By Diane Kennedy-Jackson
Publications Coordinator

Each year The University of Alabama (UA) sends a large delegation to the annual conference of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC). The 2018 conference was no exception. Held Oct. 2–3 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with pre-conference activities on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, the event was attended by more than 550 community engagement professionals from around the globe. Of the 39 delegates from UA, 29 made presentations.

Dr. Samory T. Pruitt, president of the board of ESC and vice president for Community Affairs at UA, expressed his appreciation for the learning opportunities provided at this annual conference. “We are very fortunate to have a substantial number of people — including students — involved in community-engaged scholarship,” he said. “I believe it is important for those participating in this type of work to have the opportunity to learn from and share their work with others, and so I support sending a large, active delegation to the ESC conference each year. The knowledge and ideas gained serve to exponentially expand the work being pursued here at UA in collaboration with community partners throughout the surrounding area.”

Tera “CeeCee” Johnson, graduate research assistant in the Center for Community-Based Partnerships, agreed, saying, “Being able to listen to so many engagement research presentations and talk to the people working on them was such a great learning experience. The diversity of topics made it easy to explore all of my interests. All students who attended, myself included, felt inspired and eager to work on our own research projects.”

The annual event also provides valuable opportunities for networking and the creation of new partnerships across multiple institutions. For example, in 2015, a member of the UA delegation presented on My Brother’s Keeper, an initiative created by then-President Barack Obama. While at the conference, he met others from two other universities who were also engaged in this initiative. The following year, the three researchers and a UA doctoral student co-presented on the next possible steps for the initiative as the Obama Administration prepared to leave office.

Presenters from the UA delegation included:

Other UA delegation attendees included:

• Katherine Rose Adams, assistant professor of higher education research and administration at the University of North Georgia and associate editor, book reviews, Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, who traveled as part of the UA delegation
• Katherine (Katie) Blake, undergraduate student assistant, Center for Community-Based Partnerships
• Lilanta Joy Bradley, post-doctoral fellow, Institute for Rural Health Research, College of Community Health Sciences
• Karyn Bowen, marketing coordinator, Division of Community Affairs
• Krystal Dozier, graduate research assistant and assistant to the editor, Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship
• Diane Kennedy-Jackson, publications coordinator, Division of Community Affairs
• Truong Danh H. Nguyen, undergraduate student assistant, Center for Community-Based Partnerships;
• Whitney M. Sewell, program coordinator, Division of Community Affairs

A special extended Faculty Scholar Panel was convened during the 2018 ESC conference to explore engaged scholarship from the perspectives of higher education faculty. During this session, tenured community-engaged faculty from five institutions and disciplinary backgrounds described their journeys toward obtaining tenure and promotion, and provided examples of the kinds of support they believe are necessary for faculty to be successful. Bruna served as moderator, while UA’s Johnson served as one of five panelists. See the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0WhgilAEZQ&feature=youtu.be

ESC is a non-profit educational organization comprised of 39 public and private higher education member institutions. The organization’s goal is to build strong university/community partnerships, anchored in the rigor of engaged scholarship, that emphasize collaboration and that are designed to help build community capacity. This is accomplished through community-based partnerships and programs implemented by member institutions and community organizations working together. Academic leaders and students from these member institutions meet annually to share their research and to discuss issues, information and theories regarding campus/community partnerships.

The institutions within the consortium are separated into five regions: East, North Central, South, West and International. The 2019 conference will be hosted in Denver, Colorado by the West region, which includes California State University – San Marcos, Colorado State University, Montana State University, Oklahoma State University, Oregon State University, Tarleton State University, Texas Tech University and the University of Texas – San Antonio.

Click here to view the BOA Gala photo gallery.

Photos by Appear Photography

By Kirsten J. Barnes
CCBP Graduate Fellow

The University of Alabama’s Division of Community Affairs Board of Advisors (BOA) undertook a new endeavor on Sept. 10, holding its first fundraising gala in downtown Birmingham at the Harbert Center.

The group utilized the theme “Coming Back, Giving Back,” which has been its mantra, for this occasion. Nearly 400 people attended the event, which raised $10,000 in advance of the evening while also collecting additional donations at the event. All will be used to support student-centered initiatives of the board.

