Symposium 2025 Photo Gallery

  • A group of people in formal attire stand together for a photo at an event. A banner in the background reads “The Fred Davis Institute National Symposium.” They are smiling and posing in a well-lit room with patterned carpet.
    The evening program began with a stunning performance, commissioned by Alabama State University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.
  • Attorney Gray said, “Today, right here in Montgomery, Alabama, where it all started 70 years ago, some of the greatest thinkers and practitioners in the law and healthcare and education alongside persons addressing community struggles from all over this country have gathered.”
  • A person speaks at a wooden podium with a microphone, gesturing with one hand. Behind them is a red backdrop with "The Fred D. Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights" printed multiple times. Two wicker chairs are visible to the right.
    The riveting evening keynote was delivered by Attorney Bryan Stevenson, Equal Justice Initiative’s Founder and Executive Director.
  • A black-and-white photo of a man facing and gesturing towards an applauding audience in a conference room. Seated and standing people are visible, some smiling and clapping. Tables with items on them are in the foreground.
    In a stirring close, Attorney Gray asked, “In the city where the first Civil Rights movement began 70 years ago, can our gathering in Montgomery this weekend be the flame that helps ignite the second Civil Rights Movement?”
  • Two men shaking hands on a stage. The man on the left is wearing a light blue suit and the man on the right is in a gray suit. There is a red banner with a logo in the background, and the scene suggests a formal or professional event.
  • A group of people, dressed in formal attire, gather for a photo at an indoor event. Someone in the foreground holds up a phone to take a picture. A podium and banner are partially visible in the background.
  • Three people in formal attire are talking in a well-lit room with green plants around. Two men in suits are standing and engaged in conversation, while a woman in a checkered blazer observes. A large window with curtains is in the background.
  • A group of people dressed in formal attire are sitting at a round table with plates of salad and drinks. A man with glasses and a cane stands beside the table. A projection on a screen reads "The Fred D. Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights.
    The age of the dynamic actors and singers, matching that of Attorney Gray and Dr. King when the movement began, provided an impressive visual subtext for the future of our work.
  • A group of people in formal attire are gathered in a large room with dining tables. Two individuals in the foreground are conversing, surrounded by plates of salad, glasses, and place settings.
  • Attendees came from 22 different states, from Washington to Wisconsin to Maine, Rhode Island and New York over to California and back to Alabama. Experts in medicine, education, and law, scholars, faculty, and institutional leaders.
  • Two men shaking hands in a conference room, both wearing name tags. Three other people are walking in the background, holding drinks. The room has a carpeted floor and wooden paneled walls.
  • Scholars represented 15 different universities, including Alabama State University, Faulkner Law, Tuskegee University, the University of Alabama, Northwestern, Case Western Reserve, Pepperdine, LSU, Mercer, and University of Maine.
  • A woman with long hair leans down to speak to a young boy holding a clipboard in a conference room filled with people. The scene has a carpeted floor with a patterned design and chairs arranged in rows.
  • Four men are conversing in a dimly lit conference room. One man, wearing a blue suit, is shaking hands with another man in black attire. Two other men in suits, one holding a red folder, are observing the handshake.
  • Three men in suits are standing and talking in a conference room. Two of them are holding red folders. The background shows several tables and chairs, and other people are visible in the dimly lit setting.
  • Two people are standing and smiling in a conference room. The man on the left is wearing a suit and tie with a name badge. The woman on the right is wearing glasses, a blue jacket, and holding a phone. Conference materials are visible in the background.
  • A person stands at a podium speaking into a microphone. The backdrop has logos and text that read "The Fred D. Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights." The event appears to be held in a formal setting.
  • Three men in suits stand on a stage near a podium, with a woman speaking in the background. A red banner with "FRED D. GRAY INSTITUTE for HUMAN and CIVIL RIGHTS" is partially visible behind them.
    Under the direction of Dr. Wendy Coleman, the ASU theatre troupe performed an original, creatively potent, interdisciplinary connection of civil rights law and the arts, in the premier of, “No Ways Tired: An Artistic Tribute to The Life and Legacy of Attorney Fred D. Gray.”
  • A group of people in black attire walks across a carpeted room. A person stands at a podium in the background. There are floral arrangements near the podium. The atmosphere seems formal.
  • A person in a gray suit and striped tie sits on a wicker chair, smiling, with a maroon backdrop featuring logos and text that reads "The Fred D. Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights.
  • Professor Ayesha Bell Hardaway, Director and Research Coordinator of the Social Justice Institute at Case Western Reserve University and Professor at the School of Law, interviewed Attorneys Gray and Stevenson. A historic moment; two civil rights icons sharing the same stage.
  • A group of people sitting in a conference room, attentively listening to a presentation. They are seated at tables covered with yellow tablecloths, with notepads and a coffee cup in front of them. The background includes more attendees and wood paneling.
