‘Historically Black’: BCRI Exhibit Honors Alabama’s HBCU Legacy and Connects History to Today

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times

The history of Alabama’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities is deeply connected to the history of the Civil Rights Movement, but their legacy extends beyond the struggle for equality. From educating generations of Black leaders to shaping campus traditions, culture and community, the institutions have helped define Alabama’s story.

Now, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) is bringing that legacy into focus with Historically Black: An Exhibit Honoring Alabama’s HBCU Legacy, an exhibition celebrating the state’s 14 historically Black colleges and universities.

The exhibit opened Oct. 23 in the Odessa Woolfolk Gallery at BCRI and features historical photographs, documents, artifacts and memorabilia that reflect the institutions’ contributions to education, civil rights and Black life in Alabama. The collection also highlights the experiences that have shaped generations of students, including marching bands, homecoming celebrations and other campus traditions. It will remain on display through Dec. 12.

Reaching a New Generation

For Deborah V. Bowie, BCRI president and CEO, the exhibition reflects an effort to connect the institute’s historical collections with issues and experiences that resonate with younger generations.

Bowie said the idea grew from conversations among staff members, many of whom are younger and had been thinking about how to make the institute’s stories more accessible to people who did not live through the Civil Rights Movement.

“When I first got there, one of the things that we talked about internally” was the need to resonate with a younger generation, Bowie said.

She challenged the team to find ways to connect the institute’s archival materials with present-day issues. That approach informed earlier programming, including “State of the Algorithm,” which explored the portrayal of Black Americans in media through a conversation with young creatives, and an exhibit known as “The 99,” which combined art with the history of Birmingham’s segregated neighborhoods.

Those projects helped establish a direction for the institute: preserving history while creating opportunities for people to see its relevance in their own lives.

The conversation eventually turned to Alabama’s HBCUs. Bowie said she was surprised to learn that the institute had not previously dedicated an exhibit to honoring the institutions collectively.

The result, she said, was a project that drew a strong response from the community. There was so much interest in the opening event organizers had to establish a waiting list.

The Role in the Movement

The exhibit also explores the role HBCU students and institutions played in the Civil Rights Movement. Students from historically Black colleges participated in sit-ins and other demonstrations, while HBCUs educated leaders who challenged segregation and fought for equal rights.

The history of the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama is closely connected to the state’s HBCUs. Figures tied to these institutions include Miles College graduate Richard Arrington Jr., Birmingham’s first Black mayor; attorney Fred Gray, who attended Alabama State University; and the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, who attended Selma University and Alabama State University.

The exhibition’s opening also coincides with Birmingham’s annual celebration of HBCU culture and school pride surrounding the Magic City Classic, the football rivalry between Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University.

Alongside the temporary exhibit, BCRI unveiled a permanent HBCU Legacy Wall recognizing all 14 institutions. The wall will remain at the institute after the exhibition closes, providing a lasting tribute to the schools and their contributions.

The HBCU celebration will continue on Dec. 1, when BCRI plans to host its annual Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award event at the institute. This year, the award will recognize the HBCUs collectively, marking a departure from the institute’s usual practice of honoring an individual.

Bowie said the decision grew out of staff discussions about the role the institutions played in the movement and the qualities embodied by Shuttlesworth, the Birmingham civil rights leader known for his courage and willingness to confront segregation.

The award recognizes those who reflect Shuttlesworth’s commitment to civil and human rights. Bowie said the team saw a connection between that legacy and the institutions whose students took part in direct action during the movement.

The Dec. 1 program, scheduled for Giving Tuesday, will include HBCU participation. It will also give visitors another opportunity to see the exhibition before it closes Dec. 12.

“History is living.”

For Bowie, the work is part of a broader effort to keep BCRI present in people’s lives today, rather than viewed only as a place to learn about events from the 1960s.

“History is living,” Bowie said. “It is all living, and … there are stories we have not told.”

She said the institute is already planning future programming and opportunities to include more voices, especially as it considers how the lessons of the past relate to present-day challenges.

“The fight might look different today than it did back when people were battling for freedom in the ’60s,” Bowie said, “but that passion, that drive, that leadership” remain important.

Through Historically Black, BCRI is highlighting the history of Alabama’s HBCUs while recognizing their continued role in educating students, developing leaders and strengthening communities.

The exhibit is on view through Dec. 12 at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 520 16th St. North.

Learn more at bcri.org.