Community Affairs Vice President Samory T. Pruitt, PhD, established the board in 2016. It is composed of UA graduates who, as students, provided exemplary leadership and service to the University during a period of accelerated growth and change in the student body from 2003–2013.

“Dr. Pruitt had a vision before any of the rest of us did to bring young leaders together who wanted to go ahead and plug back in and make a difference,” said Board President Katie Boyd Britt, a former UA Student Government Association president, who earned her undergraduate degree in 2004 and her UA law degree in 2013. Currently, she serves as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby.

“I know a lot of us were lost in our efforts to reconnect, to know what was going on so that we could be able to make a difference and an impact,” Britt continued. “You changed that for all of us,” she said to Dr. Pruitt from the podium. “This is a group of change agents. You hand-picked this group. You believed in us. You have funded it and made sure that you gave us a voice again. Your leadership is unparalleled and we are so grateful for the time, energy and political capital that you spent to make this group happen. Thank you for believing in us, Dr. Pruitt.”

These tremendously successful and talented alumni have come together not just to raise funds in support of campus-wide initiatives that will increase student success and retention, but also to facilitate student involvement in entrepreneurship and innovation, and to develop thoughtful global and community leaders. The group has funded scholarships for undergraduate students and continues to seek new ways to support the University in other capacities.

“Everybody here on this board obviously has day jobs, but each of them is trying to find ways to use what they do during the day to make an impact on the University by night. People are coming from not only all over the United States, but all over the world, to make sure they have an opportunity to give back in this way,” Britt said.

To date, members of the Board have donated personally — both in financial resources and time. The group offered its first study-abroad and domestic-study opportunities earlier this year to two UA students to help them develop leadership skills and cultural competency. Additionally, one member has committed to endow a scholarship for underrepresented students from the Birmingham area.

“From day one, this has been an impressive group of servant leaders,” said Carol Agomo, director of Community and Administrative Affairs. Agomo, who oversees the group’s members and subcommittees, said, “I remain impressed by the leadership shown by the members of this group, as well as by their willingness to serve. The success of this event is but one example of the good things this group has accomplished.”

The gala was attended by alumni and supporters of the University, including Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, who brought greetings on behalf of the Magic City and spoke about the city’s partnership with the BOA and Community Affairs.

“We are all here today because we share the same passion for education, for workforce development and the development of the next generation of leaders. You all keep a finger on the pulse of global trends to help our emerging leaders remain competitive,” said Woodfin, 37, who was elected mayor in 2017.

Woodfin said he joined the group in their passion to keep the best and brightest young people working in Alabama, and applauded the group’s ability to open doors of opportunities to our next generation of leaders.

“I imagine that’s not an easy task, but this advisory group was created for that challenge,” he said.

Woodfin explained that he has partnered with Community Affairs to bring students to Tuscaloosa in a shared effort to expose young people to additional college choices outside of Birmingham.

“The success of our students is not their burden to bear alone. We all have a stake in this,” he said. “I applaud you in your continued efforts to invest in our young people and our students, not just for the University’s future, but for their future as well.”

The evening was not only a celebration of new initiatives; it also was a time to reflect on the successes of the board’s first three years.

“It has been incredible to see from the first day we gathered until today, how far we’ve come as a board,” said BOA Treasurer Divya Patel, a 2006 UA graduate who currently works as director of operations for Windsor Hotel and Quality Inn in Americus, Ga. “Dr. Pruitt told us we were paving the road and going over it at the same time. Today, we can successfully say we have built a road. It’s very exciting to be at this point, but this is just the beginning on our journey of coming back and giving back.”

Among the guests at the gala were several UA vice presidents and deans. The evening ended with a performance by UA graduate, Grammy-Award nominee and Motown singer-songwriter Sebastian Kole, who entertained the audience with original songs and upbeat popular covers.

In speaking about the makeup of the board, BOA Vice President Joseph Bryant shared, “The board is not political, it’s not self-serving, we are from diverse backgrounds, we have different views and live in different locations, but we are all gathered here because of our love for the Capstone and our home state of Alabama.” Bryant, a 2001 UA graduate who served as the first African-American editor of The Crimson White, is now the interim vice president of Community Engagement for the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District.

