This is a guest blog post by Lindsey Norward, Senior Staff Writer at NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
In October 2024, SB129, a restrictive censorship law on Alabama’s public colleges and universities, went into effect, upending the ways public college communities can teach, learn, and build community around topics including race, gender, identity, and history.
Before the law went into effect, Sydney Testman, a rising senior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, immediately grew concerned for what it could mean on campus. “Upon reading the text of SB129, I was worried about its potential negative impact on campus programs and student groups committed to supporting and uplifting students with marginalized identities,” Testman described in a federal complaint.
In January 2025, a group of Alabama students and educators filed a federal lawsuit challenging the law, SB129, citing the widespread harm it has caused on campuses. In a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for June 25, 2025 and June 26, 2025, the court will decide the fate of SB129—whether it will be temporarily blocked while the case proceeds, or if students will have to continue to endure the effects of SB129 for another year.
At a pivotal moment, Alabama students and educators are speaking out—reflecting on SB129’s impact after one academic year and confronting what another year could bring. Here are some of their stories.*
1. University of Alabama’s Black Student Union Was Dismantled and Turned into a Food Pantry.
For many years, the Black Student Union’s office at the University of Alabama served as a critical community hub—home to programs, resources, mentoring, and other supports for Black students, who make up about 11.6% of the student population. Founded in 1968 to foster belonging and mutual support, the Black Student Union had long played a central role in campus life. But in the summer of 2024, the University shut down the office without providing students with an alternative meeting space, citing SB129 as the cause.
At the time, the Black Student Union released a statement regarding the closure, calling it a loss “not just of a physical space, but of a place where we have gathered, shared, and built a community rooted in our shared experiences, struggles, and triumphs.”
“Our office was more than just four walls, it was a haven for all of us,” they said. “A place where we could be ourselves, support one another, and celebrate our culture and heritage.”
Nearly a year since the space closed, Ja’Kobe Bibbs, a rising junior at the University of Alabama, reflected that “it’s been difficult to build connection and cultivate community”. Bibbs is an active member of the Black Student Union and also serves as president of the University of Alabama’s NAACP chapter.
“Losing the Black Student Union space wasn’t just about students today, but what people before us went through just to make it possible.” Bibbs said, citing the University’s first Black student Autherine Lucy and first Black professor Dr. Archie Wade. “Folks sacrificed and fought through segregation and Jim Crow so that we could have a place on this campus. It’s because of these trailblazers and safe spaces like the BSU that I am able to be who I am on campus and that we are able to be authentic to ourselves.”
2. When Black University of Alabama Students Were Targeted with Racist Text Messages, They Had Nowhere to Turn.
In November 2024, a wave of racist text messages was sent nationwide purporting to summon Black people for slavery during the election season. After receiving these texts, Black students at the University of Alabama were left without a communal space to process, connect, or find support. The spaces that once fostered belonging—such as the Black Student Union office—had been shuttered due to SB129, leaving students feeling isolated and distressed at a moment when collective care was most needed.
“It’s been a scary time for certain students. Especially with the elections and all that’s going on, the text messages only added fuel to the fire,” Bibbs said.
The University of Alabama’s NAACP chapter released a statement to Black students and their families in the wake of the texts, but the school did not, leaving students feeling further disappointment.
“I did hope that the University would issue a statement or reaffirm its commitment to the affected students,” Bibbs continued. “With a slogan like ‘hate doesn’t roll here’, how can you turn your backs on students facing hate now? It felt like we weren’t seen.”
3. LGBTQ+ Resource Centers Were Shuttered, Too—Including at University of Alabama and Auburn University.
Public universities like the University of Alabama and Auburn University closed their Safe Zone Resource Center and Pride Center, citing SB129 as the cause. For queer and trans students and their allies, these critical spaces served as a source of safety and support—ensuring that students could access resources, build community, and feel a sense of belonging on campus. Their closure has left many students feeling unsafe, unheard, and without the institutional support that once supported them to thrive and succeed.
Dakota Grimes, a chemistry graduate student who serves as president of Auburn University’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance, felt disappointed when Auburn University’s Pride Center closed.
“It was a safe space for LGBTQ students to hang out in between classes where they could be with others like them,” Grimes said in an interview with AL.com at the time. “They could relax, not have to worry about any judgment or feeling unwelcome on campus.”
Grimes noted that after SB129’s passage, there is no space to “just exist on campus as queer students” and “no designated place for us to really gather as a community.”
4. Students Lost Their Scholarships, Confronted with Financial Loss and Instability.
Under SB129, some students saw their scholarships revoked or eligibility restricted—particularly those connected to programs or organizations now deemed noncompliant with the law. For many, this resulted in sudden financial strain, disrupted academic progress, and increased uncertainty about their ability to remain in school.
Testman experienced this firsthand when a stipend she received from the Social Justice Advocacy Council (SJAC), a university initiative that previously helped support underrepresented student groups, was suddenly terminated under SB129. As a result, she had to cover her outstanding tuition costs out of pocket and pick up an additional job during the semester.
