Their Names
Each name on this page acknowledges an enslaved person whose life and labor helped build The University of Alabama. Clicking on a name reveals a database entry that includes all archival information about the individual that we have found so far (Task Force Research Group members will update entries to reflect new discoveries). The first four people - Ben, Sam, Moses, and Isaac - were enslaved by The University of Alabama. The individuals that follow were enslaved by faculty, college presidents, trustees, or were hired by UA from enslavers in the Tuscaloosa area. Some were leased for years; others, like the thirty-eight men hired to build fortifications on campus during the Civil War, worked at UA for a few days or weeks. For other ways to organize the entries please use the Browse Database tab. The Glossary provides definitions for database terms. The material in the database is unedited and unfiltered so readers should proceed with caution. Given the violent nature of slavery and white supremacy, some of the information contained in these entries may be distressing or difficult to read.