1996 Lurleen Wallace Award of Courage - Vivian Malone Jones She credited her solid upbringing and strong religious belief for the strength to challenge segregation, having set her mind simply on “going to class and doing the best I could”. Vivian Juanita Malone Jones (July 15, 1942 – October 13, 2005) was one of the first two black students to enroll at the University of Alabama in 1963, and in 1965 became the university's first black graduate. She remained in the dormitory until the situation was determined to have calmed down. Malone attended Central High School, where she was a member of the National Honor Society. Meserette Kentake is the founder of Kentake Page.

She was made famous by defying Alabama Governor George … In 2000, the University of Alabama bestowed on her a doctorate of humane letters.[3]. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. "The Schoolhouse Door". Thanks for subscribing! Kentake spends her free time reading, researching, and writing up the posts on the site. 7 things you would have learned if you read ‘The ... 10 Iconic Poems by Maya Angelou Every Black Person Should ... Mme. After graduation, Malone had difficulty finding work in Alabama. In 1961, Malone had received word from a family friend that the local Non-Partisan Voter League had organized a plan to desegregate the University of Alabama's branch school in Mobile. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund of Alabama organized an opportunity with Malone to enroll her in the University of Alabama's School of Commerce and Business Administration to earn her accounting degree. Her funeral services were held at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College. Sign up to best of business news, informed analysis and opinions on what matters to you. Vivian Juanita Malone Jones (July 15, 1942 – October 13, 2005) was one of the first two African American students to enroll at the University of Alabama in 1963 and the university’s first African American graduate. “I was never afraid,” she recalled. Vivian Malone was born on July 15, 1942, and grew up in Mobile, Alabama, the oldest of eight children. At the ceremony, Wallace said, "Vivian Malone Jones was at the center of the fight over states' rights and conducted herself with grace, strength and, above all, courage." [13] As she and Hood entered the building, they were met with surprising applause from white supporters of integration. Judge Grooms had also forbidden Governor Wallace from interfering with the students' registration. She was survived by a son, a daughter, three grandchildren, four sisters and three brothers. [2] The district court had ruled that the University of Alabama's practice of denying black students admission into their university was a violation of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education case in which the act of educating black children in schools intentionally separated from white students was charged as unconstitutional. "[10], After seeing that Wallace would not step aside, Katzenbach called upon the assistance of President John F. Kennedy to force Wallace to permit the black students' entry into the university. [2] Waiting for them on campus and blocking the entryway to Foster Auditorium was Governor Wallace, flanked by a group of state troopers. She moved to Washington to work in the civil rights division of the US justice department, and later became director of civil rights and urban affairs, and director of environmental justice, at the environmental protection agency. The vision is to bring together history, literature, and art under one cyber-umbrella, to make Black/Afrikan historical, literary, and artistic achievements universally accessible. [2] The threat to her safety did not deter Malone from continuing to support integration in the university and she persisted in applying to the University of Alabama to earn a degree in accounting. In February 1961, she enrolled in Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, one of the few colleges for Black students in the state. Moreover, the bachelor's degree Malone received was issued to her before the University had been fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The students entered Foster Hall, registered, went to their dormitories, ate in the cafeteria, and experienced no further incidents that day. Each of Malone’s older brothers attended Tuskegee University. Vivian Juanita Malone Jones, civil rights pioneer and civil servant, born July 15 1942; died October 13 2005, Black student whose enrolment marked the beginning of the end of segregation in the US south.

At least 200 black students had applied to the university only to have their applications rejected by admissions. Jones died following a stroke at age 63 on October 13, 2005, in an Atlanta hospital. Her parents emphasized the importance of receiving an education and made sure that their children attended college. */, This website uses cookies to improve your experience. [5], She was appointed to a position as the Executive Director of the Voter Education Project and worked towards voter equality for minorities, thus assisting millions[citation needed] of blacks to register to vote. As a teenager, Vivian was often involved in community organizations to end racial discrimination and worked closely with local leaders of the movements to work for desegregation in schools.

Each of Malone's older brothers attended Tuskegee University. One hundred guardsmen escorted Malone and Hood from their dorms back to the auditorium, where Wallace moved aside at the request of General Henry V. Due to her exceptional performance in high school, Malone was one out of a number of local black students the organization suggested apply to the Mobile campus. [12] They then entered the gym and registered as students of the university, with Malone being accepted into the University as a Junior. [2], President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard later the same day, which put them under the command of the President, rather than the Governor of Alabama. They disclosed that her attempts to apply to the Mobile campus and integrate with the school had instigated violent retaliation from the local white community from which the family would not receive much protection. [3] To earn an accredited degree in accounting, Malone would have to transfer to another university. Kentake holds a BSc degree in Counselling Psychology, but her passion has always been Afrikan/Black history. [2] Two years later, in 1965, she received a Bachelor of Arts in business management and became the first black student to graduate from the University of Alabama. He returned to the University of Alabama in 1997 to take a doctorate in higher education. She was made famous by defying Alabama Governor George Wallace’s infamous “stand in the schoolhouse door” to block her and James Hood from enrolling at the all-whyte university. Malone went downstairs into the dining room, and was surprised to be joined by several white students, who ate lunch with her. She was a faithful member of From the Heart Christian Ministries of Atlanta where she served as an usher. All Right Reserved. After Evers’ murder, Malone said she felt even more determined not to give up. [2] Her parents were also active in civil rights and often participated in local meetings, donations, and activities in the community that promoted equality and desegregation. One night at midnight, someone knocked on her dormitory door and told her there was a bomb threat. As a teenager, Vivian was often involved in community organizations to end racial discrimination and worked closely with local leaders of the movements to work for desegregation in schools.[2]. She graduated with a B-plus average. [2] After applying to the Mobile branch of the University of Alabama, Malone and her family had been visited by two white men who had claimed that they were representatives of the state. /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. Her parents both worked at Brookley Air Force Base; her father served in maintenance and her mother worked as a domestic servant.

I have raised up that which was destroyed. Her entrance to the university came as the civil rights struggle raged across the South. [2][7] The Legal Defense Fund had been working closely with a student, James Hood, to desegregate the University of Alabama. She attended Alabama A&M for two years and received a Bachelor's degree in Business Education. But after experiencing three days of threats Ms. Lucy was suspended, ostensibly for her own safety, and later expelled.). [5] In October 1996, Jones was chosen by the George Wallace Family Foundation to be the first recipient of its Lurleen B. Wallace Award of Courage. [2] Her parents emphasized the importance of receiving an education and made sure that their children attended college. [4] Malone had wanted to pursue a degree in accounting, a field of study not offered by Alabama A&M at the time. Please check your email for further instructions.