“I was a college student taking 18 credit hours, with multiple jobs,” Testman said. “It was a big mental strain—I felt like I could never take a break.”
5. Affinity Groups Were Defunded and Lost Their Official Campus Group Statuses.
In her final year at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Isabella Campos watched the student group she co-founded—Esperanza—slowly unravel. Along with rising senior Miguel Luna, Isabella created Esperanza to help increase retention rates for Hispanic students through career mentorship, cultural events, and professional development. Esperanza had just started to find its footing when SB129 passed. During the summer before it went into effect, university administrators pulled back their support. “We went from being cheered on by staff to getting cold shoulders,” Campos recalled. “It felt demoralizing.”
“Without access to funding resources from the University, whether directly or through other organizations like SJAC, Esperanza is unable to provide the programming, opportunities, and resources that it offered to Latine students before SB 129 went into effect,” Luna described in a federal complaint.
Testman noted that SB129 “stripped away campus traditions”, reflecting on the multitude of student-led events threatened with funding loss across campus this year—like the Indian Cultural Association’s Diwali event and the Spanish and Latino Association’s Day of the Dead event.
“SB129 didn’t just defund student organizations—it defunded the ideas they stood for,” Testman said.
6. Professors Were Threatened for Teaching the Truth.
Professors across Alabama’s public universities have been threatened with discipline and even termination for teaching about racism, inequality, and social justice—topics deemed “divisive” under SB129.
Dr. Cassandra Simon, a professor in the University of Alabama School of Social Work, faced the threat of termination for teaching a class titled “Anti-Oppression and Social Justice”. Her course included a student-led advocacy project and a curriculum rooted in examining the connection between race, culture, and health disparities. Since SB129’s passage, Dr. Simon has felt concerned that university officials may determine that her courses and the discussions in her classes violate the law—putting her job at risk of being terminated.
She is not alone. Dr. Dana Patton, a political science professor at the same university, was notified that her course “Understanding Poverty” could also be in violation due to its focus on systemic racism and social justice. Other classes she teaches—such as “Politics of Health Policy” and a course centered on Alabama’s Black Belt—were also put at risk.
Dr. Simon believes SB129 prevents her from preparing future social workers to effectively serve diverse communities. By limiting classroom discussions on culture, identity, and lived experience, the law deprives students of critical skills they need to engage respectfully and knowledgeably in their professions.
"This law has attempted to negate a whole body of knowledge and expertise,” Dr. Simon said. “These things weren’t just pulled out of the air—decades of scholarship support what we do in the classroom.”
She further raised alarm on how the law is impacting students not only inside the classroom, but around campus. “Our students see who still gets to have space—and who doesn’t,” she said. “That has impacted not just their academic performance, but their mental and emotional well-being.”
7. Students are Learning Less and Suffering the Costs.
Since SB129 went into effect, students across Alabama have reported a clear shift in their ability to learn and adequately prepare for the workforce. Course syllabi now often include legal disclaimers referencing SB129, and classes that once encouraged open discussion have become more lecture-based and cautious. Topics at the intersections of academic specialties, including race, gender, systemic inequalities, and identity, are now either skimmed over or avoided entirely.
For Bibbs, a political science and African American studies double major who hopes to impact lives in his communities through civil rights advocacy, SB129 has made it harder to engage with coursework that reflects his research interests and career aspirations. “These concepts—like race, gender, systemic racism—aren’t divisive,” he said. “They are simply topics teaching students about the truth.”
That disconnect has compounding consequences. Campos, who is currently applying for post-grad jobs and studying for the LSAT, worries that the value of her degree could be diminished. “I chose to study here to pursue a degree that would prepare me in my career,” she said. “How am I going to apply to schools or jobs that view my degree as less valuable because of the restrictions placed on my education?”
Testman echoed that fear, citing the vagueness of SB129 as a reason for the chilling effect in class discussions.
“Anything that has to do with race, gender—any difference that makes humanity beautiful—is now considered divisive,” said Testman. “Before SB129, conversations flowed. Afterward, everything became cautious and silenced.”
What We Currently Know
In just one year, SB129 has reshaped life across Alabama’s public universities—closing doors, censoring voices, ending vital support systems, and threatening every student’s right to belong on campus.
Yet, through it all, students, educators, and campus groups have shown remarkable resilience. They have spoken up, organized, and fought to reclaim what has been lost. Graduating senior Campos reflected on this courage. While she won’t benefit from any reversal, she hopes continued advocacy will ensure future students don’t experience the same loss. As she put it, even when stripped of recognition and resources, “thriving affinity groups are resistance”—and their presence is proof that students are not backing down.
As universities enter their second year under SB129, campus communities are reckoning with what’s at stake. The outcome of the lawsuit—and this week’s court hearing—will be pivotal in determining whether these restrictions will remain in place, and ultimately, what kind of future lies ahead for students, faculty, and campus organizations across the state.
*All interviews were conducted by the author unless otherwise noted.