Summersell students meet with Reverend C.T. Vivian, a leader of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement

The Frances S. Summersell Center for the Study of the South

The Summersell Center for the Study of the South promotes excellence in teaching and research about the American South. Creating new and innovative research opportunities for undergraduates lies at the heart of the Center’s mission. In its work with undergraduates and graduate students, the Center strives to train students to become public intellectuals. It encourages them to create research projects in close collaboration with community partners and blends traditional historical methods with skills in social media, digital humanities, and metadata analysis.

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Summersell Center Director

Dr. John Giggie is an Associate Professor of History and African American Studies. His research focuses on the American South, African American history, the Civil Rights Movement, and American religious history. As Director of the Summersell Center, his main goal is to encourage and support innovative research into the American South, especially among undergraduates.
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Giving

The Summersell Center is deeply grateful for your interest in supporting its projects and initiatives. Your patronage allows the Center to sustain a number of nationally recognized programs and build new relationships with community partners throughout the state. Your support can also help grow new initiatives designed to sponsor undergraduate and graduate students who join the Summersell Center and study specific topics.
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