The University of Alabama has colored everyone’s minds with football, its beautiful campus, and the endless crimson and white seen on sweaters and banners. Students see UA’s mascot Big Al roaming campus, and the energy is always alive. In the center of it all stand the Capstone Men and Women.
Capstone Men and Women (CMW) is the University of Alabama’s official student ambassador organization. They represent the university through campus tours, hosting visitors and serve as the faces of UA at major events. They are recognizable by their crimson blazers as they walk around campus. Together, they served over 12,300 hours during the 2024–2025 academic year.
Capstone Men and Women began in 1962 as the Crimson Girls, until in 1976 when the organization accepted its first male members, becoming the Crimson Girls and Capstone Men. In 1991, the organization officially adopted its current moniker: Capstone Men and Women.
Members learn a detailed script about UA’s history, student life, campus and its buildings, and they’re tested on it. They assist the President’s Office, Admissions and Alumni Relations, representing the University with pride and professionalism.
Selection is highly competitive. Applicants go through an application process, interviews and script exam. Training is rigorous, and members dedicate countless volunteer hours to representing the University. Out of thousands of students, only about 40–50 are chosen each year making it one of the hardest student ambassador programs for students to get into at Alabama.
Out of all the Capstone Men and Women this year, only a few represent the Black community. To understand the importance of their representation and presence, it is important to look at the history that unfolded on UA’s campus that truly refines the importance of their position. A reflection of decades of history that shapes the significance of what it means to wear that crimson blazer.
For students like Akilah Prier, a current member of Capstone Men and Women, being part of the organization holds a deeper value.
“Honestly, I’m not sure that I’ve made a great impact on campus yet,” Prier said. “But I’m grateful to be part of Capstone Men and Women because there’s nothing more rewarding than having Black prospective students come up to me after a tour asking about my experience or telling me they want to do what I do.”
“I believe that being a Black student in Capstone Men and Women allows others to see what’s possible,” she adds. “It’s easy to stick with what’s comfortable or to hold yourself back out of fear of being told no. I’m honored to be in this position, and I truly hope to see more Black students not only try out but one day become members of Capstone Men and Women.”
Her words are a reflection of the history that happened on campus and of those students that came before her.
In 1956, Autherine Lucy became the first Black student admitted to The University of Alabama. After only three days on campus, she was suspended and later expelled due to riots protesting her presence.
In 1963, Governor George Wallace attempted to block Vivian Malone Jones and James Hood from entering Foster Auditorium which is located near the University Recreation Center and Autherine Lucy Hall.
This event, now known as “The Stand in the Schoolhouse Door,” made national history. Federal marshals intervened under President John F. Kennedy’s orders, and the students were allowed to pass.
Today, a bronze historical marker is placed outside Foster Auditorium recognizing the events of June 11, 1963. In 2010, The University of Alabama dedicated the Malone-Hood Plaza outside Foster Auditorium to recognize the bravery and resilience of Vivian Malone Jones and James Hood.
That same year, UA unveiled the Autherine Lucy Clock Tower, engraved with quotes about courage, justice and equality. Honoring Autherine Lucy, the first Black student admitted to UA. Jones graduated in 1965 with a degree in personal management.
After 1963 many black students began enrolling despite ongoing discrimination. They began to form their organizations such as the Afro-American Association, Black Student Union and National Pan-Hellenic . By the 1970s, Black faculty members were hired and Black students began to be elected to leadership roles on campus.
Although unsure of the first ever Black student selected for Capstone Men and Women, those who served since then carry not only crucial history that happened at The University of Alabama but the strength and bravery of those who fought for inclusion and representation on campus.
Their crimson blazers stand as a symbol of that legacy.
For David Anderson, a current Capstone Man and Randall Research Scholar, that sense of legacy defines his experience.
“Being a Black student within Capstone Men and Women has truly allowed me to recognize the strides our university has made since its beginnings in 1831 when we were a southern military institution,” Anderson said. “It serves as a representation amongst incoming students that no opportunity is off the table because we are Black.”
As an out-of-state, inner-city, public school Black student from Memphis, Tennessee, Anderson believes his journey itself is proof of possibility. “My presence can serve as a calm reminder that authenticity does not have to be forsaken to excel,” he said. “Those who know me can attest that my goofy, quirky behavior and general temperament are the exact same characteristics I go forward with in rooms that are primarily non-Black or White.”
Anderson’s and Prier’s words are a reminder that the Capstone Men and Women are not just tour guides in crimson blazers. They embody progress, bravery and resilience. Every tour they lead and every student they greet continues the legacy of the momentous history on campus, allowing them to serve with pride as the face of The University of Alabama. It is the White and Crimson forever branded in your mind.
