NPR Affiliate since 1985
Ozarks at Large Stories

Reflections in Black: Autherine Lucy Foster

KUAF | By Leigh Wood,
Raven Cook
Published May 22, 2019 at 12:01 PM CDT
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio
Autherine Lucy Foster speaking at the University of Alabama during the unveiling of a campus historical marker in her honor in 2017.
Courtesy

Born in Alabama in October 1929, Autherine Lucy Foster earned her bachelor's degree in English from Miles College in Fairfield in 1952 and, in 1956, became the first African American student to attend the University of Alabama. Lucy Foster was expelled weeks later after riots broke out when residents learned of her admission but eventually returned to graduate with a master's degree in 1992. She received an honorary doctorate from the school in May 2019. This is her story.

Ozarks at Large StoriesReflections in Black
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Leigh Wood
Leigh Wood was the General Manager of KUAF from August 2019 to February 2024. She also produced several KUAF podcasts including Resilient Black Women, The R Word and RefleXions.
See stories by Leigh Wood
Raven Cook
Reflections in Black is a weekly segment on Ozarks at Large, hosted by Raven Cook. Reflections in Black is dedicated to exploring the legacy of Black Americans, both in the United States and around the globe, by providing resources for understanding and hope for all people.
See stories by Raven Cook
Related Content
  1. Reflections in Black: Josephine St. Pierre
  2. Reflections in Black: James McCune Smith
  3. Reflections in Black: June Jordan
  4. Reflections in Black: Remembering Nipsey Hussle