Civil Rights – Department of History

Department Sponsors Symposium on Alabama Politics

December 8, 2022

On October 3, 2022, the Department sponsored “Rethinking Alabama Politics from the Civil War to the Present.” Over 100 students, faculty, and community members attended the day-long symposium that brought together today’s leading historians on Alabama history for a reappraisal of post-Civil-War era Alabama history through the lenses of diverse elements such as interracial relationships, immigration, Lost Cause mythology, and organized protest. Participants included Auburn University’s Dr. Jennifer Brooks and Dr. Steven Brown; Auburn University at Montgomery’s Dr. Ben Severance; […]

Rethinking Alabama Politics from the Civil War to the Present: A History Symposium

September 15, 2022

Join the Department of History on Monday, October 3, 2022 for Rethinking Alabama Politics from the Civil War to the Present: A History Symposium. This event brings together today’s leading historians on Alabama history for a reappraisal of post-Civil-War era Alabama history. Lunch will be served for graduate students and panelists. Students should contact Brian Martin to RSVP. Camelia Room, Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library, The University of Alabama Monday, October 3, 2022 9 am – 5 pm Refreshments Available […]

Beito’s T.R.M. Howard: Doctor, Entrepreneur, Civil Rights Pioneer Named Best Biography

January 28, 2021

Congratulations to Dr. David Beito and Dr. Linda Royster Beito, who were recently awarded the prize for best biography at the 2020 American Book Fest! Their book, T.R.M. Howard: Doctor, Entrepreneur, Civil Rights Pioneer, brilliantly examines the life and accomplishments of this civil rights leader, including his work in the civil rights movement and in building vital Black community organizations. What a spectacular way to cap Dr. David Beito’s many years here at Alabama!

SCSS Director Visits Civil Rights Landmark with Task Force

November 18, 2020

Dr. John Giggie and officials from the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights Task Force visited with family members of Rev. T. W. Linton, who passed away last May, at Linton’s former barbershop. Linton was one of the organizers of the 1963 “Bloody Tuesday” march from First African Baptist Church to the newly-opened Tuscaloosa County Courthouse to protest the buildings segregated drinking fountains. The Tuscaloosa Civil Rights Task Force is exploring the purchase of Rev. Linton’s barbershop, which played a key role in […]

Giggie & Stovall Partner with Local Churches to Create Civil Rights Guide to State’s AMEZ Churches

November 18, 2020

Dr. John Giggie and Ms. Liz Stovall, a Ph.D student focusing on Black migration in the antebellum US, have joined with Rev. Thaddeus Steele, Pastor of Hunter Chapel AMEZ Church in Tuscaloosa, to complete a civil rights guide of African Methodist Episcopal Zion Churches in Alabama. They will work with members from individual congregations to research and write their churches histories and integrate them into a larger state-wide guide, titled “The AME Zion Historical Civil Rights and Freedom Trail of […]

Dr. John Giggie Featured in Podcast about Race and Justice

October 8, 2020

Graphic that shows the deep South and says "reckon interview 2020: The South Decides Broken Justice."

Over the past several weeks, Dr. John Giggie has been quoted or featured in a number of news story run by Alabama Public Radio, National Public Radio, USA Today, and CNN. Most recently he was featured in a podcast titled “Broken Justice,” about lynching and the roots of mass incarceration.

Cappello, Brock, and Smith interview Bill Baxley

January 12, 2020

Drs. Lawrence Cappello and Julia Brock, along with History triple-major Andrew Smith, interviewed Bill Baxley this week for the Birmingham Bar Association (BBA). Baxley is a University of Alabama graduate and a former Attorney General (1971-1979) and Lt. Governor (1983-1987) for Alabama. His tenure as A.G. is particularly noteworthy for his prosecution Civil Rights cold cases, including the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, and creating the state’s first environmental protection unit. The interview is the first in a series conducted by […]

Summersell Center and Civil Rights History Task Force Publish Civil Rights Trail Book

May 9, 2019

Director of the Frances J. Summersell Center for the Study of the South , Dr. John Giggie, working with students from his class on Religion and Civil Rights at The University of Alabama and members of the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History Task Force, recently published a 37-page Civil Rights History Trail guide for the city of Tuscaloosa. Based partly on student research, the pamphlet chronicles the history of key events, institutions, and individuals associated with the local history of the movement. In […]

Dr. David Beito’s T.R.M. Howard: Doctor, Entrepreneur, Civil Rights Pioneer Named Best Biography

April 10, 2019

Drs. David Beito and Linda Royster Beito’s recent work, T.R.M. Howard: Doctor, Entrepreneur, Civil Rights Pioneer, won the 31st Annual Benjamin Franklin Award for best biography from the Independent Book Publishers Association, the largest organization of book publishers in the United States. T.R.M. Howard was selected from a field of more than one hundred entrants. It tells the remarkable story of one of the early leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Howard was a respected surgeon, important black community leader, […]

Phi Alpha Theta Students Participate in Selma-to-Montgomery March Commemoration

March 20, 2015

Members from the Beta-Omicron Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta traveled recently to Selma, Alabama, where they participated in ceremonies commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the landmark Selma-to-Montgomery March. The were accompanied by Dr. Sarah Steinbock-Pratt. The trip was organized by the Department of Gender and Race Studies and underwritten by University Programs.

Department of History

College of Arts & Sciences

Tag: Civil Rights