*All projects ongoing unless otherwise noted.

Civil Rights Oral History Collections

Conduct oral histories of civil rights foot soldiers in Tuscaloosa and West Alabama.

Bloody Tuesday Commemoration Committee

First African Baptist Church
Work with community members to commemorate June 9, 1964, when local law enforcement sacked First African Baptist Church and jailed many civil rights protestors inside who were preparing to march to protest segregation.

Elmore County Black History Initiative

Elmore County Black History Museum
The Elmore County Black History Museum is hosted in a former Rosenwald School and run by museum curator, Ms. Billie Rawls, and a team of volunteers in Wetumkpa, AL. The museum captures Black domestic life in rural Alabama and celebrates the achievements of Black citizens from Elmore County.

History of Us

Tuscaloosa City Schools
Working with Tuscaloosa City Schools, Dr. Giggie and students launched a research course in local Black history. It is the first Black history course taught daily for an entire school year in the state. Dr. Giggie and the Summersell Center now act as an informal advisor to schools throughout Tuscaloosa City Schools offering this class.

AMEZ Civil Rights Guide (completed February 2024)

Hunter Chapel, AMEZ Church
In partnership with Prof. Thaddeus Steele and Stillman College, Dr. John Giggie co-edited a short history of the role of the AMEZ church in Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement. They worked with churches across the state to tell their stories.

Civil Rights Trail Guide (completed April 2019)

Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History & Reconciliation Foundation
Wrote a public guide highlighting civil rights struggles in the city.