Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Representative John F. Knight, Jr. Papers |
Collection |
Representative John F. Knight, Jr. Papers |
Catalog Number |
2004.001 |
Object Name |
Papers, Personal |
Level of description |
Fonds/Coll |
Scope & Content |
Representative John F. Knight, Jr. Papers 156 cubic boxes, 2 legal boxes, 8 1/2 boxes, 15 large scrapbooks, 9 folder sleeves; 219 cubic feet. This collection focuses on John F. Knight’s political career as it relates to serving the people of Alabama. It includes materials on "Knight v. State of Alabama," a higher education desegregation lawsuit in which Knight was the lead plaintiff. Politician and higher-education administrator, John F. Knight began his political career at Alabama State College in the 1970s as student body president. In 1980 he was elected to the Montgomery County Commission for District Four, serving until 1992; and appointed to the Montgomery Housing Authority Board, serving until 1997. In 1993, he was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives for District Seventy-seven, and has served there more than two decades. Knight’s other prominent affiliations include the Montgomery County Democratic Conference (chair), Montgomery County Democratic Executive Committee, Leadership Montgomery, Leadership Alabama, Kershaw YMCA Board of Directors, Cleveland Avenue YMCA, Montgomery Improvement Association, Southern Development Council, and St. John’s AME Church. During the Vietnam War, Knight was drafted into the United States Army, where he earned the Silver Star, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Combat Infantry Badge. Returning to Montgomery, Knight entered Alabama State University. He earned a B.S. Degree, with honors, in Business Administration in 1974. Twenty-six years later, Alabama A&M University bestowed upon him and Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree. In 1976, Knight returned to his alma mater as Director of the Office of Communications and Public Affairs, a post occupied for sixteen years. During that time, he became a familiar voice on ASU’s Sports Network, FM 90 .7 WVAS. He successively became Special Assistant to the President, Executive Director for Marketing and Communications, and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In 2014, he resigned from his last positions. In 1999, John Knight became the first African American to chair the Alabama House of Representatives House Ways and Means General Fund Committee, serving until 2010. His committee authorized billions of state dollars for non-education government agencies, including Corrections, Public Safety, Medicaid, and Veterans Affairs. During his tenure, state funding for public healthcare of Alabama’s most vulnerable citizens increased by more than $418 million. Chairman Knight was deeply involved in the state’s economic development, especially by sponsoring the bond issue that brought the Hyundai Motor Corporation to Alabama. Representative Knight has been a nationally-publicized champion of tax fairness, an issue resonating throughout the United States. He has worked to reform the state’s property tax system, removal of the state sales tax on groceries, and elimination of tax loopholes allowing wealthy corporations to evade their fair share of taxes. With a bipartisan coalition, he led a ten-year effort to bring relief to working Alabamians by raising the threshold at which they begin paying state income taxes by nearly 175 percent. This ended the state’s regressive taxation on families making less than $4,600 annually. John F. Knight has rendered a distinctive service to Alabama and the nation as the lead plaintiff in the landmark "Knight v. State of Alabama," (1991-@2004) a higher education desegregation lawsuit that won some remedies for vestiges of state-sanctioned racial segregation in colleges and universities. In particular, as a result of the lawsuit the state of Alabama has provided millions of dollars to the state-supported ASU in Montgomery and Alabama A&M in Huntsville, historically black institutions, for endowments and major capital improvements. Also, as a direct result of the "Knight case," traditionally white institutions were ordered to hire additional Black faculty to reflect the racial diversity of the state. |
