University of Alabama Debuts Online Archive of Documents Relating to the Scottsboro Boys
Journal of Blacks in Higher Education – Nov 9
In 1931, nine African American teenagers were accused of raping two White women on a train. The defendants were apprehended in Alabama and were tried, convicted, and sentenced to death in Scottsboro, Alabama. . . . Now the University of Alabama has established a new online archive about the case. The archive, “To See Justice Done: Letters from the Scottsboro Trials,” includes thousands of letters, documents, petitions, and telegrams that were sent to Alabama governors during the legal proceedings.
Trump, the self-styled ‘law and order’ candidate, could change tone on policing, federal oversight
Baltimore Sun – Nov. 10
After serving as an aggressive watchdog for police misconduct during the Obamaadministration, the Department of Justice could see its role diminished under Donald Trump, analysts say. Such a shift would drastically alter the federal response to the ongoing debate around policing in American cities at a time when many local departments are ill-equipped to tackle reforms on their own, they said. . . . Stephen Rushin, an assistant law professor at the University of Alabama, said “it’s hard to imagine a Rudy Giuliani DOJ being the same rigorous enforcement arm as Eric Holder’s or Loretta Lynch’s DOJ” on police reform.
How did the polls get the election wrong? UA Political Scientist weighs in
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – Nov 9, 2016
There’s actually not one concrete answer as to why polling predictions on Election Day were so off. There are a number of factors that came into play. University of Alabama assistant political science professor Allen Linken says there was a possible silent majority that voted for President-elect Donald Trump that early polls just didn’t catch. The higher turnout for women for Trump combined with the lower turn out by minorities during early voting Linken says also hurt Secretary Clinton. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was Trump winning Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Hampshire, which is what Linken believes most likely sealed the presidency for him.
CBS 42 – Birmingham Nov. 9
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Nov. 9
How a Conservative Wins the Presidency in a Liberal Decade
TVN – Nov. 10
Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign bears a striking resemblance to the 2016 presidential race: Both have highlighted primal American fears. In his campaign commercial from that year, Nixon invoked the deeply racialized historical symbol of white womanhood; a symbol inextricably linked to the lynching of African Americans, whose killings were often justified by the belief that the white female body was in danger, preyed upon by the brutish black male. “White women,” according to Dr. Lisa Lindquist-Dorr, associate professor at the University of Alabama, “embodied virtue and morality; they signified whiteness and white superiority.” Nixon’s use of the vulnerable white woman, fearful of an ominous, yet ever present “other,” blew a dog whistle, one signaling that America, its values, and its power structure were under threat by a violent, liberal agenda.
Here’s one Alabama professor who nearly guessed the entire presidential election correctly
AL.com – Nov. 10
The polls might’ve struck out on the 2016 presidential election, but at least one Alabama political science professor was almost 100 percent correct in guessing the outcome. George Hawley, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama, guessed 48 states correctly during a prediction of the election’s outcome last week. Hawley was the only one of 22 faculty and graduate students within the Department of Political Sciences to guess a win for President-elect Donald Trump. Everyone else predicted a victory for Democrat Hillary Clinton.
UA Prof: Trump = Muzzle on the Press?
Alabama Public Radio – Nov. 9
The American people have a good idea of what Donald Trump is like on the campaign trail. But, what he’ll do as Commander-In-Chief appears less certain. Mr. Trump’s campaign drew large support from groups who feel economically disadvantaged by globalization. Speculation on a Trump administration includes Dr. Allen Linken. He’s an assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama. Linken says one of Mr. Trump’s first actions will likely be regarding the media. “Most prominently I think he’s references some notions about freedom of speech. He’s reference notions of sort of freedom of the press, so I think his first, or one of them, and I believe he mentioned this in a speech a few weeks ago, was to sort of clamp down on the rights of the freedom of the press and expand the notion of libel or expand the notion of slander.” Trump’s rhetoric against free trade was also paired with a strong stance against immigration. Mr. Trump suggested a ban on Muslim immigrants to the US and a wall on the Mexican border.
Who will Donald Trump nominate to Supreme Court? Alabama native, former AG Bill Pryor among contenders
AL.com – Nov. 9
Donald Trump’s victory in Tuesday night’s Presidential Election paved the way for what could be a series of appointments to the country’s highest court. Among the names on a Trump list of possible future Supreme Court Justices is an Alabama native and former state Attorney General known as a conservative jurist. Bill Pryor, a Mobile native, is on Trump’s list of 21 possible Supreme Court nominees. Pryor has steadfastly opposed Roe v. Wade – which legalized abortion – ruled against gay marriage and for religious organizations fighting Obamacare contraceptive mandates. . . . He still serves as a visiting professor for the University of Alabama’s School of Law.. . .
Polls didn’t capture the desire for change
Times Daily (Florence) – Nov. 10
Pollsters are being criticized in the wake of Donald Trump’s surprise presidential win, but one political observer says the criticism is not justified. . . . Bill Stewart, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama, said the appetite for change among white middle class voters was not read clearly by her campaign. “Trump’s election is a revolt against the establishment,” he said. “Even though we have statistics that show people are better off than they used to be, you ask people and they say they are not better off than they used to be.”
Veterans Day program planned at park
Tuscaloosa News – Nov. 10
John F. Merkle, director of the Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center, will be the keynote speaker for this year’s Tuscaloosa County Veterans Day program. . The program will begin at 10 a.m. Friday on Veterans Day at Veterans Memorial Park in front of University Mall, 1701 McFarland Blvd. The program will also feature remarks from David Blair, director of the University of Alabama’s Office of Military Affairs, and Sgt. Michael Hale of the Alabama National Guard.
UA holds law enforcement job fair
WVUA 23 (Tuscaloosa) – Nov 9, 2016
University of Alabama students got a chance to rub elbows with some professionals today. UA held a job fair focused on law enforcement. Students wanting a career in law enforcement were encouraged to attend that job fair. About two dozen agencies were invited. Organizers say they hope the students will gain insight into the prof