Alabama History Podcasts

Air Date: June 2, 2025 Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/fk7hby52 Dr. David Chase Stephens (AU ’24), winner of the Alabama Historical Association’s 2025 Sarah Woolfolk Wiggins Award for the best dissertation in Alabama History, discusses his dissertation entitled “To Obstruct and Resist: Paradise v. Allen, Integration Efforts, and the Alabama State Troopers” (Dec. 2024). Stephens examines the strum und drang of integrating the Alabama State Troopers by hiring and promoting Black and women officers. He examines the four major lawsuits at the heart of these efforts as well as resistance to integration that Gov. Guy Hunt dropped in the mid-1980s. Links mentioned in the episode: Alabama Historical Association: https://www.alabamahistory.net/ Sarah Woolfolk Wiggins Dissertation Award: https://www.alabamahistory.net/wiggins-dissertation-award Stephens, “To Obstruct and Resist: Paradise v. Allen, Integration Efforts, and the Alabama State Troopers”: https://etd.auburn.edu/handle/10415/9481 Paradise v. Allen / NAACP v. Allen: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/paradise-v-allen/ Alabama Department of Public Safety: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/alabama-law-enforcement-agency/ US v. Frazer (1970): https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/317/1079/1415562/ Mieth v. Dothard (1976): https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/418/1169/1602972/ Dothard v. Rawlinson (1977): https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/433/321/ Gov. George Wallace: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/george-c-wallace-1963-67-1971-79-1983-87/ Gov. Fob James: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/forrest-fob-james-jr-1979-83-1995-99/ Gov. Guy Hunt: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/guy-hunt-1987-93/ Cowie, Freedom’s Dominion: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jefferson-cowie/freedom%E2%80%99s-dominion-winner-of-the-pulitzer-prize/9781541672819/?lens=basic-books Founded in 1947, the Alabama Historical Association is the oldest statewide historical society in Alabama. The AHA provides opportunities for meaningful engagement with the past through publications, meetings, historical markers, and other programs. If you enjoyed this edition of the Alabama History Podcast, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Theo Moore, founder and executive director of Hiztorical Vision Productions, discusses receiving the 2025 Jakeman Award for Digital History (large project category) from the Alabama Historical Association. He talks about his past, current, and future films; his motivations for founding Hiztorical Vision Productions; and his plans for the future – including creating a studio, museum, and event space. Transcript at this link: https://tinyurl.com/vpfz6ece Links to things mentioned in the episode: Alabama Historical Association: https://www.alabamahistory.net/ Hiztorical Vision Productions: https://hiztoricalvp.org/ Crown: the County of Lowndes (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD6cQejngU4&t=1s Hobson City: From Peril to Promise (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byUHSHlieT0&t=4s Afrikan by way of American (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRfhA2DzuJg&t=9s Remembering John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital at Tuskegee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcjOu0y84Jg Georgia Documentary Film Festival: https://filmfreeway.com/GeorgiaDocumentaryFilmFestival Lanett Film Festival: https://filmfreeway.com/LanettCityFilmFestival Southern Film Festival: https://filmfreeway.com/SouthernFilmFestival Heritage House (Africatown museum): https://clotilda.com/ Tuskegee Institute Advancement League (TIAL): https://snccdigital.org/location/tuskegee-al/ Dr. Gwendolyn Patton: https://snccdigital.org/people/gwen-patton/ Sammy Younge, Jr.: https://snccdigital.org/events/murder-of-sammy-younge-snccs-statement-on-vietnam/ Founded in 1947, the Alabama Historical Association is the oldest statewide historical society in Alabama. The AHA provides opportunities for meaningful engagement with the past through publications, meetings, historical markers, and other programs. If you enjoyed this edition of the Alabama History Podcast, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Bert Harris, former president of the East Alabama Museum and the Genealogical Society of East Alabama, plus Jayson and Laura Hill, discuss Opelika’s history, tour sites, and other amenities the AHA will enjoy for its April 2025 annual meeting. Transcript of episode: https://tinyurl.com/5a26sz5r Links to items mentioned in the episode: Alabama Historical Association: https://www.alabamahistory.net/ ; Opelika, AL: https://www.opelika-al.gov/ ; Museum of East Alabama: https://eastalabama.org/ ; Treaty of Cusseta, 1832: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/treaty-of-cusseta-1832/ ; Creek Removal: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/creek-indian-removal/ ; Montgomery and West Point Railroad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_and_West_Point_Railroad ; Rousseau’s Raid: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/rousseaus-raid/ ; Textile mills: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/textile-industry-in-alabama/ ; Norma Rae: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norma_Rae ; John Herbert Orr: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/john-herbert-orr/ ; Yoholo Micco: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/opothle-yoholo/ ; Booker T. Washington: https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/booker-t-washington/ ; Booker T. Whatley, How to Make $100,000 Farming 25 Acres: https://archive.org/details/bookertwhatleysh0000what ; Spring Villa (the Penn Yonge House): https://www.opelika-al.gov/321/Spring-Villa-History ; Salem-Shotwell Bridge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem-Shotwell_Covered_Bridge ; Darden House (John Wesley Darden): https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/media/darden-house-in-opelika/ ; Heritage House: https://heritagehouse1913.com/about/ ; Brownfield House: https://auburnopelikaalrealestate.com/brownfield-house-in-opelika-al/ ; John Emerald Distilling Company: https://johnemeralddistilling.com/about/ ; Winston Smith T Hardware and Building Supply: https://www.smithtbuildingsupply.com/ ; Opelika Sportsplex: https://www.opelika-al.gov/391/Opelika-Sportsplex-Aquatics-Center ; Beans Mill: https://stephanielane2012.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/beans-mill/

