Commencement
Commencement ceremonies to begin Friday: NBC (Huntsville) – July 26
May graduates will finally receive their diplomas from The University of Alabama this Friday. There are 3 commencement events planned for the upcoming weekend. Masks are required for everyone attending graduation.
WVUA – July 27
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Million Dollar Band
University of Alabama Million Dollar Band cancels two events due to COVID-19 concerns: Nick 97.5 – July 26
The University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band announced Saturday (July 26th) that it will not host two of its annual events. The 2020 Middle School Honor Band Festival and the 2020 Crimson Cavalcade of Bands have both been cancelled. Representatives for the Million Dollar Band say that a decision about Spring 2021 events will be made later this fall.
Historical Rarity
At 88, he is a historical rarity – the living son of a slave: The Washington Post – July 27
It’s not possible to know how many people alive today are the children of enslaved people, but we shouldn’t be so surprised that they still exist because the generations since slavery can be counted on one hand, said Hilary Green, an associate professor of history at The University of Alabama. “We don’t want to talk about it because we as Americans . . . we’re always forward thinking. We never think enough about the past.”
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The 1619 Project
Sen. Tom Cotton wants to take ‘The 1619 Project’ out of classrooms. His efforts have kept it in the spotlights: The Washington Post – July 27
But Joshua D. Rothman, a University of Alabama history professor, countered Cotton’s argument, writing that slavery was neither a “necessary evil” nor destined for “ultimate extinction.” It was more nuanced than that, he said. “Slavery was a choice defended or accepted by most white Americans for generations, and it expanded dramatically between the Revolution and the Civil War,” Rothman wrote.
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Edmund Pettus Bridge
Pressure mounts to rename Edmund Pettus Bridge after John Lewis: Daily Mail – July 27
University of Alabama history professor John Giggie told the magazine that the bridge ‘was named for him, in part, to memorialize his history, of restraining and imprisoning African-Americans in their quest for freedom after the Civil War’.
Ole Miss
The Battle over Ole Miss: Why a flagship university has stood behind a nickname with a racist past: CNN – July 27
“There’s really no ambiguity about what (Elma Meek’s) tapping into: a romanticized vision of the Old South and slavery,” said Carey, a University of Alabama instructor of American studies. “A lot of people don’t think that much about it, which makes it all the more important to acknowledge the origin. It’s quite a bit to try to explain away or rationalize.”
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Confederate Monuments
As calls to remove Confederate monuments grew louder, states passed new laws to protect them: Montgomery Advertiser – July 30
… “Most have not been toppled down by protesters,” said Hillary Green, a professor at The University of Alabama who studies the Civil War, Reconstruction and 19th-century history. “The majority that are coming down are the ones in front of courthouses.”
Extreme Flooding
How China’s nature-based solutions help with extreme flooding: Public Radio International – July 31
This year, record rainfall in China caused the longest river, the Yangtze, to overflow, leading to serious damage… Convincing tens of millions of people to relocate away from the Yangtze River flood plain is nearly impossible, said David Shankman, China flood expert at The University of Alabama.
Gun Control
Myths the media perpetuate about gun control: Real Clear Politics – August 1
The push to disarm Americans, such as Pamela and Mark McCloskey of St. Louis, stems from the belief that disarming the public will make us safer. But those beliefs arise from myths perpetrated by the media. This claim is based on one study by Adam Lankford at The University of Alabama. Lankford asserted that the U.S. accounted for 31% of mass public shooters from 1966 to 2012, despite having less than 5% of the world population.