The Greene County Democrat

Tag: UWA

  • UWA awards honorary doctorates to McCampbell, Singleton during summer commencement exercises

    UWA awards honorary doctorates to McCampbell, Singleton during summer commencement exercises

    By Betsy Compton, University of West Alabama

    LIVINGSTON, Ala. — The University of West Alabama conferred honorary doctorates upon Rep. Artis J. “A.J.” McCampbell and Alabama Sen. Bobby D. Singleton during summer commencement exercises on August 14. Each received the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, in recognition of distinguished public service, commitment to educational opportunity, and leadership on behalf of the people and communities of Alabama’s Black Belt.

    McCampbell and Singleton were honored during separate commencement ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. 

    UWA President Dr. Todd G. Fritch said the honors recognize two leaders who understand that the University’s work extends well beyond its campus, saying both have been strong advocates for UWA and its role as a regional university serving the educational, workforce, and community needs of West Alabama.

    “Senator Singleton and Representative McCampbell recognize the important role a regional university plays in the lives of the people and communities it serves,” Fritch said. “They understand that our graduates become the teachers, healthcare professionals, business leaders, counselors, coaches, and public servants who strengthen communities across our region. Both have demonstrated confidence in UWA’s ability to serve the Black Belt and have advocated for investments that help us meet the needs of our students and the people we serve. We are deeply grateful for their partnership and their belief in the work of this University.”

    A graduation ceremony featuring a man in a black gown receiving a hood from a fellow faculty member, with other graduates and faculty members seated in the background.
    UWA President Dr. Todd G. Fritch and UWA Provost Dr. Amy Jones hood Representative McCampbell at the 10 a.m. summer commencement ceremony Aug. 14.
    (Cody Ingram)

    Representative Artis J. “A.J.” McCampbell
    A native of Greene County, McCampbell has represented Alabama House District 71 since 2006, following a career in public safety and community service. His public service has focused on education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and quality of life in Alabama’s rural communities.

    Fritch remarked that McCampbell recognizes UWA as an important regional resource for expanding educational opportunity, preparing graduates for meaningful careers, and responding to the workforce and community needs of the Black Belt. His advocacy for investments in the University’s campus, academic programs, and workforce initiatives reflects his confidence in UWA’s ability to serve the region and its people.

    “I am humbled and honored and thankful,” McCampbell said. “I do not take this recognition lightly and promise to do all I can to walk worthy of the designation. This university continues to be one of the shining stars of West Alabama that began educating young ladies in Livingston, Alabama, when they opened the doors in 1835 as Livingston Female Academy. I applaud the school’s leadership for a continued dedication to academic excellence and student development as the foundational pillars of this great institution.”

    A speaker in academic regalia delivers a speech at a graduation ceremony, standing behind a wooden podium featuring the University of West Alabama seal.
    Senator Singleton addresses graduates and guests at the 1 p.m. summer commencement ceremony Aug. 14
    (Cody Ingram)

    Senator Bobby D. Singleton
    A native of Greensboro, Singleton began his legislative service in the Alabama House of Representatives before his election to the Alabama State Senate in 2005. He represents District 24 and serves as minority leader of the Senate.

    Fritch shared that throughout Singleton’s career he has advocated for education, healthcare, economic development, infrastructure, and other priorities important to Alabama’s rural communities. His support for UWA reflects his belief in higher education as an investment in people and in the future of the region. He has advocated for investments in the University’s facilities, academic programs, and initiatives that strengthen UWA’s ability to serve students and communities throughout West Alabama.

    “God has granted me the strength to be here today, for the work that I do in the Black Belt, in this region, in this state, and especially for this University, which I call the ‘jewel of the Black Belt,’” Singleton said. “The University of West Alabama gives so many opportunities to kids in an area that may not otherwise get that opportunity. I want to thank the University for what you do to in countless lives, for being that beacon of hope for families who otherwise would not see that hope.”

    UWA’s summer commencement exercises recognized more than 700 summer graduates during two ceremonies on August 14, ranging from associate to doctoral degrees.

    Featured Image: Greene County native Artis McCampbell and Senator Bobby Singleton are holding their honorary doctorates (Cody Ingram)

  • Searching for Social Justice – a warning 

    Searching for Social Justice – a warning 

    Dr. Monty J. Thornburg, Sunfield Humanities Research

    A letter to Educational Colleagues:  

    Monday, June 1, 2026, was a State Holiday in Alabama. The June 1st Holiday each year honors Jefferson Davis, the former president of the Confederacy, whose government stood for the enslavement of African American people.  

    In 2014, I flew from California to Alabama to honor Dr. Robert Brown, Alabama’s and the South’s first Black public-school superintendent. The Alabama Black Belt Hall of  Fame had inducted Brown at the University of West Alabama (UWA).  

    UWA established the Alabama Black Belt Hall of Fame in 2003. It honored individuals who made significant contributions to the Black Belt Region. Its purpose was to promote awareness of the area’s cultural heritage and to support UWA’s commitment to regional development.  

    Two of the first three inductees were African Americans: George Washington Carver, a famous scientist at Tuskegee University. Across the South, in towns and cities, Carver’s name is seen on one of the once-segregated Black High Schools. Carver High  School in Eutaw, Greene County, Alabama, was prominent during the Voting Rights  Movement that began in Selma, Alabama, with “Bloody Sunday” on March 7, 1965.  

    Willie King was also honored as one of the first inductees at UWA. By 2014, when Dr.  Robert Brown was selected as an inductee and honored, the politics in the United  States had shifted, with President Obama serving in his final years in office. By 2016, the year that Harper Lee, noted author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” was inducted into the UWA Black Belt Hall of Fame, as Donald Trump and his MAGA agenda took office, the award seemed to be almost disappearing. None of the plaques intended for display in the University’s Museum ever appeared. Willie King’s Blues Music became part of the  Black Belt’s Folk Arts and Culture events held annually in Eutaw, Alabama, at the Old  Courthouse, celebrating its 50th Anniversary in August 2026. The two-day events feature West Alabama Blues on Saturday and Black Gospel on Sunday, established by leaders from the Miles College of Birmingham, extension program.  

    When UWA selected Dr. Robert Brown for the Black Belt Hall of Fame, I was uninformed about the racial politics of the region between Greene County and  Sumpter County, as the region transformed from the Old South “Jim Crow” segregation to a “New South” version that is unique in the Western Black Belt of Alabama. Dr. 

    Brown was UWA’s first Black professor and the first professional person to ever work at UWA. He joined the faculty in 1967, the year UWA’s first Black student also entered.  

    Dr. Brown’s remarkable career in military service, civil rights service, and as the  South’s first county and district public school superintendent in 1970, second in the nation, I was proud to have the opportunity to fly from California to Livingston,  Alabama, to give his induction speech.  

    Before arriving in Livingston, I had learned that although Brown’s significant accomplishments in the military and civil rights, and his service as a UWA committee member, were recognized, his tenure as UWA’s FIRST Professional Black Educator was SILENCED.  

    Why was his UWA tenure SILENCED? This question has been a centerpiece of my research since. The answer, I’ve learned, tells a story that extends beyond the UWA,  Sumpter, and Greene County, and beyond Alabama. The reasons for his being silenced extend to our national story amid disheartening social and political division. It’s a division that extends across the United States. 

    Featured image: Dr. Robert Brown’s UWA Black Belt Hall of Fame Induction (Dr. Monty Thornburg)