Episode 81 – Dan Puckett discusses the Alabama Holocaust Commission Air Date: January 7, 2025 Dan Puckett, chair of the Alabama Holocaust Commission, discusses the Commission’s history, mission, program of work, and future. He also talks about adding Holocaust studies to Alabama’s 2024 Social Studies Standards for K-12 education, the purposes of Holocaust education, and his 2014 book, In the Shadow of Hitler: Alabama’s Jews, the Second World War, and the Holocaust (University of Alabama Press). Dr. Puckett is a professor of history at Troy University. Transcript here (caveat – possibly not 100 % accurate): https://tinyurl.com/mur9ap82 Links mentioned in this episode: Alabama Historical Association: https://www.alabamahistory.net/ Alabama Holocaust Commission: https://alabamaholocaustcommission.org/ Alabama Department of Archives and History: https://archives.alabama.gov/ Yom HaShoah (via Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_HaShoah Gulf Coast Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education: https://www.gcholocaustcenter.org/ Alabama Holocaust Education Center: https://ahecinfo.org/ Alabama State Department of Education Social Studies Standards (available after ca. mid-January 2025): https://www.alabamaachieves.org/acad-stand/ Birmingham Public Library Department of Archives and Manuscripts: http://www.cobpl.org/locations/central/archives/ (Book) In the Shadow of Hitler: https://www.uapress.ua.edu/9780817381073/in-the-shadow-of-hitler/

Dr. Hayden McDaniel, Education Curator at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, discusses the Alabama History Institutes, annual professional development workshops for K-12 teachers. Links discussed in the episode: Alabama History Institute: https://archives.alabama.gov/teach-learn/professional-development/alabama-history-institutes.aspx / Alabama Department of Archives and History: https://archives.alabama.gov/ / Alabama Holocaust Education Center: https://ahecinfo.org/ / Temple Beth-el: https://www.templebeth-el.net/ / Rosenwald Schools (EOA): https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/rosenwald-schools-in-alabama/ / Booker T. Washington, “How to Build Up a Good School in the South”: https://digital.archives.alabama.gov/digital/collection/voices/id/4569/ / Jesse Owens Museum: http://jesseowensmemorialpark.com/wordpress1/museum-3/ / Alabama History Hub: http://www.archives.state.al.us/AlabamaHistoryHub.aspx / AHI on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ALHistoryEdu/ / AHI on X (Twitter): https://x.com/alhistoryedu / AHI on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alhistoryedu/ Rather read? Here's a link to the transcript: https://tinyurl.com/554suymd *Just a heads up – the provided transcript is likely to be less than 100% accurate. The Alabama History Podcast's producer is Marty Olliff and its associate producer is Laura Murray. Founded in 1947, the Alabama Historical Association is the oldest statewide historical society in Alabama. The AHA provides opportunities for meaningful engagement with the past through publications, meetings, historical markers, and other programs. See the website www.alabamahistory.net.