Stillman Nets $500K To Transform Sheppard Library Into Tuscaloosa Civil Rights Museum

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Stillman College on Tuesday announced it has been awarded $500,000 from the National Park Service to go toward transforming its historic Sheppard Library into a civil rights museum and digital learning center.

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As part of the renovations, which will see Stillman match 20%, Sheppard Library will be modernized to include spaces for faculty development and digital learning for both Stillman students and members of the community.

The library was first opened in 1956 and named for William H. Sheppard — a Stillman alumnus and one of the first Black men to become a missionary for the Presbyterian Church.

To donate to the Sheppard Library fund, click here.

Technology and museum designs will be handed by consultant Tim Lewis, who was responsible for designing The Gateway: Alberta’s Innovation and Discovery Center and The Legacy Museum in Montgomery.

Stillman said in a press release that it is one of five HBCUs in Alabama to receive funding through NPS’ Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), which was part of a $9.7 million investment by the agency in HBCUs nationwide.

Stillman College President Cynthia Warrick said in a statement on Tuesday that establishing a civil rights museum on the school's campus will properly recognize the myriad contributions Stillman students, faculty and staff have made in the fight against racial injustices and inequality in Tuscaloosa.

“One of the things I noticed when I got to Stillman was that we didn’t have any information about Stillman and its role in the civil rights movement in our community,” she said. “No one talks about Stillman students’ roles with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), during sit-ins or on Bloody Tuesday, or how Winsborough Hall was a haven for students protesting segregation. Telling the story of Stillman College within a civil rights lens is important.”

The latest round of funding from the National Park Service is the second awarded to Stillman by the agency, after NPS awarded the college a $500,000 grant to help repair the roof and façade of Winsborough Hall, which will soon become a residential center for active seniors.

The federal funding for projects at Stillman and other HBCUs in Alabama was aided by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, a Democrat from Birmingham who serves as vice chair of the Congressional HBCU Caucus.

“Alabama’s HBCUs have played such a pivotal role in shaping the history of our nation, and I was so proud to help make this funding available, which will be used to preserve these cherished institutions,” Sewell said. “As vice chair of the Congressional HBCU Caucus, I remain committed to ensuring the vitality of Alabama’s HBCUs. Fighting for funding like this will continue to be one of my top legislative priorities.”

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