toward the future.

The Rose Gladney Lecture for Justice and Social Change will begin the series of events.  The lecture annually brings a speaker to campus to increase connections between UA and the Tuscaloosa community. “Hands on the Freedom Plough: Reflections on the Black Freedom Movement,” will take place September 18 at 7 p.m. in Room 205 of Gorgas Library. The speakers include Constance Curry and Doris Derby, who will speak about their experiences in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

Curry and Derby contributed to the book Hands on the Freedom Plough: Personal Accounts of Women in the SNCC, which include accounts from women who were part of  the SNCC, a major organization in the grassroots efforts of the civil rights movement. Books will be available for sale and signing.

Noted political scientist Wilbur Rich will speak about his early life in Montgomery during the Civil Rights Era. “Growing Up in Segregated Montgomery,” will take place September 18 at 2 p.m. in the Ferguson Forum on the UA campus.

Dr. Rich will also discuss civil rights and political participation with New College LifeTrack students enrolled in the course Women in the Civil Rights Movement. For more information on this talk, contact Margaret A. Purcell at mpurcell@ccs.ua.edu.

A third event this month is a two day student trip to the state capital September 19-20, where students will visit historical sites, museums, and archives and reflect upon the difference, if any, between historical records and selected histories of women who participated in the American Civil Rights movement. This trip is sponsored by New College and the Department of Gender and Race Studies.