By Joon Yea Lee
CCBP Graduate Assistant

On Thursday, August 30, the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Realizing the Dream performing arts series took the Tuscaloosa community on an emotional journey celebrating African-American composers and literary artists at the Alabama Power Recital Hall on the Shelton State Community College campus.

The multimedia concert, known as The Legacy Show, is a creation inspired, directed and performed by violinist Tami Lee Hughes, a native of Baton Rouge, La.

Hughes and pianist Byron Burford-Phearse, longtime friends since their college days at the University of Michigan, opened the show with a captivating modern piece, “S.L.I.C.E.,” by composer Chad “Sir Wick” Hughes. Hughes then performed the song “Bingham’s Cotillion” by Francis Johnson accompanied by the poem “The Gift to Sing” by James Weldon Johnson. The performance was presented with a series of photos and drawings from the early 1800s.

Hughes added an educational component to the performance by introducing each composer and poet with historical background and personal stories. For instance, Hughes said that Francis Johnson, born in Pennsylvania, could not perform in the South where racial discrimination was severe in the early 1800s, yet he performed for Queen Victoria to celebrate her ascent to the British throne in 1837.

“I wanted to demonstrate a very broad range of what happened in our history and culture over time,” said Hughes.

As creator and director of the show, Hughes personally chose the songs, poems and photos presented. Seven African-American composers accompanied by six poems by different poets were introduced in the 90-minute performance.

“I chose different artists representing different parts of our history; some are well known while some aren’t,” said Hughes.

Continuing on a historical and cultural journey, Hughes played selections from “Five Violin Solos” by George Morrison. The poem “Harriet Tubman AKA Moses” by poet Samuel W. Allen was read. The mournful tune of “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” intensified the emotions stirred by photos and drawings of slaves and young children being whipped.

Attendees held their breath as Hughes continued with songs from the Antebellum Period to the jazzy Harlem Renaissance, from the majestic tunes of the civil rights movement to a modern piece by Kerwin Young that honors women. All the while, Hughes’ performance illustrated the emotions and stories behind each song, poem and era.

“I grew up in Mississippi, so some of the places that were listed in the photos reminded me of where I grew up,” said Dr. Cindy Ann Kilgo, a UA faculty member in the College of Education. “I really liked this immediate connection to the media that was shown on the projector while she was performing. Getting to hear Langston Hughes’ poem and getting to see images while she is playing songs from different time periods, I think for someone like me who studies minoritized college populations, it felt real and we were in the moment. It was like a full experience.”

“We were talking about how much she puts her emotion into her performance and how it embodies the music,” said Keely Latopolski, an academic advisor/coordinator, director of diversity and inclusion in the Culverhouse College of Business. “I really liked how the violin and piano complemented each other and it was really cool to see it all come together, especially with all the different media.”

Rodney Prewitt, a retired education administrator who recently returned to Tuscaloosa, expressed his thanks to the Realizing the Dream Committee for this performance. “I’m very appreciative that there are events like this that are available for anybody,” he said. “I enjoyed the whole performance because it gave a historical experience from beginning to end. For instance, my great-grandparents were slaves and so I can associate with many of the things portrayed in the performance.”

The MLK Realizing the Dream series, hosted by The University of Alabama, Shelton State Community College, Stillman College and the Tuscaloosa Southern Christian Leadership Conference, aims to raise consciousness about injustice and promote human equality, peace and social justice by creating educational and cultural opportunities for growth, empowerment and social change.

Judging from audience reaction, this year’s Tami Lee Hughes’ The Legacy Show matched the purpose of the MLK Realizing the Dream series in every sense.

By Diane Kennedy-Jackson
Publications Coordinator

Since its inception in 2016, the Division of Community Affairs Board of Advisors has positively affected numerous students and future students of The University of Alabama with its substantial reach and influence. Whether raising funds to provide study abroad scholarships and support for business startups, mentoring current and future students, or committing to fund an endowed scholarship — as one member has done — this group of young alumni has continued the legacy of excellence that personified its members when they were students at the Capstone.

“I have been amazed by the accomplishments of this group,” said Dr. Samory Pruitt, vice president for Community Affairs. “We anticipated that the members would do great things — that was their collective track record when they were students at The University of Alabama — but never imagined how much they would achieve in such a short time.

