NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 29, 2016
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Craig Threlkeld 205.391.5838
cthrelkeld@sheltonstate.edu
SHELTON STATE, STILLMAN COLLEGE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
COLLABORATE TO EARN NATIONAL AWARD
LINCOLN (NE) – A unique collaboration between three Tuscaloosa, Ala., institutions of
higher education, entitled “Realizing the Dream: Celebrates the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr.,” earned Honorable Mention honors in the 2008 Exemplary Initiatives Competition of
The National Council of Instructional Administrators (NCIA).
The annual “Realizing the Dream” series is a unique collaboration that celebrates the
legacy of Dr. King through cultural and educational programming in partnership with three
unique institutions – a community college with an HBCU designation (Shelton State
Community College), an independent, church-related HBCU institution (Stillman College), and
a flagship university (The University of Alabama). A typical annual series of events includes
fall and spring lectures, a concert the weekend of the MLK national holiday, and a dramatic
production. Celebrating its twentieth year in 2009, “Realizing the Dream” attracted regional
and national acclaim for the spirit of unity that inspires a community to shape a better
tomorrow.
Shelton State Community College, with its designation as Alabama’s Community
College of the Fine Arts and its alliance with Theater Tuscaloosa, selects and produces
theatrical performances in its Bean-Brown Theater. Joining with the Shelton Singers and the
college’s music department, Shelton offered the production, “God’s Trombones,” in January
2009. In previous years, the college has presented “King Alive!” a re-enactment of speeches
of Dr. King from the pulpit where he preached in Tuscaloosa during the Civil Rights
movement of the 1960s. Since the inception of the series, Shelton has offered interpretive
readings, storytellers, and plays like “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “A Lesson before Dying,”
along with “Achieving the Dream,” which featured Dr. King’s daughter, Yolanda King.
Stillman College is responsible for planning the fall and spring lectures. This fall, the
guest lecturer was author/intellectual Dr. Cornell West, arranged in coordination with the
University of Alabama’s African American Studies program, providing further evidence of the
collaborative nature of this series of events. Distinguished speakers in past lecture events
have included civil rights leaders Reverends Fred Shuttlesworth and Samuel “Billy” Lyles,
along with novelist Alice Walker. Plans for the twentieth anniversary concert at the
University of Alabama’s Moody Concert Hall in January 2009, combined seven choirs from
the three partner institutions and the local community. Dr. Clayborne Carson, distinguished
MLK, Jr. historian, was also featured. Previous concert performers have included James
Earl Jones, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Roberta Flack, and Maya Angelou.
While partnership opportunities are integral to all community colleges, this one is
centered in a joint effort by the three institutions to continue to raise the consciousness
about equality, peace, and social justice through the medium of the arts. It is a reminder to
“keep the dream alive” as the life and death of Dr. King grow more remote with the
passage of time. Celebrating his life and ideals through lectures and artistic endeavors
offers the three institutions an opportunity to utilize their combined resources to celebrate
and educate. An additional benefit is the exposure to artists and scholars who might not
ordinarily be brought to a relatively remote West Alabama community.
NCIA is a professional organization affiliated with the American Association of
Community Colleges (AACC). The awards recognize outstanding ways to enhance the
quality of higher education provided at two-year institutions in the United States.
Each year, community colleges submit a variety of “Best Practices” that correspond to
annual award categories. This year, the 20th for the Exemplary Initiatives Awards
competition, NCIA solicited entries in five broad areas; Curriculum Innovation, Organizational
Change, Responding to Community Needs, Student Retention and Success, and Workforce
Development. A panel of community college practitioners from across the country evaluated
the submissions and selected 10 institutions for recognition. NCIA congratulates the following
institutions for their success and commitment to the instructional mission of community
colleges.
These institutions will be recognized at NCIA's Sixth Academy for Instructional
Administrators, on April 3 and 4, 2009 in Phoenix, AZ in conjunction with the annual AACC
Convention.
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