Visitors line up on Martin Luther King Day in 2018 to view experience the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
Board leaders for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute stepped down today following days of controversy over a decision to cancel a prestigious award presentation to noted scholar and activist Angela Davis.
Chairman Mike Oatridge, Vice Chairman Walter Body, and Secretary Janice Kelsey in a prepared statement said: “As members of this board, we regret the circumstances surrounding the selection process regarding the 2018 Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award and the dissension this has caused. “
In October, the board announced Davis would be presented the award honoring the legacy of the civil rights leader. Saturday, the board said the award was being rescinded. That move was prompted by concerns over some of Davis’ previous statements and questions about whether she met the criteria for the award, according to the board statement.
The story attracted national attention on social media. Locally activists called for BCRI leaders to step down.
The resigning board members said: “It is hoped this move will enable the City of Birmingham to create a board structure that will best enable the BCRI to continue its critical mission in the future. We are happy to lend any assistance that may be needed on an interim basis to ensure a smooth transition.”
Activists called for board resignations at a Monday press conference.
Wednesday Frank Matthews of the Outcast Voters League said he is pleased with the announced board resignations. He’s asking that longtime civic leader Odessa Woolfolk be named interim board chair for the Institute.
Mayor Randall Woodfin has said the controversy could have been handled differently. He did not respond to requests for comment on the board resignations.
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Board received a makeover Tuesday with the City Council’s appointment of a dozen new members and reappointment of five current members.
Civil rights activist and Birmingham native Angela Davis spoke at Birmingham's Boutwell Auditorium Saturday evening. The talk came after a controversy over an award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute will award Birmingham native Angela Davis its 2018 Fred Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award -- again. Friday's reversal is the latest development in a public controversy that has embroiled the institute for the last month.
A few weeks from now, political activist Angela Davis is expected to speak in Birmingham. This despite that earlier this month, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute rescinded an award it initially planned to give to Davis. The decision roiled the city, sowed divisions, and led to the resignation of three board members.
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute apologized today (Monday) for the way it has handled the Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award and the impact of cancelling the award presentation to human rights activist Angela Davis.
More developments came today in response to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute's decision to cancel an award presentation for scholar and activist Angela Davis. The top three leaders on the Institute’s board resigned and another group announced alternative events to honor the Birmingham native.