“The inaugural group set the bar high for those who will follow them. The University, the Division and countless students are fortunate to have had the benefit of their leadership, commitment and energy, and as we begin the next chapter of this group, we want to recognize our inaugural members, some of whom are continuing with the board and some who will be rolling off, as well as announce our new members,” said Pruitt.

Inaugural board members continuing to serve include David Bailey (chair, Student Entrepreneurship and Innovative Initiatives Committee), Nicholas Beadle (co-chair, Student Entrepreneurship and Innovative Initiatives Committee), Katie Boyd Britt (president), Porcia Bradford Love, Casey Brunson, Joseph Bryant (vice president), Kyle Buchanan, Mary Margaret Carroll, Prince Cleveland, Luke P. Connell, Rebecca Cornwell, Sarah T. Dunlap, Tyrell Jordan, Kendra Key, Elliot A. Knight (co-chair, Academic Success and Student Retention Committee, Colby Leopard, Holly Luther (co-chair, Academic Success and Student Retention Committee), Andrea Mabry, Karla S. Martin, Coyn Mateer, Stephen McNair (co-chair, Global and Community Leadership Committee), Reginald Miller (co-chair, Student Entrepreneurship and Innovative Initiatives Committee), Manda Mountain, Divya Patel (treasurer), Robin Preussel Phillips, Elizabeth W. Riddle, Zac Z. Riddle, Anna Catherine Roberson, Chris Sanders, Rashmee Sharif (chair, Global and Community Leadership Committee), Cliff Sims, Justice D. Smyth, Sevanne Steiner, William D. Suclupe, Sarah Kate Sullivan, Justin Zimmerman and Andrew Zow.

Inaugural members rolling off their time of service with the board are Ryan Brown, Kathryn Crenshaw, Emma Fick, David Germany, Calvin Harkness, Calvin Han (secretary), Victoria Javine (chair, Academic Success and Student Retention Committee), Victor Luckerson, Cassandra Mickens, Randall Minor, Melissa Pouncey, Ann Taylor Shaw, Jessica Averitt Taylor, Emily Vaughn, Aimee Vinson and Kate Werner.

New members joining the board include Jonathan Adams, Adedeji Akindele-Alo, Hamilton Bloom, Amber Bradford Buchanan, Will Clayton, Ryan J. Davis, Allie Esslinger, Kevin Garrison, Brandon Green, Martha Griffith, Kristy Kirkland, Aneesa McMillan, Will Nevin, Susan Page, Norma Powell, Paul Rand, Hailah Said, Susan Speaker, Gabriel Warren and Stephen Williams.

The University of Alabama established the Division of Community Affairs Board of Advisors in 2016. The board, consisting of former students who provided exemplary leadership and service to the University during a period of accelerated growth and changes in the student body from 2003–2013, developed its mission to support campus-wide initiatives that will increase student success and retention, facilitate student involvement in entrepreneurship and innovation, and develop thoughtful global and community leaders.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama — The 2018 Realizing the Dream performing arts event will take place Thursday, Aug. 30, at 6:30 p.m., at the Alabama Power Recital Hall on the Shelton State Community College campus. Violinist Tami Lee Hughes will present “The Legacy Show,” a multimedia educational experience that celebrates the artistic and cultural contributions of African-American composers and musicians, as well as other iconic figures who have influenced our world.

Known for her soul-stirring performances to audiences around the world, Hughes, who has experienced great success as a premier artist, earned a bachelor of music degree from the University of Minnesota and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan. Teachers include Nancy Langham, Jana Burton, Sally O’Reilly, Camilla Wicks and Paul Kantor.

As a soloist, she has appeared with a number of symphony orchestras across the United States, including the National, Monroe, Mississippi and Pontiac-Oakland Symphony Orchestras. She has appeared extensively as recitalist at universities and concert venues in the United States, Europe, Costa Rica and Bermuda, and has performed as solo or chamber artist in the Ann Arbor Chamber Fest, Natchez Festival of Music and Ritz Chamber Players Concert Series. Additionally, she performed a tribute concert to composer Judith Zaimont, which was broadcast on National Public Radio. Other notable appointments include appearances with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra Augusta, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, South Florida Symphony Orchestra, Shippensburg Music Festival Orchestra and the Pro Consorde Chamber Consort. Additional credits include appearances at Carnegie Hall and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as a member of the acclaimed Sphinx Virtuosi Chamber Ensemble.