Search Terms |
African American Legislators - Alabama African Americans - Politics and suffrage Black Politics Black Politics in Alabama Black Politics in Montgomery, Alabama De facto school segregation - Montgomery (Ala.) Education, Higher - Montgomery (Ala.) Knight, John F. Political participation - Alabama - United States University and colleges - Administration - United States |
People |
Knight, John F. |
Child Records |
Box 002 - Legislative Box 003 - Legislative Sessions Box 004D - Letters Supporting Charles Graddick Box 028 - Materials from Magic City Classics/Turkey Day Classics Box 006 - ASU Related Materials Box 007 - Photo Negatives, Photographs Box 008 - ASU Booklets, Sketch Art (Feagin) Box 009 - Mini Exhibits & Pictures Box 010 - Lantern Awards Box 011 - Golden Ambassador Materials, Photos: Homecoming: 1957 Box 012 - Alabama Public Schools Box 013 - Correspondences (Incoming/Outgoing), House of Representative Documents Box 014 - ASU Publications, Programs, & Catalogs Box 015 - Correspondences & Court Documents from "Knight vs. Alabama" Box 016 - Certificate of Achievement Box 017 - ASU Quilt Box 018 - Legislative Documents (House of Representatives) Box 019 - Documents & Correspondences (House of Representatives) Box 020 - Bills (House of Representatives) Box 021 - Souvenir Programs: ASU Events Box 022 - Legislative Documents (House of Representatives) Box 023 - Budget Documents Box 024 - Souvenir Programs from various ASU Events & Magazines Box 025 - Plaques Box 026 - Montgomery Public Schools Report & Alabama's Juvenile Justice System Box 052 - ASU Athletics Box 027 - House of Representatives Box 029 - Correspondences (Outgoing) Box 030 - Photograph Negatives & Souvenir Programs: ASU Events Box 031 - Documents & Correspondences Box 032 - Football & Basketball Media Guides Box 034 - Legislative House & State Bills Box 033 - Thank You Letter: United States District Court Box 035 - ASU Football Stadium Proposal Box 036 - ASU Presidents Papers (Randolph - Harris) Box 037 - Awards Box 039 - Court Documents Box 038 - Artifacts Box 040 - Documents, Publications, Programs, etc. Box 041 - Legislature Documents Box 042 - Knight vs. Alabama Box 043 - House Bills, Correspondences Box 044 - Budget Summaries Box 045 - "ASU In The News", ASU Publications, Various ASU Program Souvenirs Box 046 - Media Clippings/Videos of ASU Events Box 047 - Knight v. Alabama Testimony Box 048 - Reports, Turkey Day Classics Items, WVAS-FM Ratings Box 050 - NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program Box 051 - ASU Athletics Box 053 - Newspaper Articles from "ASU In the News" Box 054 - Newspaper Articles from "ASU In the News" & ASU Information Systems and Technology Box 153 - Scrapbook: Chronology of the career of Representative John F. Knight, Jr. Box 154 - Scrapbook: Chronology of the career of Representative John F. Knight, Jr. Box 155 Box 157 Box 156 - Scrapbook Box 158 - Public Relations Collection Box 159 Box 160 Box 171 Box 074 Box 001A - Correspondences Box 001B - Public Relations/Legislative Box 004A - Phone Messages & Correspondences Box 004B - Plaques Box 004C - Public Relations Box 005 - Suede Jacket Box 055 Box 056 Box 057 Box 058 Box 059 Box 060 Box 061 Box 062 Box 063 Box 064 Box 065 Box 066 Box 067 Box 068 Box 069 Box 070 Box 071 Box 072 Box 073 Box 075 Box 076 Box 077 Box 078 Box 079 Box 080 Box 081 Box 082 Box 083 Box 084 Box 085 Box 086 Box 087 Box 088 Box 089 Box 090 Box 091 Box 092 Box 093 Box 094 Box 095 Box 096 Box 097 Box 098 Box 099 Box 100 Box 101 Box 102 Box 103 Box 104 Box 105 Box 106 Box 107 Box 108 Box 109 Box 110 Box 111 Box 112 Box 113 Box 114 Box 115 Box 116 Box 117 Box 118 Box 119 Box 120 Box 121 Box 122 Box 123 Box 124 Box 125 Box 126 Box 127 Box 128 Box 129 Box 130 Box 131 Box 132 Box 133 Box 134 Box 135 Box 136 Box 137 Box 138 Box 139 Box 140 Box 141 Box 142 Box 143 Box 144 Box 145 Box 146 - VHS Tapes Box 147 - VHS Tapes Box 148 - VHS Tapes/Floppy Disk Box 149 - VHS Tapes Box 150 - VHS Tapes Box 151 - VHS Tapes Box 152 - Scrapbooks: Legislative Session, House Bills, & Board of Directores Box 161 Box 162 - Ways & Means Committee Binders Box 163 - Certificate |