Vivian Malone went on to become the first African American to graduate from the college as well as to make her mark in several other walks of life, including her fight for voter registration. BHM AmNewsBHM
Malone eventually succeeded and went on to become the first African American to graduate from the college as well as to make her mark in several other walks of life, including her fight for voter registration.
Her next goal was to earn a degree in accounting but none was offered at A&M, and even more disappointing her degree in business administration was earned before it was fully accredited. To earn a degree in accounting she would have to transfer to another college. When the local Non-Partisan Voter League of Mobile began formulating plans to desegregate the University of Alabama, Malone, because of her outstanding performance, was among several students tapped to apply to the Mobile campus.
The judge based his ruling on the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education and charged that the denial was unconstitutional. He also declared that Gov. Wallace could not interfere with their desire to register at the school, which led to his famous standoff. On June 11, 1963, U.S. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach led a contingent of federal marshals, escorting Malone and Hood, where they were confronted by Wallace, who voiced his historic comments about segregation forever.
Success and achievement at the school didn’t immediately transfer to subsequent stages of her life, and there were no job offers commensurate with her degree and accomplishments. Ultimately, she joined the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil rights division as a research analyst. As a student at George Washington University she pursued a master’s degree in public administration. Her next job was with the office of the U.S.