Last week, the University of Alabama changed the name of one of its buildings from Graves Hall to Lucy-Graves Hall to honor former Alabama Governor Bibb Graves, who was also the Grand Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan until the late 1920s, and Autherine Lucy Foster, who in 1956 became the first African-American student to enroll at the University of Alabama.
Now, the university is reconsidering its decision to keep the name of the one-time governor. The board of trustees will meet publicly in a live-streamed video conference to reconsider the name change, according to the Associated Press.
The decision to honor Foster was appreciated, but to do so alongside the once KKK grand cyclops was questioned by many, including students of the university.
From the Associated Press:
Foster herself expressed ambivalence, telling WIAT-TV she didn’t know much about Graves, who was considered a progressive, pro-education governor in the 1930s, despite having led the Klan in Montgomery during a period when it was at its strongest.
“I wouldn’t say it doesn’t bother me, but I accept it because I didn’t ask for it and I didn’t know they were doing it until I was approached the latter part of last year,” said Foster, 92.
The committee that recommended honoring both people together “acknowledges the complexity of this amended name,” the university said.
“The board’s priority is to honor Dr. Autherine Lucy Foster, who, as the first African American student to attend the University of Alabama, opened the door for students of all races to achieve their dreams at the university. Unfortunately, the complex legacy of Governor Graves has distracted from that important priority,” it said.
In 2017, the University of Alabama honored foster with a historic marker in front of Graves Hall, which is home to the college of education, and named a clock tower after foster who’s also a member of the student hall of fame at the university, according to the Associated Press.
Last week, The Crimson White, the student newspaper, did not have kind words for their school in an editorial saying that Graves’ name has no business being on a building alongside Lucy, Given his history with the KKK.
From The Crimson White:
Graves’ Klan membership was a convenient stepping stone in his political career. He shed his white robes once they no longer suited his political purpose. While he became known as one of the most progressive governors in the South, his ability to do so came with the endorsement of a white supremacist organization.
Graves was a prominent figure in the Klan. He received a gold passport and carried the title of Grand Cyclops. White supremacy protected Graves and endangered Lucy. Commemorating their legacies together is disingenuous, but such false comparisons are par for the course in the state of Alabama.
College campuses across Alabama have decided to remove Graves’ name from buildings as schools around the country also take steps to address their legacies of racism, according to Associated Press.