  • Three panelists are seated on a stage with red banners behind them at a symposium. A man stands at a podium on the left, speaking. Audience members are seated in the foreground.
  • A woman stands at a podium with a colorful dress, speaking to an audience. A man sits to her right on a stage chair, facing her. The backdrop includes text about the Fred D. Gray Institute. Flowers are in front of the podium.
  • Four people are seated on a stage panel discussion at The Fred D. Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights. One person is speaking into a microphone. A podium with flowers is visible on the left, and ferns are in front of a red backdrop.
  • Three individuals are seated on stage, participating in a panel discussion. The person in the center speaks into a microphone. They are dressed in formal attire against a backdrop with legal-themed graphics and text.
  • Three individuals are seated on a stage in front of a red backdrop with the Fred D. Gray Institute logo. The person in the center holds a microphone, speaking, while the others listen. Bottles of water are on the table in front of them.
  • Two men in suits are sitting on a stage. The man on the left is speaking into a microphone while holding papers. The man on the right, wearing a bow tie, is holding a folder. A banner displaying "Institute for Human and Civil Rights" is in the background.
  • Two men in suits sit on stage. One speaks into a microphone and holds a paper. The other smiles, holding a yellow folder. A backdrop displays a logo with scales of justice. Both wear conference name tags.
  • Our grassroots folk came from rural Sumner County Tennessee, “Sumner Together;” Columbia Peace and Justice Initiative in Gallatin, Tennessee; Florence, Alabama and other places around the nation, people who are thinking hard about doing justice and loving kindness, in the communities where they live.
  • A person in a purple outfit speaks into a microphone while standing in a conference room. Others are seated nearby at a table with laptops and papers. Conference materials and a water bottle are visible on the table.
  • A person in a black turtleneck speaks at a podium with a Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa sign. The background is dark.
    Professor Fair’s after lunch speech was entitled, “Courage Under Fire: The Life and Legacy of Mr. Fred Gray.” Fair presented a tour de force summary of Attorney Gray’s legal oeuvre and impact and then set forth constructive means toward a hopeful future.
  • Two men stand on a stage at an event, one adjusting a photo on an easel. A podium and a sign for the Alabama Law School are in the background. Audience members are seated in the foreground.
    Bryan receives the giclée of Attorney Gray’s portrait (recently unveiled and now in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery) and acknowledges Attorney Gray in the moment.
  • A man in a suit stands at a podium labeled "Renaissance" with a microphone. The background is a dark curtain, and there is a plant partially visible behind the podium. He appears to be speaking or giving a presentation.
  • A man in a suit and tie speaks at a podium with the Renaissance logo on it. He appears to be giving a presentation or speech, gesturing with one hand raised. The background is dark and the setting seems formal.
  • A man stands at a podium speaking to an audience. Three other individuals are seated on a panel to his right. They are in front of a red backdrop with logos and text. There is a floral arrangement near the podium, and people are seated in the foreground.
  • An individual with short hair and glasses is speaking into a microphone while holding a smartphone. They are wearing a blue patterned blazer over a black outfit. The background is dark.
  • Two men sit on stage in front of a maroon backdrop featuring an emblem. The man on the left wears sunglasses, a hat, and holds a microphone. The man on the right is reading notes. Both are dressed in formal attire. A podium and potted plant are visible.
  • Three people are seated on a stage against a maroon backdrop with logos. A man in a hat and sunglasses sits on the left, holding papers. The man in the center speaks into a microphone. A woman on the right smiles, also holding a microphone.
  • A man and a woman stand smiling in front of a backdrop with "The Fred D. Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights" logo. They are on a stage with two empty chairs to the left. A banner above reads "National Symposium.
  • An elderly man in a suit sits on a stage next to a woman in a leather dress holding a book. They are part of a discussion at an event associated with the Fred D. Gray Institute. Ferns and a red backdrop are visible.
  • Three individuals are seated on a stage with a red backdrop that reads "The Fred D. Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights." The center person is holding a microphone, and ferns are visible at the front of the stage.
  • A group of people seated at a conference room with yellow tablecloths. Some have cups and notebooks in front of them. A man in a purple sweater is facing forward while others are looking in the same direction or conversing among themselves.
  • A woman in a blue patterned dress stands in front of a stage with a maroon backdrop featuring several emblems. She is wearing a name badge and smiling. A large floral arrangement is visible to her left.
  • A person stands holding a microphone, speaking to an audience at a conference. Others sit at tables with yellow tablecloths, listening. A Starbucks cup, papers, and a gift bag are visible on the table. Wall lights are on the gray background.
  • A group of people in a dimly lit room sit around a table. One person holds a microphone in one hand and a phone emitting a bright light in the other. Papers and a cup are on the table in front of them.

All photos are credited to Charles Williams lushphotog.com