My complex relationship with the University of Alabama: op-ed
My parents’ generation gave their blood, sweat, and tears to help integrate the university, and I navigated my own isolation on a campus still deeply rooted in antebellum traditions, where events like the Old South parade often left Black students feeling pushed to the margins.
Mason Reed 
This is a guest opinion column.
For four decades, the edge of my seat at Bryant-Denny Stadium was my sanctuary. Like thousands of other fans, I arrived at the University of Alabama as a freshman and became part of the fabric of the Crimson Tide. However, the joy that once defined my experience in Tuscaloosa has soured as the university's relationship with its Black community has shifted from complicated to actively exclusionary.
A Legacy of Struggle
My parents' generation fought to integrate this campus, facing immense adversity. When I arrived more than 40 years ago, I navigated a space still clinging to antebellum traditions, such as the Old South parade, which served as a constant reminder that Black students were viewed as peripheral. Although I returned years later to lead the Career Center—believing the institution was finally evolving—recent years have felt like a deliberate retreat.
In 2025, the university shut down the Alice Magazine and Nineteen Fifty-Six publications, and the Black Student Union was disbanded. By 2026, the national alumni association honored Charlie Kirk with a scholarship, while Black Scholars Day was rebranded as Harold Bishop Honors Day and opened to all, effectively erasing the original intent of a program meant to uplift high-achieving Black students.
Staying Loud
The core of this tension is simple: I love Alabama sports and the community they foster, but I struggle to support an institution that leverages Black excellence on the field while sidelining Black identity off of it. Faced with the choice of walking away or fighting for my place, I have chosen the latter.
I will not disappear. I am continuing my podcast and will remain a presence on campus, organizing with other Black alumni to demand accountability. I will cheer for my team while being honest about the contradictions of this university. I encourage all Black parents to keep asking the hard questions, because our stories are an essential part of the Alabama narrative.
I will return to the stadium, but I will see it for what it is. The joy of the game, the shared energy, and the connection we feel when a play goes right belong to all of us. I refuse to surrender that piece of my life. I am still here, and I am not backing down.
Do better, University of Alabama.
Roll Tide.
Melinda King is a University of Alabama graduate, former Assistant Vice President for Student Life, and lifelong Alabama sports fan.
