Civil Rights History
Tales from the Trail: Markers document key moments in Tuscaloosa’s civil rights history: Tuscaloosa News – Feb. 20
… 8. Paul R. Jones Museum (2308 Sixth St.): Paul R. Jones was an art collector who was rejected from entry in The University of Alabama’s law school in 1949 because he was Black. Over the years, Jones amassed a wide collection of Black-created art, later donating 1,700 pieces to The University of Alabama in 2008 for an estimated $5 million. The Paul R. Jones Museum was created in 2011 to exhibit the collection.
Green Week
UA Environmental Council to kick off annual Green Week: The Crimson White – Feb. 20
The University of Alabama’s Environmental Council will hold its annual Green Week Feb. 23-26.
Sumner County
Volunteer State Community College: Sumner County slave trade presentation: Tuscaloosa Patch – Feb. 21
… University of Alabama history professor Joshua Rothman wrote extensively about the Franklin family in his book “The Ledger and the Chain.”
Paul W. Bryant Museum
New exhibit at Paul W. Bryant Museum honors Black UA athletes: WVUA – Feb. 22
A new exhibit at the Paul W. Bryant Museum showcases Wendell Hudson, the first Black athlete at The University of Alabama. Then moves to Wilbur Jackson, the first African-American scholarship football player. And John Mitchell, the first Black football player to take the field at the Capstone. Three men that not only impacted The University of Alabama, but the state and nation as well.
Russia/Ukraine Conflict
What impact on the U.S. will the Russia/Ukraine conflict have?: CBS 42 – Feb. 22
Today, President Biden blocked supplies to two major Russian companies. While we aren’t seeing a full-on invasion yet, we can expect to see some impacts here in Alabama. I talked with Dr. Margaret Peacock. She’s an associate professor of Russian history at The University of Alabama. She says as tensions increase, an attack is very likely at this point. As we wait and see how this all plays out, she says you should also be mindful of your social media.
CBS 42 (web)
WVUA
WVUA – Feb. 25
Plant Poaching
These tiny succulent plants are being poached by the thousands: Vox – Feb. 23
… Plant poaching can seriously harm the natural world and the diversity of species that compose it, said Jared Margulies, an assistant professor at The University of Alabama who studies the illicit succulent trade. Cacti and other succulents are important pollinators for birds, moths, and insects, and their roots are important in arid environments to maintain healthy soil and reduce erosion. “When you start removing them from the ecosystem,” Margulies said, “the cascading effects are potentially really significant.”
News 24
Newberry Library Fellowship
Faculty and staff accolades for Feb. 23, 2022: Tuscaloosa Patch – Feb. 23
Dr. Wendy Castenell, assistant professor, art and art history, was awarded a nine-month Long-Term Fellowship by The Newberry Library for academic year 2022-2023.
The Asteroid That Killed The Dinosaurs
Fossil fish reveal timing of asteroid that killed the dinosaurs: Nature – Feb. 23
… For a site of such potential importance, I’d really like to see a long-format paper that dives deep into the sedimentology and stratigraphy of the site, and supports it with lots of imagery and data,” says Thomas Tobin, a geologist at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He says this is particularly important given that a limited number of researchers to date have had an opportunity to visit Tanis.
Breitbart
United Press International
Newsbreak
COVID in Literature
Are we ready for COVID-19 as a central theme in literature?: NPR – Feb. 24
… However, Laura Kipnis’ Love in the Time of Contagion and Margaret Peacock and Erik L. Peterson’s A Deeper Sickness: Journal of America in the Pandemic Year might be the two books that truly announce the arrival of literature with a central goal of helping us understand the psychology of the pandemic… Peacock, a media and propaganda professor at The University of Alabama, and Peterson, a professor of science and history at the same institution, took notes on everything that was happening in the news as well as on social media during 2020.
Nevada Public Radio
… and many more
Knap-In
UA Moundville Archaeological Park hosts Knap-In March 4-5: Tuscaloosa Patch – Feb. 24
The University of Alabama Moundville Archaeological Park will host stone tool makers and flint knappers from around the nation during its annual Knap-In March 4-5.
Black-owned Hospitals
Life and death of Mississippi’s four Black-owned hospitals: Jackson Advocate – Feb. 25
… P. M. Smith was the Grand Mentor of the Taborians and tried to interest his members in the construction of the hospital as early as 1929. University of Alabama historian David Beito tells the story of how Smith felt demeaned and insulted by the staff of a white-owned hospital a few years before.
Rising Tide Capital Campaign
Smith Family gift pushes the Rising Tide over $1 billion: WVTM 13 – Feb. 25
The University of Alabama announced its largest charitable gift in history for an academic facility. The family of Mark Smith, co-founder of a global telecommunications company, recently committed $20 million. If Trustees give it the green light, UA will name its performing arts academic center after the family. It will house the department of theatre and dance and include four performance theatres. UA says the family’s gift helped push the Rising Tide Capital Campaign over $1 billion.
Fox 6
WVUA
CBS 42
CBS (Huntsville)
… and many more