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Decatur presenters ask council to back Judge Horton legal center and Scottsboro Boys museum with $1 million annual support
Summary
Leaders of the Judge James E. Horton Legal Learning Center and the Decatur Scottsboro Boys Civil Rights Museum asked the Decatur City Council to support opening and sustaining a campus for education and tourism; presenters said the state has committed capital and operating funds and asked the city to consider a $1 million-per-year pledge over five years.
Peggy Allen Townes, a member of CODA, and Dr. Brandon A. Owens, senior executive director for the Decatur Scottsboro Boys Civil Rights Museum and Judge James E. Horton Jr. Legal Learning Center, asked the Decatur City Council during a work session to support a phased project to open a legal learning center and preserve the Judge Horton home.
Townes recounted the local history tied to the Scottsboro trials and urged the council to "help us tell the full story, Decatur's story." Dr. Owens described completed preservation work — including exterior restoration and relocating Judge Horton's home — and said the project has an interpretive plan and education partnerships with Alabama A&M University, Calhoun Community College, Samford University's Cumberland School of Law and the University of North Alabama.
The presenters outlined a phased approach: open the boarding house and the legal learning center to host school groups and programs, then raise additional funds to build a larger interactive museum. Dr. Owens said the state of Alabama has "committed $1.7 million in fiscal year 25 capital support and $163,000 annually beginning in fiscal year 26 for 3 years for operating and program support" through Alabama A&M's budget. Frances Tate, a project leader, told the council, "We are requesting $1 million annually for the next 5 years to help open and sustain a landmark campus."
Speakers emphasized tourism and civic-education benefits. Robert Ball, an attorney and Decatur High alumnus, described a capital campaign and said earlier city investments exceeded $800,000 to move and stabilize the Horton house. Council members thanked the presenters, praised the preservation and public-use focus, and asked for follow-up meetings to discuss timelines, business and fundraising plans, and how the city might partner going forward. No formal appropriation was made at the work session.
Next steps: presenters and staff agreed to meet with council members to provide more detailed business and timeline information so any potential city commitment could be evaluated in a future meeting.
