Autherine Lucy Foster
Biography
Autherine Juanita Lucy Foster was an American civil rights activist who became the first African American student to attend the University of Alabama. After a three-year legal battle supported by the NAACP, she enrolled on February 3, 1956, but faced violent mobs and threats. On February 6, 1956, just three days after her historic enrollment, university officials suspended and later expelled her, claiming it was for her own safety. Lucy continued to fight for civil rights and worked as a teacher for decades. In 1988, the University of Alabama officially overturned her expulsion, and she re-enrolled, earning her master's degree in elementary education in 1992 alongside her daughter. The university later named a building in her honor, and she received numerous accolades for her courage in breaking the color barrier in Alabama higher education.
Key Achievements
- 1
First African American to enroll at the University of Alabama (1956)
- 2
Endured violent protests and threats to integrate Southern higher education
- 3
Had her expulsion overturned after 32 years and earned her master's degree
- 4
Autherine Lucy Hall at University of Alabama named in her honor
- 5
Received Congressional Gold Medal posthumously in 2022
Birth Date
October 5, 1929
Death Date
March 2, 2022