Judge Andra Sparks, a 1985 graduate of Tuskegee University, has been named the keynote speaker for the institution’s 108th Founders Day Convocation. The event will take place on March 29 at 9:30 a.m. in the University Chapel and is part of a weekend of activities celebrating the university’s founding principal, Booker T. Washington.
Dr. Mark A. Brown, president and CEO of Tuskegee University, commented on Judge Sparks’ selection as keynote speaker: “Judge Sparks, whom I have known for over 40 years, has lived a life full of the tireless pursuit of justice for all, sought through the compassionate lens of every person’s right to self-respect and self-determination, and he embodies the ‘hand, head, and heart’ guiding vision of our founding principal, Booker T. Washington,” said Dr. Mark A. Brown, president and CEO. “Principal Washington and Founder Adams smile today and I look forward to a powerful message from this son of Mother Tuskegee that will inspire us for our first Renaissance Era Founders Day.”
Sparks is originally from Birmingham, Alabama. He completed his undergraduate studies at Tuskegee Institute before earning his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1988.
In March 2008, Sparks became the first African American appointed as Municipal Court Judge for the City of Fairfield. Later that year, he was appointed by the Birmingham City Council to serve on Birmingham’s Municipal Court with responsibilities including oversight of Drug Court and Gun Court Dockets. He was reappointed in subsequent years—2012, 2017, and 2022.
By December 2010, Mayor William Bell appointed him Presiding Judge for Birmingham Municipal Court—the largest municipal court in Alabama—where he led five full-time judges and more than one hundred employees.
Judge Sparks plans to retire in May after a career marked by efforts to improve Birmingham’s justice system through innovation and collaboration. During his tenure as presiding judge, he modernized court operations by transitioning from paper-based systems to fully virtual platforms—a move credited with saving taxpayers significant funds.
Under his leadership, several specialty dockets were established—including Drug Court, Gun Court, Mental Health (HOPE) Court, Homeless Court (Turning Point), Community Court, Bilingual Court, and Alabama’s first Veterans Court—with more than $7 million secured in federal funding for treatment programs.
Sparks also introduced initiatives such as the RENEW Driver’s License Recovery Program—which restored driving privileges to thousands—and “Life University,” designed to connect residents with personal development opportunities.
His professional affiliations include membership in organizations such as the Alabama Municipal Judges Association; American Bar Association—Judicial Division (where he chairs the Specialized Judges Conference); Alabama Bar Association; National Bar Association; Magic City Bar Association; Birmingham Bar Association; NAACP; National Association of Drug Court Professionals; Leadership Birmingham; and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
Beyond his legal career, Sparks serves as an ordained minister at First Missionary Baptist Church East Boyles in Birmingham and has been pastor at Forty-Fifth Street Baptist Church since 2004.
Details about additional Founders Day events can be found at TU26FoundersDay.
