Selma, Alabama, a city synonymous with the Civil Rights Movement, carries deep historical weight. Among its institutions is the John T. Morgan Academy, an entity directly linked to the region’s complex past and its ongoing struggle with racial equality. Named after John Tyler Morgan, a figure deeply entrenched in the ideology of white supremacy, the academy’s story reflects Selma’s broader journey from segregation to a slowly evolving present.
John Tyler Morgan, for whom the academy is named, was a lawyer from Selma who ascended to become a U.S. Senator representing Alabama after the Civil War. However, his legacy is marred by his staunch advocacy for white supremacist policies. As a former Confederate general and reportedly a grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, Morgan championed the legalization of lynching and relentlessly promoted racial segregation. His vision of racial hierarchy was stark; he famously declared that racial equality was an impossibility, stating, “The snows will fall from heaven in sooty blackness,” before whites would accept blacks as equals. During the Reconstruction era, Morgan even advocated for the forced removal of the entire Black population from the South.
In this context, the founding of John T. Morgan Academy in June 1965 takes on a particularly charged meaning. Established mere months after the historic Selma to Montgomery voting rights march, the academy was deliberately founded as a segregated private school. Choosing to name it after John Tyler Morgan was not a neutral act; it was a clear statement of defiance, a symbol of resistance to the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement and a commitment to maintaining racial separation in Selma.
Initially located in Morgan’s former Selma residence in the historic Old Town district, John T. Morgan Academy relocated in 1968 to a larger, purpose-built campus in West Selma. For decades, the academy remained a symbol of segregation in a city where the majority of the population was Black. Year after year, John T. Morgan Academy operated without a single Black student, even as Selma’s demographics shifted and the nation moved, albeit unevenly, towards integration.
That unbroken streak of segregation ended in recent times.
In a significant, albeit incremental, step for both the academy and the city, John T. Morgan Academy admitted its first Black student, a five-year-old kindergartener, in May of last year. This event marked a quiet turning point in the history of an institution deeply rooted in segregation. The admission occurred in Selma, a city Martin Luther King Jr. once described as the most segregated in America, and a place that continues to grapple with its legacy of racial tension and neo-Confederate sentiment.
The decision to desegregate, however symbolically, was not met with universal applause. At a subsequent school board meeting, the undercurrent of resistance was palpable. Sean Black, the father of the young girl, recounted the atmosphere: “You could feel the anger in the room.” While no one explicitly mentioned segregation or his daughter, the concerns were clear. The questions raised – “What about our traditions? What about our heritage?” – spoke volumes about the deeply entrenched resistance to change and the desire to preserve a segregated past.
Sean Black and his wife Tylia are not native to Selma. They are part of a larger group, the Freedom Foundation, a faith-based non-profit that relocated from Colorado to Selma. This group of 44 adults and 16 children consciously chose to move to Selma to actively promote racial harmony and social justice, echoing the spirit of the civil rights activists of the 1960s. Like those earlier activists, the Freedom Foundation’s presence has stirred resentment and hostility among those clinging to Selma’s segregated past. They are seen by some as “troublemakers” and “outside agitators,” labels reminiscent of the rhetoric used against civil rights activists decades ago.
The Freedom Foundation’s efforts to foster racial reconciliation in Selma include a range of community-focused projects. They renovated classrooms at the historically Black Selma High School, purchased uniforms for its tennis team, organized youth events, and produced educational videos for local civil rights institutions. Perhaps their most ambitious project is the renovation of the Tepper’s Building, transforming a former department store into a community hub with a youth center, coffee shop, and job training programs.
The group also ventured into community theater, staging a production of “Footloose” with a diverse cast of Selma residents. This choice of play, about a newcomer challenging a town’s conservative norms, was deliberate, reflecting the Freedom Foundation’s own mission in Selma. Despite these positive initiatives, the Freedom Foundation faces significant opposition from those resistant to change.
This resistance sometimes manifests in overt hostility. A Facebook group formed by John T. Morgan Academy students, titled “Go Back to Colorado,” exemplifies this sentiment. One post from the group highlights the racial animosity directed at the Freedom Foundation and those perceived as challenging the established racial order in Selma. The online rhetoric echoes the dangerous climate of the Civil Rights era, a time when activists faced not only verbal abuse but also physical violence. Selma’s history is stained with the blood of civil rights martyrs like Viola Liuzzo and James Reeb, reminders of the extreme lengths to which some would go to maintain segregation.
Councilman Cecil Williamson, a prominent figure in Selma’s political and religious circles, represents a significant voice of opposition to the Freedom Foundation’s work. A self-proclaimed neo-Confederate and former member of the League of the South, Williamson embodies the resistance to changing racial dynamics in Selma. His past actions, such as erecting a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader, demonstrate his commitment to preserving Confederate symbols and ideologies. Williamson’s involvement in organizing resistance against the Freedom Foundation underscores the deeply rooted nature of the opposition they face.
Despite the challenges and resistance, the Freedom Foundation persists in its mission. Mark Duke, the president of the organization, co-hosts a local radio show, using the platform to engage with the community and promote dialogue. While seemingly innocuous, even his on-air discussions about local happenings and lighthearted questions are aimed at fostering communication and understanding across racial lines in Selma.
Bradford Smith, a lifelong Black resident of Selma, offers a nuanced perspective on the changes and persistent challenges in the city. He acknowledges that progress has been made, but also emphasizes the enduring power dynamics in Selma. He notes that while some white individuals have always been fair, a powerful white elite has historically controlled Selma through economic and social pressure. The boycott organized against businesses advertising on the Freedom Foundation’s radio show illustrates the continued exertion of this power.
While acknowledging the long road ahead, Smith recognizes the significance of even small steps. The fact that a Black mayor has held office in Selma for a significant period and, perhaps more symbolically, that a Black child now attends John T. Morgan Academy, are indicators of change, however gradual.
Shania Black, the young kindergartener who desegregated John T. Morgan Academy, is, in her father’s words, “just having a good time.” Her innocent experience contrasts sharply with the heavy weight of history surrounding the institution she now attends. In a poignant moment, a white parent at the academy thanked Sean Black, stating, “It’s about time.” This simple acknowledgment encapsulates the complex and evolving reality of John T. Morgan Academy and Selma itself – a place where the ghosts of segregation still linger, but where the first signs of a more inclusive future are beginning to emerge.
