Autherine Lucy Foster: First Black Student at University of Alabama Dies at Age 92

*Autherine Lucy Foster, the first Black student to enroll at the University of Alabama, has died at age 92.

Foster’s daughter, Angela Foster Dickerson, confirmed her mother died Wednesday morning, The Associated Press reports. University officials also announced her death in a statement. 

“Dr. Foster will always be remembered as one who broke barriers, reminded us of the respect due to every individual and lived a life of strength in steadfast service to her students and community,” University President Stuart R. Bell said in a statement.

Foster left the campus in the 1950s, and African-American students did not return to the university campus until 1963 when Gov. George Wallace stood in front of Foster Auditorium to stop the enrollment of Vivan Malone and James Hood. The move is famously known as the “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door.”

OTHER NEWS: Trump, Right-wing Lawyer Part of ‘Criminal Conspiracy’ to Overturn 2020 Election: January 6 Committee Alleges

Here’s more from The AP:

Foster in 1956 briefly attended classes at the then all-white university. She was expelled three days later after her presence brought protests and threats against her life. Her death comes less than a week after university officials dedicated the campus building where she briefly attended classes in her honor. During the ceremony, she was also proclaimed a “master teacher.”

“If I am a master teacher, what I hope I am teaching you is that love will take care of everything in our world, don’t you think,” Foster said at the dedication ceremony last week.

“It’s not your color. It’s not how bright you are. It’s how you feel about those that you deal with,” Foster said.

Foster returned to the university and earned a master’s degree in education in 1992. She received an honorary doctorate from the university in 2019. 

The classroom building recently named after Foster was originally listed next to the name of a one-time governor who led the Ku Klux Klan. After criticism, trustees renamed it solely for Foster. The building is known as Autherine Lucy Hall, as Foster’s family wanted to use her maiden.

We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!