The Alabama Public Radio was honored to hear that the University of Alabama would play the composition “Celebrating Achievement” on Denny Chimes today, in recognition of the news team winning the national UNITY award from the Radio Television Digital News Association. The award was for a year’s worth of coverage on APR about the 50th anniversary of key moments in Alabama’s fight for civil rights in 1963. 17 long form radio features and a half hour documentary focused on events like the “stand in the schoolhouse door,” where Governor George Wallace tried to prevent two African American students from enrolling at the Tuscaloosa campus. APR also reported on the detective work to find the final resting place of Addie Mae Collins, one of four little girls killed in the bombing at the 16th Street Baptist. The team told the story of how Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery are all vying to be the heart of “civil rights tourism” in Alabama. The documentary “Civil Rights Radio” recalled the so called “children’s march,” where Birmingham teenagers played hooky from school to protest racial segregation. They were met by fire hoses and police dogs.
APR shared today’s musical tribute with Dr. Scott Parrott and Dr. Kenneth Wright. Dr. Parrott won the 2014 Nafziger-White-Salwen Dissertation Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Dr. Wright, a 42 year veteran in the sports industry, was named to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame.
Alabama Public Radio deeply appreciates this thoughtful gesture from the University.
