"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children." –D. Bonhoeffer
Stephen Black's Biography
Impact Alabama’s fundamental staffing model relies on employing talented, intelligent, and socially conscious recent college graduates for one or two years following graduation. Our team members travel statewide to implement our signature initiatives, earning only a modest stipend for their tremendous service.
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Stephen Black
Founder & President
Stephen Black, grandson of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo L. Black, grew up in New Mexico after most of his family left the state in the 1950’s and 60’s following his grandfather’s role in controversial Civil Rights decisions, including Brown v. Board of Education. Despite growing up over 1,000 miles away, from a very young age, he was fascinated by Alabama and the legacy of his family’s commitment to public service in their home state. In addition to his grandfather’s work, his aunt, Virginia Foster Durr, was one of Montgomery’s most famous civil rights advocates. A good friend of Rosa Parks, she helped bail Parks out of jail after she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus.
Black studied American History at The University of Pennsylvania, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in 1993 graduating magna cum laude, before attending Yale Law School where he graduated in 1997. Following law school, Black moved to Birmingham to become involved in public affairs and to practice law at the firm Maynard, Cooper and Gale. After three years in private practice, he spent a year serving as an assistant to the Governor, where he researched policy issues and worked on economic development projects. After leaving the Governor’s office in 2001, he returned to Maynard, Cooper and Gale. In June 2005, Black was appointed to the UA faculty as a Senior Lecturer in Communicative Ethics and asked to create and then direct a new Center for Ethics & Social Responsibility. He serves on the Board of Directors for the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama.
In 2008, Black received the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community Health Leaders Award for his work with FocusFirst. This national award is given annually to individuals who demonstrate creativity and commitment in addressing society’s most pressing health issues. Ten recipients were chosen from over 800 nominations.
