University of Alabama desegregation

The University of Alabama's desegregation was a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1963, federal courts ordered the university to admit Black students, challenging its historically all-white policy. The most notable case was the admission of Autherine Lucy in 1956, which was temporarily blocked, and later Vivian Malone and James Hood in 1963. Governor George Wallace famously attempted to prevent their enrollment, signaling opposition to integration. Ultimately, federal intervention enforced desegregation, marking a significant step toward racial equality in higher education and breaking down institutional segregation barriers in the South.