Vivian Malone Jones meant a lot of things to a lot of people.
For most, she was a trailblazer of the Civil Rights Movement, defying Governor George Wallace in June 1963 when she and James Hood marched through the doors of Foster Auditorium attempting to enroll in classes The University of Alabama.
For others closer to home, she was a mother, a wife and a friend. And for Margie Tuckson, she was a big sister.
Although the two were separated by exactly 10 years, Margie said Vivian was a consistent role model throughout her life. They both attended Alabama A&M University for two years, they both pledged Delta Sigma Theta sorority and they both valued the importance of education.
Margie shares her and Vivian’s conviction with husband Dr. Reed Tuckson, and the two have recently committed an additional gift to the Vivian Malone Jones Scholarship, which was established by UA’s Black Faculty Staff Association in 1995.
“Vivian called and asked me and Reed if we would be willing to complete the endowment amount,” Margie recalled. “We said, ‘of course.’ The concept of an endowment means that this support will have an eternal life, that the earnings continue indefinitely.”
While Margie attended the University of South Alabama, and Reed followed in his father’s footsteps by attending Howard University, the University has a special — if not unusual — place in their hearts.
“The University of Alabama, because of its history and because of the significance of the events associated with Vivian, occupies a very special place in American culture,” Reed said. “We would not be nearly as willing to devote our energy and attention to UA were it not for our belief that the current administration has a sincere and profound commitment to transforming a legacy of negativism into a legacy of future beauty and goodness.”
Reed said his and Margie’s generosity is intended to serve as a foundation for upcoming generations of leaders at the Capstone.
“We understand the importance of honoring the legacy of the past, but we must also nurture the ground for the flowers of the future,” he said. “In remembering and honoring legacies of personal courage and vision like Vivian’s, future generations must be supported as the door to the schoolhouse remains open, there will be students who are able to continue the legacy.”
The Vivian Malone Jones Endowed Scholarship, whose corpus will grow to more than $340,000 thanks to the generosity of the Tucksons and other members of the Malone family, offers financial assistance to students in their later years of college when they may have run out of funds to pay for higher level courses, lab fees or extra course materials.
“Sometimes between those third and fourth years, students may become disillusioned and not be able to come up with those additional dollars. So, they leave school, and they leave with debt,” Margie said. “This scholarship provides what they may need to continue their education — which is why they started school in the first place — and allow them to graduate.”
“Both Margie and I have been afforded multiple opportunities through our educational experiences to explore our curiosity and to be given the chance to ask questions and have very smart people guide us toward the answers,” Reed said. “We believe that anything we can do to help stimulate young people to have a life concerned with ideas and curiosity and then the translation of their knowledge into service to others must be afundamental priority for this nation now.”
On June 12, 2023, in remembrance of the 60th anniversary of the Stand in the Schoolhouse Door, Margie and Reed had an opportunity to meet two of the students who received funds from Vivian’s scholarship. Afterward, Margie said one of them reached out to her.
“Maybe a day or so later, she emailed me and thanked me. She then asked if there was a way we could stay in touch,” Margie said. “She said she would like to have the opportunity to learn from me and benefit from my knowledge and skills that I have at this stage of life.”
And so, just as Vivian served as a mentor to Margie, Margie and Reed are now having the same impact on the next generation, just as they hoped.
“If people like us are not prepared to take the gamble to overcome previous anger from events such as the Stand in the Schoolhouse Door, if we’re not prepared to work with people who are well-meaning to create a new world, then we never can progress,” Reed said. “The fact that UA — even 60 years later — is willing to celebrate this event and to acknowledge it is so important to me,” Margie said. “Words almost cannot express the way I feel. Our role is to continue doing what we can so that other young people can afford to attend The University of Alabama.”
