| Autherine Lucy Foster returns
to the schoolhouse door
More than 350 people packed Alston Hall on Nov. 20, 2002 to hear Autherine Lucy Foster, the first black student to attend the University of Alabama, speak. Her speech, "Braving the Uncertain Future with Certainty," marked the 46th anniversary of UA's desegregation. Foster noted that in this age of post-9/11 hysteria, there's been a rash of people trying to sell advice for tips in how to cope with life. "Everyone seems to think that they can tell you and me how to face the question marks of the future," Foster said.
Foster's first experiences with UA were quite different from the standing ovation she received as she began her speech. After being accepting to the university in 1956, Foster attended class for three days before finally being expelled "for her own safety" in response to threats from a mob. No more black students were accepted until seven years later, when James Hood and Vivian Malone were admitted to UA. "Experience is the No. 1 teacher in the world. One should seek the knowledge that comes from those older than he. Beyond the realm of education, there is a school of experience," Foster said.
Foster has placed her personal struggle at UA within the context of a larger historical collective. While she believes the struggle for racial equality is ongoing, she acknowledges that younger generations have not turned a deaf ear to the call. "We will all contribute something to history," she said. "The question is, 'what will it be?'" According to Foster, there are three tools needed to face uncertain times. She told stories of aeronautical pioneers the Wright Brothers, entrepreneur Madame C. J. Walker and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. to show how personal determination can take over the world. "Vision, education, determination form the hallmarks of successful maneuvering through an uncertain future," she said. "History is marked by countless endeavors that did not begin as planned." For those in attendance, Foster's speech was more about facing the future than lingering in the past. "It was excellent. It was nice hearing someone historic speak. I've never done that before," said Janelle Fitts, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. A member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority, Autherine Lucy married three months after her expulsion from the University of Alabama. The Board of Trustees later overturned her expulsion in the 1980s. Foster has since earned a degree at UA, receiving a master's degree in elementary education in 1992. |
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