Civil Rights Icon Remembered

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The Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth in front of his Greater New Light Baptist Church in North Avondale. Photo by Glenn Hartong/The Cincinnati Enquirer.
The Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth in front of his Greater New Light Baptist Church in North Avondale. Photo by Glenn Hartong/The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Last Wednesday, a revered pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement, The Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth passed away at the age of 89. Rev. Shuttlesworth died in Birmingham, AL following a long illness, according to reports.

In 1956, the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, an organization founded by Shuttlesworth, revolted against Birminghams segregated busing practices. The following year, Shuttlesworth co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders. Shuttlesworth served as SCLCs secretary from 1958-1970.

The SCLC was instrumental in staging the Montgomery Bus Boycott which began on December 5, 1955 after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man. This boycott triggered to Black America and the rest of the world the start of what is now known as the modern civil rights movement.

During the 1960s, Rev. Shuttlesworth participated in the sit-in protests against segregated lunch counters and also helped to organize the Alabama Freedom Rides where Black activists rode buses into segregated states to combat segregation and discriminatory laws.

President Bill Clinton honored Shuttlesworth in 2001 by bestowing him the Presidential Citizens Medal. The award recognized Shuttlesworths leadership in the Civil Rights Movement and his exertion towards integrating Birminghams schools, public transit buses and recreational facilities.

Rev. Shuttlesworth is also honored in the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta.

Additionally, the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport bears his name.

In a recent press release, NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock remembered the late Rev. Shuttlesworth.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, a civil rights icon and lifelong member of the NAACP, stated Brock. Rev. Shuttlesworth held a sustained belief in the power of nonviolence, even maintaining those beliefs after attempts on his life and physical attacks by white supremacists and police. His legacy is reflected in the organizations he helped shape, and in the protests that continue to inspire generations of young civil rights leaders.

In a released statement issued on Oct. 5, the day of Rev. Shuttleworths passing; President Barack Obama remembered the legendary leader. As one of the founders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Reverend Shuttlesworth dedicated his life to advancing the cause of justice for all Americans. He was a testament to the strength of the human spirit. And today we stand on his shoulders, and the shoulders of all those who marched and sat and lifted their voices to help perfect our union, the president stated.

President Obama also reflected on a historic moment he shared with Rev. Shuttlesworth.

I will never forget having the opportunity several years ago to push Reverend Shuttlesworth in his wheelchair across the Edmund Pettus Bridge a symbol of the sacrifices that he and so many others made in the name of equality. America owes Reverend Shuttlesworth a debt of gratitude, and our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Sephira, and their family, friends and loved ones, Obama stated.

On Oct. 15, Shuttlesworths body will lie in repose from noon to 6 p.m. at the Bethel Baptist Church, where he served as pastor during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

A visitation will be held Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

On Oct. 17, funeral services will be held at Faith Chapel Christian Center at 10 a.m.

by Thelma Sardin

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