The native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana is an active teacher and advocate for music outreach. She has taught at the University of Kansas, Marygrove College, Interlochen and the Ann Arbor School for Performing Arts. She enjoys interacting with students of all ages, presenting concerts and serving as guest clinician at institutions across the country.

Hughes now champions diversity on the concert stage, taking audience members on a musical, cultural and historical journey that promises to be an unforgettable evening. This event is free and open to the public. For more information and to let us know that you plan to attend, please RSVP to community.affairs@ua.edu.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Realizing the Dream Committee exists to raise consciousness about injustice and promote human equality, peace, and social justice by creating educational and cultural opportunities for growth, empowerment, and social change so that every person may experience the bounty of life’s abundant possibilities. The committee is comprised of representatives from Shelton State Community College, Stillman College, The University of Alabama and the Tuscaloosa Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

TUSCALOOSA — The University of Alabama has once again been recognized as a top producing institution for Fulbright U.S. Student Awards, according to “The Chronicle of Higher Education.” Fifteen of 47 UA applicants received the award for 2017–2018, one of the highest winning percentages in the nation. Additionally, this year’s Fulbright success makes UA the leader in the Southeastern Conference. This is the second time in the past three years UA has been recognized as a top Fulbright U.S. Student Program producer.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers grants for independent study and research and for English teaching assistantships overseas. The highly competitive program selects approximately 1,500 award recipients from over 10,000 applicants each year.

“Our record success in placing students in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program demonstrates the far-reaching international scope of our excellent academic programs and the high value of a University of Alabama education,” said Dr. Kevin Whitaker, UA provost. “We continue to take pride in the many excellent and promising young people who choose UA for their academic studies.”

Ten UA graduates won awards as teaching assistants and five UA graduates received Fulbright awards for research and study for the 2017–2018 academic year.

“It is an honor for UA to be listed as a top producer in the U.S. Student Fulbright competition,” said Dr. Teresa Wise, associate provost for international education and global outreach. “The Fulbright Program provides life-changing opportunities and experiences for our students.”

University of Alabama graduates serving abroad on Fulbright Awards are Ruth Bishop (Colombia), Erica Boden (Bulgaria), Benjamin Canady (South Korea), Kathryn “Katie” Cater (Poland), Kelsey Daugherty (Germany), Brittany Groves (Germany), Jonathan Joyner (Sri Lanka), Jackson Knappen (Spain), Alexandra LeViness (Germany), Julia Quan (Macedonia), Charlotte Sheridan (Jordan), Ann Varnedoe (Spain), Sarah Dylan Walker (Macau), Kevin Ryan Williams (United Kingdom), and Emily Zapinski (Malaysia).

“Few universities in the nation win 15 Fulbright Awards,” said Dr. Beverly Hawk, UA Fulbright program adviser. “Top Producer recognition is the result of many hours of work on the part of our great students, the dedicated faculty and supervisors who advise and recommend, and university administrators who advocate for international learning on our campus. Everyone takes pride in this great victory.”

Other top producers among research institutions this year include Brown (39), Michigan (25), Harvard (24), Texas-Austin (20), Tulane (15), Yale (13), Virginia (12), Duke and Emory (11), and UNC-Chapel Hill (10). For the full list of top student Fulbright program producers, see https://www.chronicle.com/article/Top-Producers-of-Fulbright/242557.

Students interested in applying for next year’s Fulbright program can learn more at international.ua.edu and us.fulbrightonline.org, or by sending an email to beverly.hawk@ua.edu.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is experiencing significant growth in both enrollment and academic quality. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state’s economy, is in keeping with UA’s vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state’s flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.

By Kirsten J. Barnes
CCBP Contributor

For 29 years, The University of Alabama has joined Stillman College, Shelton State Community College and The Tuscaloosa Southern Christian Leadership Conference to bring the Tuscaloosa community inspiring Realizing the Dream events that pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And for the past 10 years, the celebration has included the annual Legacy Banquet, which recognizes individuals whose work keeps alive King’s tradition expressed in this year’s theme Through Service to Others.

