Tuscaloosa in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

The Civil Rights Era

City of Tuscaloosa

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, February 25, 2023

1. The Civil Rights Era Marker

Inscription. After World War II, significant efforts were made to change the existing social and political systems historically dominated by segregation and white supremacy.

Tuscaloosa became a national focal point in the struggle for equal rights. In 1956, as Autherine Lucy attempted to attend classes at the University of Alabama, rioting broke out. As a result, Miss Lucy was suspended. Gov. George Wallace made his “stand in the schoolhouse door” in 1963 before a more successful attempt was made to desegregate the University.

Local civil rights efforts led by Rev. T. Y. Rodgers, Joe Mallisham, and others resulted in public school integration in 1970 and changes in methods of electing local officials. In 1985 Charles Steele and John England were the first blacks elected to the Tuscaloosa City Council.

Erected by City of Tuscaloosa.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. A significant historical year for this entry is 1956.

Location. 33° 12.546′ N, 87° 33.864′ W. Marker is in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in Tuscaloosa County. Marker can be reached from 7th Street west of 21st Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Marker is in Government Plaza. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2106 6th St, Tuscaloosa AL 35401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least

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8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. African-American Business District (a few steps from this marker); Into The Twenty-First Century (a few steps from this marker); Senator Richard Shelby (within shouting distance of this marker); Answering the Call to Duty (within shouting distance of this marker); 1887: The Beginnings of Modern Tuscaloosa (within shouting distance of this marker); April 2011 Tornado Outbreak (within shouting distance of this marker); The Founding of Tuscaloosa (within shouting distance of this marker); The Earliest Tuscaloosans and Our Namesake (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tuscaloosa.

Regarding The Civil Rights Era. Lucy challenged her suspension, winning a federal court order overturning it. But the university then permanently expelled her on a hastily contrived technicality, saying that her court case made her an "unsuitable' student. Feeling further legal action would be pointless, she and the NAACP did not contest the expulsion. In April 1988, the university officially annulled the expulsion and Lucy earned a Master's in Education degree from Alabama four years later. She died on March 2, 2022, at the age of 92.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, February 25, 2023

2. The Civil Rights Era Marker

"Stand in the Schoolhouse Door" image. Click for full size.

Warren K. Leffler via Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division (Public Domain), June 11, 1963

3. "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door"

Then-Gov. George Wallace (second from left) defiantly stands at the entrance of the University of Alabama's Foster Auditorium as Deputy U.S. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach confronts him over the state official's refusal to desegregate the university.

Via Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division (public domain), March 2, 1956

4. The Civil Rights Era Marker

Autherine Lucy (center) is flanked by Roy Wilkins (left) and Thurgood Marshall, director and special counsel for NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, during a press conference. Lucy was attempting to desegregate the University of Alabama.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 120 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 28, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.