ALEA celebrates Black History Month
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Special to the News
Each February, our nation honors and celebrates the history of African Americans and their immeasurable contributions to every aspect of American life.
As Alabamians our state was the location of numerous monumental and pivotal events which led up to the American Civil Rights Movement that awakened not only the nation, but also the world, to implement change.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Secretary Hal Taylor said, “Our agency is proud to join law enforcement agencies and organizations across the nation in celebrating Black History Month. ALEA has been and will continue to be dedicated to, building a diverse and inclusive state law enforcement agency that fully represents and reflects the communities we serve.”
The agency will highlight the transformational work that African American employees have accomplished both past and present by sharing their stories and celebrating their heritage. These stories will be shared on ALEA’s social media platforms throughout February.
In 1972, Elbert Dawson, 25, of Tuskegee; Leon Hampton, 25, of Birmingham; and Tyrone Anderson, 24, of Montgomery were the first three African American State Troopers hired by the Alabama Department of Public Safety (DPS).
However, by ALEA’s inception in 2015 with the consolidation of 12 Legacy Agencies including DPS, the agency had established a strong diverse workforce across all divisions and units, including gender diversity.
In fact, in 2020 at the direction of Secretary Taylor, the agency created a Cultural Awareness Improvement Team (C.A.I.T) to implement a continuous focus on enhancing ALEA’s workplace in offices across the state, giving each employee a voice and opportunities for participation in various events and campaigns while providing valuable insight and creating a successful work environment for all.
In 2022, the agency was chosen as one out of 12 law enforcement agencies across the nation for its best-looking cruiser, which was placed next to an iconic F-16C Fighting Falcon “Red Tails” fighter aircraft. ALEA proudly took the most recent opportunity to highlight not only the agency, but also pay homage to the brave men who helped carve the way toward racial equality in the armed forces on a national stage.
“Black History Month not only provides us with a way to commemorate African Americans, but also gives us a method to celebrate all Americans, as it is diversity that enriches our nation. I am both honored and proud to work with employees from a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities as we all strive to achieve the same goal of protecting and serving the citizens and visitors of Alabama,” said Taylor.