http://annistonstar.com/view/full_story/6948110/article-The-Foster-story?instance=opinion_secondary
by The Anniston Star Editorial Board
Apr 06, 2010
That brutally hot afternoon in 1963 when Gov. George Wallace briefly
blocked progress at the University of Alabama produced two versions
of a quintessential civil rights moment.
Bigots saw it one way. Those who embrace equality viewed it differently.
Today, that's the problem that can arise when people try to
commemorate events in our civil rights past. No story in that part of
American history is one-sided.
Yet, that's no reason to ignore the bravery of those who fought to
make this nation a better place.
The university should be commended for its plans to build a civil
rights-themed plaza and clock tower outside the renovated Foster
Auditorium, site of Wallace's immortalized stand. The initial plans
are promising.
Nevertheless, it's no surprise that this commemoration project has
been highly charged on the Tuscaloosa campus. That's why this page
urged the university last fall to seek input from all parties before
it settled on the correct path.
Like the site of the burned Freedom Riders bus outside Anniston,
Foster Auditorium holds a distinct place in civil rights history.
Having markers and memorials doesn't commemorate hatred or bigotry;
instead, it champions the quest for equality, a quest that continues today.
That's Foster's story. Let it be told. And told well.
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