Birmingham Institute Opens HBCU Exhibit and Awards Group Honor

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute opened a new exhibit on Friday to honor the history of Alabama's 14 historically Black colleges and universities. The display, titled Historically Black: An Exhibit Honoring Alabama's HBCU Legacy, occupies the Odessa Woolfolk Gallery. It remains on view until December 12.

The institute also unveiled a permanent HBCU Legacy Wall. This fixture lists the names of all 14 institutions in the state along with their founding years. The wall stays at the institute indefinitely, serving as a standing tribute to these schools.

Officials announced that Alabama's HBCUs will collectively receive the Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth Humanitarian Award. This marks the first time in the organization's history that the award has gone to an entity rather than a single individual. The award recognizes the institutions' contributions to education, culture, and the Civil Rights Movement.

The exhibit includes photographs, documents, and artifacts from various campuses. Items reflect traditions such as marching bands, choirs, and homecomings. A signed basketball in the display honors Eldridge Oliver Turner, a coach at Lawson State Community College. Turner joined the school in 1965 and became head basketball coach and athletic director in 1969.

Under Turner's leadership, the Cougars reached the top of national junior college rankings. The team finished the 1975-76 season with a 28-2 record and won the Alabama Junior College Conference. According to his obituary, the Cougars won three consecutive Alabama junior college championships and posted a 47-1 record in conference games over three years. Turner was inducted into the Alabama Junior College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Alabama A&M University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.

Barry McNeely, a historian at the institute and a Miles College graduate, noted the strong link between HBCUs and the Civil Rights Movement. He cited the selective-buying campaign led by Miles College student Frank Dukes as an example. McNeely said this campaign helped draw Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Birmingham in 1963.

The display also connects HBCUs to prominent figures in Alabama history. Attorney Fred Gray, who represented King and Rosa Parks, attended Alabama State University. Richard Arrington Jr., Birmingham's first Black mayor, graduated from Miles College. Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth attended Selma University and Alabama State University.

McNeely stated that the exhibit documents both the hardships and achievements of students. He emphasized that preserving these legacies requires adequate funding. He raised concerns about resources for Alabama A&M University, noting that a 2023 federal analysis highlighted historical funding disparities for land-grant HBCUs.

Mia Mothershed, an Alabama A&M University graduate, visited the exhibit on Friday. She said the displays show how the schools influence communities beyond the classroom. Mothershed, who married a former football player from Alabama State University, noted that pride in HBCUs as institutions can outweigh individual school rivalries.

The exhibit features the histories of the following 14 institutions: Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, Alabama State University in Montgomery, Bishop State Community College in Mobile, Gadsden State Community College in Gadsden, J.F. Drake State Technical College in Huntsville, Lawson State Community College in Birmingham, Miles College in Fairfield, Oakwood University in Huntsville, Selma University in Selma, Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Talladega College in Talladega, H. Councill Trenholm State Community College in Montgomery, and Tuskegee University in Tuskegee.