AUTHERINE LUCY (1956) Photo archive

Group of four vintage original 8 x 10″ (20 x 25 cm) black-and-white glossy silver gelatin photos. All have their detailed attached paper blurbs and publication date stamps on verso, fine.

Autherine Juanita Lucy (1929-2022) was an American activist who was the first African American student to attend the University of Alabama, in 1956. In Feb. 1956, Autherine began classes in the library science program, becoming the first black person to attend classes at the university. Three days later she was whisked to safety following threats against her life from a growing, angry mob.

The Ku Klux Klan began burning crosses nightly on the university campus. On Monday, Feb. 6, riots broke out and a mob of more than a thousand men yelled and pelted the car in which the Dean of Women drove Lucy between classes. Threats were made against her life and the university president’s home was stoned. Lucy locked herself in a room in the Education Library building, fearing the mob would kill her.

The university suspended Autherine, citing fears for her safety. After being expelled from the University of Alabama, she continued to be active in the civil rights movement, giving speeches and working as a teacher in various states. She married Hugh Foster, a minister, in 1956 and they had four children. In 1988, the university officially reversed her expulsion, and she returned to earn a master’s degree, graduating in 1992. The university later honored her with a scholarship, a monument and a building named after her. (Wikipedia)

Two photos are dated Feb. 10, 1956, and show Autherine with her attorney at the time she was barred from the University of Alabama. A photo dated March 6, 1956, depicts her speaking to reporters stating that she will continue to fight for her rights. A photo dated May 26 shows her with former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt at Madison Square Garden for a civil rights rally which included Rev. Martin Luther King.