| James Hood: Still working
for equality
James Hood (pictured at right), one of the first black students to attend the University of Alabama in 1963, will be a pioneer recognized at the "Opening Doors" Event, June 9-11, for his active involvement in the desegregation of the University. Hood, from Gadsden, Ala., enrolled at the university on June 11, 1963, despite former Gov. George Wallace's symbolic attempt to maintain segregation by blocking the schoolhouse door. Hood left the University after only two months but returned in 1995 to earn his doctorate degree. On May 17, 1997 he received his Ph.D. in philosophy. Hood said returning to the University allowed him to finish what he started in 1963. Many students, he said, view commencement as a closure. "To me it's the end of a negative chapter and an opportunity to move on," Hood said after the ceremony. Former Gov. Wallace planned to give Hood his degree, but poor health prevented Wallace from attending the ceremony. Wallace met with Hood in 1996 to apologize for his actions. When Hood came to speak at the University in February, he mentioned his reconciliation with Wallace. Wallace said his actions were to please the people in 1963. He told Hood he was now a Christian and recognized the equality of all people. "All people were equal in 1963, too," Hood said during his speech. After leaving the University in 1963, Hood earned a degree in political science and police administration at Wayne State University. He continued his education at Michigan State University earning a master's in criminal justice administration. Hood went to Madison Area Technical College in 1978 to serve as chair of the law enforcement. Hood worked to establish the Public Safety Department, which combined the efforts of law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services during training. He helped form the Bar Tending Awareness Program in Wisconsin. Hood served as a trainer-consultant while at MATC, providing training for 3M Corporation, the Metropolitan Police of the United Kingdom, Chrysler Corporation and other agencies. Hood returned to MATC after receiving his doctorate degree at UA. He retired in 2002 to write a novel about former Gov. Wallace. He has worked as a police administrator, social worker, pastor and teacher. Hood's accomplishments prove that Wallace was wrong in 1963, when he stated blacks could not share a classroom with white people because they were intellectually unfit. "Some people enter your life and leave it empty," Hood said in February's speech. "Other people enter your life, and you never forget." In 1999 Hood wrote a eulogy in TIME Magazine for Henry Graham, a man whose actions in 1963 impacted Hood's life. Graham, a National Guard general, asked Wallace to step aside and allow Hood to pass, which marked the desegregation of the University. In his eulogy Hood described that day, when Graham took the time to make a connection with Hood after his job was finished. Graham visited Hood at his dormitory and left him with some words of wisdom. He offered Hood a quote from Mark Twain, "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." "He had a profound impact on my life then, as now," Hood said in the eulogy. Hood continues to work towards eliminating racial barriers. In February's speech Hood incorporated his solution to the racism existing today. He believes the answer is simply "sincere interaction" and "genuine open communication." Hood and the other pioneers will be recognized at a Pioneer Scholarship Dinner and a Pioneer Recognition Program on June 10. |
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