Students to Help Unveil Marker for Victims of Lynching

The Equal Justice Initiative to unveil a historical marker memorializing eight African American men lynched in Tuscaloosa County between 1884 and 1933. At 4:45 PM on Monday, March 6, 2017, Tuscaloosa County residents will join EJI staff in unveiling the marker. The group will gather at 2803 6th Street , directly in front of the Old Tuscaloosa County jail, on the corner of 6th Street and 28th Avenue. Staff and community members will offer remarks and join together in prayer. Following the unveiling, at 5:30 PM, a program commemorating the marker unveiling will begin at First African Baptist Church on 2621 Stillman Boulevard. This program will feature remarks made by Tuscaloosa community members including ministers, EJI staff, and performances by Tuscaloosa area choirs. Winners of a high school essay competition will be recognized and awarded over $5000 in scholarships and prizes. The first place winner will read his or her essay. EJI’s director, Bryan Stevenson, will also offer remarks. EJI has documented more than 4,000 racial terror lynchings of African Americans between the End of Reconstruction in 1877 and 1950 – at least 360 were lynched in Alabama, and eight lost their lives in Tuscaloosa County. Through its Community Remembrance Project, EJI erects historical markers at lynching sites, driven by the belief that public acknowledgement of mass violence is essential not only for victims and survivors but also for perpetrators and bystanders who suffer from trauma related to their participation in systematic violence. EJI believes that by reckoning with the trust of the racial violence that has shaped our communities, community members can begin a necessary conversation that advances healing and conciliation. EJI invites members of the general public to join us on March 6th as we recognize those tragically victimized in Tuscaloosa County and unveil the marker bearing their names. Community members are welcome to attend either the marker unveiling at 4:45, the commemoration program at 5:30, or both. For more information, please contact: Evan Milligan, EJI 334-269-1803 emilligan@eji.org

Please join Professor John Giggie and students from his seminar on Southern memory course as they gather with Bryan Stevenson and members of the Equal Justice Initiative for the unveiling of a historical marker to the victims of lynching in Tuscaloosa County.  Prof. Giggie’s students have spent the semester researching the eight documented lynchings in Tuscaloosa County and will present on the meaning of their work during the unveiling ceremony.

The group will gather at 2803 6th Street (Google Maps Link), directly in front of the Old Tuscaloosa County jail, on the corner of 6th Street and 28th Avenue, at 4:45 PM, Monday, March 6, 2017. Following the unveiling, at 5:30 PM, a program commemorating the marker unveiling will begin at First African Baptist Church on 2621 Stillman Boulevard (Google Maps Link). This program will feature remarks made by Tuscaloosa community members, including ministers, EJI staff, and performances by Tuscaloosa area choirs. Winners of a high school essay competition will be recognized and awarded over $5000 in scholarships and prizes. The first place winner will read his or her essay. EJI’s director, Bryan Stevenson, will also offer remarks.

The efforts of Dr. Giggie’s class and the EJI were recently featured in detail by UA’s Media Relations Office. Read more about this important story on their site [Link].

For more information, please contact:

Evan Milligan (EJI) – 334-269-1803 or Professor John Giggie (202) 348-7100