“Fifty years ago, having a room like this filled with such a diverse gathering of allies in Tuscaloosa, Ala., would have been nearly impossible,” said Stillman College Vice President and Provost Mark McCormick in his opening remarks. “Nevertheless, discrimination still exists both in overt and covert forms. Discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religious background and political beliefs takes place both out in the open and behind closed doors. We have come a long way, but we have a long way yet to go before Dr. King’s dream is fully realized.”

In addition to honoring three living legends who have worked tirelessly in their service to others, this year’s Legacy Banquet featured a keynote conversation between American actor/director/political activist Danny Glover and Stillman College Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Joseph F. Scrivner.

Glover, 71, grew up in California, the son of parents who were among the first African- Americans to work for the U.S. Postal Service. Before beginning his acting career, Glover also worked as a civil servant community organizer with the Model Cities Program in San Francisco.

In answering questions posed by Scrivner, Glover ranged over many years of civil rights history. He recalled receiving his introduction to the struggle by his parents and acknowledged that his own work in the movement was in many ways a response their involvement.

“I remember watching the Montgomery Bus Boycott on television,” he said. “Television was a new phenomenon at that time. I had the validation of my parents and the way in which they celebrated and embraced the moment as well.”

Glover went on to lead a five-month strike at San Francisco State University during 1968 in an effort to get the school to start a department of black studies (today called Africana Studies).  “We didn’t realize that the Asian American students, the Hispanic American students and the Native American students had their own grievances,” Glover said. “They all joined us, as well as faculty. It shut the campus down for five months. What emerged was the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State. It’s still there and I’m still engaged.”

Glover reviewed his reading of civil rights literature for the audience, especially praising W.E.B. Du Bois’ Black Reconstruction in America 1860-1880 and the works of Ida B. Wells, calling her a “great writer and journalist.”

Glover talked a lot about his family, especially his mother, how much his mom and dad meant to him and his four siblings. “I’m grateful for my mother and father,” he said. He told of his mother graduating from Paine College in Augusta, Georgia in 1942.

He dedicated his role in “Places in the Heart” to his mother. The movie starred Sally Fields and Glover played the role of Mose, a would-be thief turned helpful handyman. Glover told Dr. Ed Mullins, who introduced him, “Places in the Heart” was one of his favorite roles and that working with Sally Fields was a highlight in his career.

Glover told how he had to identify his mother when she was killed in an auto accident the same day he was selected for the role in “Places in the Heart.” He said his mother would have said, “’Lord, if I had to leave, don’t hurt my babies.’ That was her.” His siblings, several of whom were in the wreck, were unhurt.

Glover said his career was part of a journey much larger than he and much bigger than African-Americans. He said King made it clear he was not just trying to save African-Americans but was “trying to save this country’s soul. So when we talk about his legacy, we talked about Dr. King’s legacy … and realizing the dream. It’s about how do we save this country’s soul?”

Videos were shown reflecting the influence of the following individuals for their efforts in advancing the civil rights movement:

UA Junior Marissa Navarro received the Horizon Award for her efforts in founding the first campus Hispanic Latino Association for students, faculty and staff. “Our main focus is to recruit, retain and graduate Hispanic and Latino students,” Navarro said, to make sure they do not get lost on the nearly 40,000-student campus. “Facing racism can have an impact on your self-esteem and academic life. I wanted to provide a space on campus for students like me who came in lost and needed a guide.”

The organization is open to all students who want to learn more about Hispanic and Latino culture and holds events to reduce ethnic stereotypes on campus. “We like to spread knowledge about the difference between Latinos and Hispanics and how different each country is and how not everyone comes from Mexico,” said Navarro, who started the organization with only a few students and has seen It grow dramatically.

The Call to Conscience Award went to UA Professor Ellen G. Spears, author of “Baptized in PCBs: Race, Pollution, and Justice in an All-American Town.” Spears said she received a first-hand education from civil rights leaders, many of whom were from Alabama and became an environmental researcher to bring an end to the disproportionate amount of toxic waste being dumped in minority communities. “Democracy is under serious threat at the moment. We need to prepare a generation of young people to renew democracy and to take the kinds of things they are learning — things they are studying and reading — out into the world,” Spears said. “We need to prepare students to make a better world, to learn the critical thinking skills to analyze the situation and to then make their own choices about the path forward.”

