To follow in Autherine Lucy's shoes during her brief stay on UA's campus, Brittany Young suggests the following:
Smith Hall: Lucy attended her first class here on Friday, Feb 3, 1963 -- marking the first time a black student enrolled and attended class in UA history. It was a 9am Geography class, and it was raining.
Graves Hall: Lucy's second class met here, and on Monday, Feb 6, 1963 a mob of angry students and curious onlookers chased her from Smith to Graves, necessitating evasive driving by administrator Jeff Bennett. Lucy was stuck in Graves and McLure Halls for over two hours due to the danger posed by these mobs. Eggs, tomatoes, and even bricks were thrown at her head, at the vehicle, and at her supporters.
Reese Phifer: Serving as Student Union at the time, a disturbance on the corner in front of Phifer allowed Lucy to escape McLure into a waiting state police patrol car. Over the weekend prior to Lucy's terrifying Monday of classes, white (mostly male) students and citizens burned pro-integration literature on the steps of Phifer and waved Confederate flas to chants of "Keep Bama White."
Lucy, A "Schoolhouse Hero"
Kamal Muhammad, a TCF minor with film skills, created this video about Lucy and her ordeal. It features his interview with Rev. Thomas Linton, owner of Howard & Linton's Barbershop in Tuscaloosa (still operating today) and a major figure in local Civil Rights History. For more on Rev. Linton click here - but watch Kamal's amazing video first!
