Podcast

In this powerful episode of Heroes Behind the Badge, Executive Director of the National Black Sheriffs Association, Anthony Amerson, shares the extraordinary story of his father – Lucius Amerson – the first Black sheriff elected in the South since Reconstruction.

The Icons series is not just about contemporary figures in the law enforcement community, but about all those who have served their communities and the world. This episode imbodies the essence of that goal. Today features Anthony Amerson, the son of famed Sheriff Lucius Amerson, the first Black elected sheriff in the south since reconstruction. We hear from Anthony about how his father’s legacy remains intact and what he’s done to continue the Sheriff’s penchant for serving the community. Madison Scott, the Museum’s Manager of Volunteer Services sits down with Anthony to discuss his father’s legacy, family life, and the importance of remembering your roots.

In the 1960s Alabama was at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. It’s the home of the years-long Montgomery Bus Boycotts and demonstrations in Selma for Black people to gain equal voting rights. But in Tuskegee, on January 16th, 1967 – history was made when Lucius Amerson was sworn in as Sheriff of Macon County, Alabama. He was the first Black documented sheriff in the South since Reconstruction. Amerson gained unprecedented power for a Black man in the South…and many people wanted to take that power away from him. This episode originally aired January 19, 2022.