Vivian Jones
Vivian Malone Jones Became The First African American To Graduate From The University Of Alabama, In Tuscaloosa, On May 30, 1965.
Jones Was One Of Two Blacks (James Hood Was The Other) To Enroll In UA In 1963, After First Being Barred At The Door Of Foster Auditorium By Segregationist Governor, George C. Wallace, Whose Political Mantra Had Been "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."
The 20 Year-Old Business Student Bravely Faced The Defiant Wallace Who Declared,
"I stand here today, as governor of this sovereign state and refuse to willingly submit to illegal usurpation of power by the central government."
With The Help Of Federalized National Guard Troops, Jones And Hood Were Able To Enroll At The University Of Alabama On June 11, 1963. In Doing So They Joined The List Of African Americans Who Became Symbols Of Courage In The Struggle For Civil Rights In The United States.
To Get A True Sense Of The Violent Atmosphere In The South And The Danger The Students Faced, Consider This:
Civil Rights Leader, Medgar Evers Was Shot And Killed In His Driveway In Jackson, Mississippi, June 12, 1963, The Day After Vivian Jones And James Hood Were Escorted To The University Of Alabama.
Vivian Malone Jones Died Of A Stroke October 13, 2005. She Was 63.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It."-- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
