About Us — The Scottsboro Boys Museum

Thomas Reidy, PhD

Executive Director

Dr. Reidy received his PhD in History from the University of Alabama and taught at the University of Alabama in Huntsville for many years. His published works cover the antebellum period in Alabama and the civil rights movement.

Dr. Reidy began working with the Scottsboro Boys Museum in 2011. He played a pivotal role lobbying for and writing the Scottsboro Boys Act (2013), the law which allows the state to posthumously pardon convicted felons. He recently edited and wrote the Introduction to The Founding of Alabama: Background and Formative Period in the Great Bend and Madison County (UA PRESS, 2019), which is available in bookstores today.
In addition to his work as museum director, Dr. Reidy serves on the Leadership Committee for the Racial Equity Fund for the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville, as a board member for Historic Huntsville Foundation, and as a member of the Committee of 100 in Huntsville.

Loretta Tolliver

Treasurer

Loretta Tolliver was born in Scottsboro and raised in rural Jackson County. Her parents’ civic engagement inspired her to choose a life of service to others at an early age.

Loretta joined the Scottsboro Boys Museum board in 2010 and is our longest serving member.

She has served as secretary and treasurer, and has chaired several committees. She is currently employed by Scottsboro City Schools and works with special needs students. She is married to James W. Tolliver and they have three adult children and two beautiful grandchildren.

The Hodges family is a Founding Family of the Jackson County Heritage Center, and Lynda is a lifetime member of the Jackson County Historical Association and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Lynda is married to Dr. Durwood M. Hodges, a fourth-generation physician who retired last year after 40 years of practicing family medicine. Dr Hodges’ grandfather, Dr John Rayford Hodges, Sr., founded Hodges Hospital, the first and only hospital between Huntsville and Chattanooga until he helped open Jackson County Hospital, which is known as Highlands Medical Center today. The Hodges are the proud parents of two children. They are avid travelers, enjoy growing herbs, and spending time with their friends and family.

Rev. Lasagne (Lacey) Smith

Board Chair

Lacey’s hometown is Pensacola, Florida and currently resides in Scottsboro. She has been active in church and community affairs all her life: as Church secretary, Sunday School teacher and Superintendent, teacher for Evangelistic ministry, and Minister of music. She is employed by The Arc of Jackson County.

Lacey is proudly married to the Rev. Jerry W. Smith, pastor of Bailey Springs (Florence) and Mt. Zion (Muscle Shoals) AMEC churches. They have five daughters, five grand-daughters and five grand-sons.
Lacey has been pastoring in the AME church since 2013, where she accepted her 1st pastoral assignment at Bethel Friendship AMEC (Orion, AL). She currently serves as pastor at Greater St. Paul-Scottsboro and Matthews Chapel-Fackler AME churches.
One of her favorite scriptures is, Psalm 91:1 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

Ginger Brook

Member

Ginger Brook is an eighth-generation Alabamian. She graduated with a BBA and BS from Athens State University and owns a graphic design business in Birmingham.

Before beginning her family and transitioning to design, she was Chief Procurement Officer for a former subsidiary of IMAX Corp. A student of Alabama folk traditions, she is currently documenting every graveshelter in the state, and is a judge for Alabama Folklife Association grants.
Ginger has a heart for volunteering; she is president of Birmingham Hadassah, a member of the Junior League of Birmingham, co-president of the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School Parent Association and a member of the school’s executive board, on the board of the International Fiber Collaborative, and her Chanukah-themed home is a fundraiser stop for Fresh Air Family Camp Scholarships which raises $30k+ each year so children who might not otherwise may have a summer camp experience.
Ginger is married to Larry Brook and they have two teenage sons.

Dr. Silvia Coleman

Education and Development

Dr. Sylvia Craft Coleman lives in Scottsboro, Alabama. She is employed with the Scottsboro City School System. She holds degrees a bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences, master’s degree in Instruction and Curriculum, and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership.

She attends Open Door Church Mission in Scottsboro. Dr. Coleman has previous experience being on boards and providing community service from multiple professional, Christian, and social organizations.

Codie Gopher

Board Member

Codie Gopher is an independent researcher of modern culture based in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. With over 20 years of experience in the music creative zone, Codie is working to bridge the gaps economically, as well as with sustainable opportunities for his community, to enhance the quality of life for the next generations of creators.

