End of Segregation at University of Alabama |
The end of segregation at the University of Alabama occurred in 1963 during the civil rights movement. On June 11, 1963, two Black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, successfully enrolled at the university despite efforts to prevent them.
Alabama Governor George Wallace famously tried to block their entry by physically standing in the doorway of a campus building, in what became known as the "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door." His attempt to stop integration was symbolic and meant to uphold segregation laws, but it was unsuccessful.
President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard, and under federal pressure, Wallace stepped aside. Malone and Hood then entered the university and began attending classes, marking a major victory in the fight against racial segregation in education and a turning point in the broader civil rights movement.