Symposium 2025

We launched the Fred D. Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights on March 14 and 15, 2025 at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery, Alabama. Scholars, activists, and community leaders desiring to advance human and civil rights by building on the foundational principles of Fred Gray’s legal work celebrated the new Institute through meaningful dialogue to create actionable strategies.

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.
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.”

The evening program began with a stunning performance, commissioned by Alabama State University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. 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.” 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 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 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 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.

The riveting evening keynote was delivered by Attorney Bryan Stevenson, Equal Justice Initiative’s Founder and Executive Director. Stevenson urged a particular kind of civil rights action that wove the fabric of Attorney Gray’s work into the tapestry of the essential qualities needed to sustain a current Civil Rights movement.

Stevenson lamented that “the politics of fear and anger are raging,” warned that “injustice prevails where hopelessness exists,” and challenged the audience to follow Attorney Gray’s example by “getting proximate” to people who are suffering or excluded. “You should get proximate not just to help someone else; you should get proximate to help yourself,” Stevenson said. “Otherwise, you don’t hear the things you need to hear to bring about change.”

He effectively honored Attorney Gray, scripture ,and the God who has called us to do justice, even as he urged us to proximity, changing the narrative, truth telling, and hope.

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.
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The evening closed with a historic moment; a conversation with two of the greatest civil rights leaders today; two icons sharing the same stage.

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, asking these two civil rights icons questions that rose from their generational differences, their most difficult hurdles, and closed with, “what gives you hope?”

One person later wrote, “I can’t tell you how grounding the program and symposium proved to be for me. To be in the company of brilliant change leaders at this time affirmed my hope for our future and encouraged me to keep going.”

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.
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.

The inaugural national symposium for the Fred Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights gathered on Saturday morning, March 15, as an interdisciplinary group, more than 200 strong and twice the number we anticipated. Participants were honest and open with one another, practicing the rare art of listening with empathy, and staying attuned to the possibilities of collaboration.

A man in a gray suit speaks at a podium on a stage, with another person in a hat and sunglasses seated nearby. The backdrop displays the logo and name of the Fred D. Gray Institute for Human and Civil Rights. Flowers are in the foreground.
A person with a microphone gestures while speaking at an indoor event, surrounded by attendees seated at tables with yellow tablecloths. A standing attendee listens attentively. Several people and documents are visible in the background.

We 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.

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.

The scholars represented 15 different universities, including Alabama State University, Faulkner Law, and Tuskegee University, the University of Alabama, up to Northwestern in Chicago, Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, and Pepperdine in California, LSU, Mercer, and University of Maine.

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.

The scholars gathered with people who are experts in their community. These are the brave and courageous men and women who are engaging locally in the struggle for equal justice for all.

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 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.

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.

We were united in our desire to make this world more humane and civil.

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“From the stage to the audience, the symposium was marked by a high degree of thoughtfulness and passion,” said Dwight Lewis, a retired journalist of 40 years at The Tennessean. “We were united in our commitment to carry forward the legacy of Attorney Gray, to apply it to the current moment, and to inspire a new generation of justice-seekers.”

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.

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.
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 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.

The panels were designed to generate good thinking, essential listening; a calculated effort to take the subject deeper ~ a dialogue between theory and praxis ~ so that we might begin to provide ways to answer the questions, “what is next?” and “What can we do?”

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.
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.

Three distinguished panels led discussions, shared transformative insights, and challenged us to think deeply about the path forward for civil rights and justice.
The moderators effectively guided discussions to remain on topic, progressively deepen, and gave all of us the opportunity to meaningfully engage.

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 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.

Affirmation, honesty, and hope characterized the day.

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.

Attorney Gray closed the two-day event with his “Final Exhortation,” even as the storms outside were brewing.

He briefly recounted his involvement in legal battles and public protest that blossomed into the Civil Rights Movement, then issued a passionate plea to rejuvenate that work in response to injustices persisting or emerging today.

He 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.”

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.”

He added, “We all realize we are facing problems. We have come to Montgomery to identify these great injustices and these great problems. You have come to listen to one another and interact with one another, asking, ‘What are we going to do?,’ ‘What’s next?, and ‘How can we work together?’

“May you continue your conversations, create strategies to deal with those problems, and together put your plans into action.”

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?”

Then in a stirring close, he 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?”

His remarks were greeted with thunderous applause.

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.

In the weeks and months ahead we now are better prepared to thoughtfully and courageously respond to the questions before us: “What are we going to do?,” and, “How can we work together?”

The Inaugural Dinner and Symposium has better prepared us for the weeks and months ahead. We were given the great gift of courage that came from being in a room full of allies who are serious about effective change. We were given reason for hope that came from budding collaborative relationships and seeing and hearing students desiring to engage the work before us. And, we came away believing that together we have the power to shape a future where equity and justice are not just ideals, but can become realities.

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