February 1-6, 1956, saw the first attempt to integrate the University of Alabama with the enrollment of Ms. Autherine Lucy. On Monday, February 6, Ms. Lucy was rushed off campus. That morning Ms. Lucy had been transported by University officials from the location of her first class in Smith Hall, to her next class in Graves Hall. The car used belonged to Sarah Healy, Dean of Women, and was driven by Jeff Bennett, assistant to the President. Both Healy and Bennett were parishioners at Canterbury Chapel. The Rev. Emmet Gribbin spent four days moving through the mobs, trying to calm the disturbances and potential violence. On the morning of February 6, the Rev. Gribbin accompanied Arthur Shores through the crowd so that Mr. Shore could drive Ms. Lucy back to Birmingham.
On May 9, 1957, while 120 students and faculty discussed academic freedom at a meeting of the Open Forum, 70 robed KKK members gathered outside Canterbury Chapel. Forming a semi-circle on the grounds of the Chapel, Klan leaders read a statement charging that the Open Forum was a "University of Alabama Liberal and Communist cell." The Klansmen stood silently for about 10 minutes. Then a white-robed Klansman and the only two red-robed members of the group stepped before the gathering. The group was led in a prayer, which opened with the words, "I thank Thee, Heavenly Father, that I'm white." The Klan statement also said that the Klan did not object to the Forum talking about free speech, but that it did not have "the moral right to use the House of the Lord to indoctrinate the innocent." The Open Forum was established after the campus disturbances over the admission of Autherine Lucy, and held discussions on racial issues. The charter granted to the Open Forum prohibited their use of University buildings. The meeting on May 9 was a panel discussion with Dr. John Luskin of the journalism department; Dr. Iredel Jenkins of the philosophy department; and Miss Judy Means, outgoing editor of the Crimson-White. On May 7, the student legislative body had voted 24-2 to revoke the charter given to the Open Forum.
On April 19, 1961, the Women's Auxiliary of Canterbury Chapel gathered for prayer and discussion. Following this gathering, their intent was to travel to Stillman College to hear a discussion about conditions in Africa by students from Africa enrolled at Stillman College. Prior to the departure from Canterbury Chapel, a group gathered outside the Chapel. The group that gathered was believed to have been called by the White Citizen's Council, and were there to prevent what they thought was an interracial meeting. The Women's Auxiliary chose not to travel to Stillman College out of concern that the trouble would follow them there. In a letter to the parishioner that was contacted by and gave information to the White Citizen's Council concerning the meeting, the Rev. Gribbin wrote the following:
But what's done is done. Now let's pick up the pieces. One thing I've learned as a Christian is to disagree with people's ideas but still care for them as people... I feel confident you will in time conclude you have made a mistake in stirring up the White Citizen's Council and the Klan. Perhaps you already regret it. In any case the Episcopal Church is wide enough and big enough to include people with widely different opinions and to hold them together in mutual concern for each other no molter how divergent their views.
