Malone-Hood Plaza and the Autherine Lucy Clock Tower at The University of Alabama honor the courage, sacrifice, and commitment of Autherine Lucy, Vivian Malone, James Hood, and all who worked to break down barriers in the pursuit of education. The open arches, mirroring the architecture of Foster Auditorium, symbolize opportunities available to those with the courage and persistence to walk through the door. Autherine Lucy became the first African-American student to enroll at the university on February 3, 1956, but because of significant unrest on campus, her initial enrollment lasted only three days; she returned in the 1980s and earned a master’s degree in education on August 17, 1991. Vivian Malone stepped through the schoolhouse door on June 11, 1963, became the university’s first African-American graduate on May 30, 1965, when she received a B.S. in Commerce and Business Administration, and later received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters on August 12, 2000. James Hood officially desegregated the university on June 11, 1963, when he walked into Foster Auditorium to enroll in classes; though he left before completing his undergraduate degree, he returned and earned a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary studies on May 17, 1997. Their actions are presented as enduring examples of courage, commitment, and readiness to act so that others may have greater opportunity.