April 7, 2000

Alabama’s Constitution of 1901 has long been derided by critics for a multitude of reasons: from its extraordinary length, to how it centralizes power in Montgomery at the expense of local communities, to its archaic and, in some sections, racist language. While the Constitution has gone through multiple piecemeal revisions over the years, some say it is time for a major overhaul. That’s the position of Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform (ACCR), which educates Alabamians about the current constitution and advocates for reform. The ACCR, which boasts chapters across the state, was created on this day in 2000 at an event at the ruins of the old state capital in Tuscaloosa – an outgrowth of a constitutional reform effort sponsored by the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce on its 100^th anniversary. Several prominent Alabamians have been involved in the reform movement, including former Samford University President Thomas Corts and former Gov. Albert Brewer. They and some other ACCR pioneers have died in recent years, but others continue to carry forward the group’s mission.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

The 155 delegates to the Alabama Constitutional Convention of 1901 codified black disfranchisement and increased the political power of the state Legislature at the expense of local government. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Alabama Department of Archives and History)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.