Being involved with Huntsville generated music projects, acknowledged by the likes of Forbes, The New York Times, SPIN, National Geographic, NPR, and other national and international publications, the idea of Huntsville making future strides in Music Tech is not impossible in his eyes. The key in his research is understanding the festiveness of the minds which are cultivated in the city, and how said cultivation impacts the world. Creating music inside the territory of Cummings Research Park and reaching over 90 million homes is proof Huntsville has what it takes to strive in Urban Tech. Between 2014 -2018, Codie helped to curate the first Hip Hop Exhibit at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia, Alabama, which opened in August 2018. This project documented the body of work, plus the influence Alabama Hip Hop has had on the world of music, and pop culture. He is a self-published author, a filmmaker, and believes culture is a key component to the future of his community. Codie is a memento of the AUM Foundation Advisor and a member of the inaugural Huntsville Music Board, appointed by Mayor Tommy Battle. Codie understands music education, mixed with a thriving entertainment economy is viable and doable.

William Hampton

Acquisitions and Social Media

William H. Hampton is a sixth generation native of Huntsville-Madison County, Alabama. William developed a love of history as a small child listening to the stories shared by great-grandparents, grandparents, and older relatives on what he calls the "Front Porch Experience.” This fascination with stories and history evolved into a lifelong love of history.

William serves the community working with the following organizations: executive board member of the Scottsboro Boys Museum and Cultural Center in Scottsboro, Alabama, a class facilitator for LearningQuest, consultant for Huntsville City Schools EarthScope Environmental Development Department, Huntsville Preservation Association, the Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society Marker Committee, chairman of the Circle of Remembrance Committee, and the Early Works Children's Museum African-American Advisory Board. William opened the Huntsville Revisited Museum, a local history museum in Huntsville, Alabama in June 2020. William is also a local concert promoter and former record label president of Madison Avenue Records.

Lynda Hodges

Facilities

Lynda Lynch Hodges was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Scottsboro. She graduated from Scottsboro High School and attended Jacksonville State University. She is a retired Northwest/Delta flight attendant and has been involved with the Scottsboro Boys Museum since 2010.

Lynda is a past board member for Big Brother/Big Sisters of Greater Memphis, and a volunteer at St Jude Children's Hospital. Her other volunteer work includes Meals on Wheels (Jackson County), and Christmas Charities. She was an officer of Friends of the Library, and a past president of the Jackson County Medical Alliance.

The Hodges family is a Founding Family of the Jackson County Heritage Center, and Lynda is a lifetime member of the Jackson County Historical Association and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Lynda is married to Dr. Durwood M. Hodges, a fourth-generation physician who retired last year after 40 years of practicing family medicine. Dr Hodges’ grandfather, Dr John Rayford Hodges, Sr., founded Hodges Hospital, the first and only hospital between Huntsville and Chattanooga until he helped open Jackson County Hospital, which is known as Highlands Medical Center today. The Hodges are the proud parents of two children. They are avid travelers, enjoy growing herbs, and spending time with their friends and family.

Jaunita Sales Lee

Governance

Juanita is a retired supervisory attorney with the United States Army. Earning a degree in Social Work from the University of Alabama and a law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law, Juanita furthered her legal education with a Master of Laws from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School.

Juanita has a diverse work history: Legal Aid Society of Madison County, Al; Private Practice; Alabama A&M University; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and the U.S. Army. She is a member of the Alabama and Georgia Bar Associations, the Alabama Lawyers Association, and the Federal Bar Association.Juanita believes in service to humanity. Her efforts benefit/benefited the Optimist International, Huntsville, AL Club, the Army Heritage Center Foundation, the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association, the Federal Bar Building Corporation, the University of Alabama Law School Foundation, the Museum Committee, Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission, U.S. Space and Rocket Center, the American Cancer Society, Madison County, AL, Legal Services Alabama, the Alabama Commission of Higher Education, and the Phenix City/Russell County, AL NAACP.Since retirement, Juanita spends time gardening and traveling with her husband, Joseph.

The Reverend Polly Robb

Community Outreach and Education

Polly is the rector at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church. She and her husband Robert moved to Scottsboro in 2019, from Huntsville, after Polly received her MDiv from The School of Theology in Sewanee TN. They have three grown children and three grandchildren living out of state.

Polly graduated from Auburn University with a BS in Biology. She taught Algebra at Randolph School in Huntsville for five years and then served for fourteen years as Head of the Randolph Middle School. A lifelong Episcopalian, Polly served the church in a myriad of ways as a lay person before being ordained a priest. She is passionate about education, justice, and living out her call to serve all of God’s people.

Our board consists of passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds, who share in the spirit and vision of this museum.