Photo: Alabama Archives
On today, Atlanta Free Speech celebrates a pioneer that is still alive. Autherine Lucy Foster is the first African American to enroll at the University of Alabama in the year 1952. When school administrators discovered she was black they denied her admittance, but she later re-enrolled in 1956 after a three-year court battle. Unfortunately, mob violence led to her expulsion by university officials under the guise of “protecting” Lucy after she attended only two days of classes. She briefly traveled as a public speaker at various civil rights meetings and rallies before choosing to live life as a wife and mother. Ms. Foster is a trailblazer who should be recognized as an unsung hero. Her actions and willingness led the path for James Meredith and every African American to attend any institution of higher learning in America and set the tone for equality in the school system.
Photo: Alabama Archives
The post Unsung hero: Autherine Lucy Foster appeared first on Atlanta Free Speech.
View full post on Atlanta Free Speech