The Summersell Scholars Program

Logo of the Tuscaloosa Lesbian Coalition. Black and white drawing of a bird, wings spread, head held high, with stars around the head.

The Summersell Scholars Program is a leadership initiative that offers both undergraduate and graduate students the chance to develop new community history programs as well as work in existing ones, enabling them to lead ongoing programs and perform high-level historical research. Scholars share their experiences with each other through a weekly seminar class and the creation of structured reflections on their research.

The Spring 2023 Summersell Scholars are Brooklyn Coleman, Molly Elliott, Gavin Jones, and Carson Silas.

One current project is the archiving and cataloging effort for the Tuscaloosa Lesbian Coalition (TLC) Collection, held in the W. S. Hoole Special Collections Library. This collection documents the TLC’s efforts to bring popular lesbian artists and related cultural events to the Tuscaloosa area from 1986 until the early 2000s. Summersell Scholars are working with UA SafeZone and UA’s Intercultural Diversity Center to design an exhibit on the history of the TLC, which they expect to open in June.

In May, Dr. John Giggie and PhD Student Isabella Garrison will lead Summersell Scholars on a visit to multiple academic and community-based queer archives in Atlanta.

Giggie and Garrison will co-teach The Summersell Center for the Study of the South’s third consecutive Southern Queer History course this fall. HY 354 will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Noon -1:15.

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