The Rev. Frank Dukes was the recipient of the Mountaintop Award for his efforts in leading the Birmingham Selective Buying Campaign of 1962, while working as director of alumni affairs and public relations at Miles College, his alma mater. At the time, blacks legally could only work labor jobs and blacks and whites could not intermingle in shops and offices. “If we could stop the black people from shopping in downtown Birmingham, we could make Bull Conner understand,” said Dukes, referring to Theophilus Eugene “Bull” Connor, who served as the elected commissioner of public safety for the city of Birmingham and became an international symbol of segregation. “We met with the power structure of white men,” Dukes said. “When we first started to meet with them, they tried to stop us from boycotting.”

After learning that retail stores operated on a 20 percent profit margin and black shoppers accounted for 25 percent of their shoppers, he planned the boycott that had a huge impact on the stores’ bottom lines. However, law continued to prevent stores from hiring black clerks. “If we are ever to have a just society for everybody [it will be] when all people regardless of race, creed or color have a right to justice, freedom and equality,” Dukes said. “Then that will be the ideal society that Jesus Christ would want us to have.”

The event was attended by its largest crowd in the nine years of the event, about 500 people. Attendees included Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox. “We are always striving to be a more perfect union and events like this remind us of our social and moral obligations,” said Maddox, who received the Call to Conscience Award in 2009. Tonight’s event, he said, reminds us we must keep working to solve problems of race and equality.

For a transcript of Mr. Glover and Dr. Scrivner’s keynote conversation, click here.

By Yiben Liu
CCBP Graduate Assistant

Mary Mary, the Gospel recording and Grammy award-winning sister duo of Erica and Tina Campbell, brought high-powered performance and invoked great enthusiasm for faith and music among the audience at the 29th annual Realizing the Dream Concert Sunday, January 14 at the Moody Music Concert Hall. The concert was jointly sponsored by The University of Alabama, Shelton State Community College, and Stillman College. It is one of many events in 2018 in the Tuscaloosa area honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the legendary civil rights leader.

“We are honored to be here,” Erica Campbell said, “We’ve come to honor the legacy of giving your own for the greater good of the people. Because of the sacrifices of others, we all are here tonight.”

Before the concert, UA Student Government Association President Jared Hunter, Shelton State Community College Collegiate 100 President Toya Carter, and Stillman College SGA President Quinvarlio Kelly welcomed the audience and acknowledged Friday night’s Legacy Award winners.

Hunter said the event demonstrated “a yearning for freedom. We are able to look out over this crowd tonight and see that the day has indeed come, when as Dr. King predicted, all of God’s children, black and white, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing.”

Mary Mary and their band ignited the passion of the sold-out audience as soon as they started to play and sing. Applause and whistles filled the two-floor hall. Many in the audience stood, swayed, and sang along with the performers throughout the whole concert.

Erica and Tina Campbell also shared their life stories and how love and faith guided them through difficult times. Moved by their faith and spirit, audience members once again cheered and wildly applauded.

At the end of the concert throughout the music hall, as the tradition goes every year, audience members stood, held hands, and sang what has become the civil rights anthem,“We Shall Overcome,” bringing the concert to its climax.

Many fans attending this year’s concert are repeat attendees, but each year’s event also draws some new spectators. Among those attending for the first time were the Whatley family from Anniston. Brian had known about the concert for many years and brought his wife and sister to this year’s concert. He described the event as “awesome” and said his family “totally loved it. It helps bringing in love, bringing us together,” he said.

“The bonding was beautiful,” said Brian’s sister Erica Whatley.

Community Affairs Vice President Dr. Samory T. Pruitt, whose office makes the arrangements for the Realizing the Dream events each year, commented on the concert and Friday night’s Legacy Banquet featuring actor Danny Glover. “Despite some of the coldest days of the year, people from all over the state of Alabama turned out in record numbers for these two events. As we near thirty years of these performances, interest in our Realizing the Dream celebration continues to grow. This year’s two main events — the Mary Mary concert and Legacy Banquet featuring Danny Glover — were especially representative of this year’s ‘Through Service to Others’ theme.”