Graves Hall, an academic building named for two-term Gov. Bibb Graves, a progressive who also was Grand Cyclops of the KKK before leaving the group in the late 1920s, will become Lucy-Graves Hall to recognize Autherine Lucy Foster, who in 1956 became the first Black person to enroll at Alabama.
"I am so grateful to all who think that this naming opportunity has the potential to motivate and encourage others to embrace the importance of education, and to have the courage to commit to things that seek to make a difference in the lives of others," her statement said. "Graves' Klan membership was a convenient stepping stone in his political career. He shed his white robes once they no longer suited his political purpose. While he became known as one of the most progressive governors in the South, his ability to do so came with the endorsement of a white supremacist organization," it said.
John England Jr., a former trustee who is Black and served as chair of a group that considered renaming the building, said members wrestled with what to do about Graves' name, given a record that's sullied by his Klan leadership.