Comments on: "I tried to get killed in Birmingham and go home to God because I knew it would be better for you in Birmingham"

"I tried to get killed in Birmingham and go home to God because I knew it would be better for you in Birmingham"

ndfine — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:37:15 -0800

Civil Rights leader Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth passed away this morning at the age of 89.

Reverend Shuttlesworth was a founding member and original officer of the SCLC and was generally considered as one of the "Big Three" leaders of the Civil Rights movement along with Dr. King and Ralph David Abernathy. Beaten and bombed during his efforts for change, the Reverend acted as a leader against the prevailing segregationist status quo in Birmingham including a joint effort of direct resistance by his own organization, the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights and the SCLC in 1963. This resistance effort is responsible for the infamous photos of protesters being attacked by police as well as Dr. King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." In 2008, the Birmingham Airport Authority voted to honor Reverend Shuttlesworth by changing the name of the airport to the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.

By: Capt. Renault

Capt. Renault — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:42:40 -0800

Godspeed, sir.

By: Renoroc

Renoroc — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:59:18 -0800

By: lord_wolf

lord_wolf — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:01:20 -0800

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:02:30 -0800

There's fearlessness, and then there's FEARLESSNESS. Shuttlesworth's bravery in the face of racist violence was astonishing. "I will kill segregation, or segregation will kill me," Shuttlesworth declared, and he meant it. And he won. Thank you for your courage, Rev. Shuttlesworth. You were a hero. I'm honored to have had the opportunity to shake your hand. I don't believe in an afterlife, but if I'm wrong, then I'm confident you won't be in hell, because you've already been through Birmingham. .

By: easily confused

easily confused — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:06:15 -0800

By: joe lisboa

joe lisboa — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:14:21 -0800

By: DreamerFi

DreamerFi — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:17:17 -0800

By: Pirx is my co-pilot

Pirx is my co-pilot — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:37:54 -0800

By: pupdog

pupdog — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:38:06 -0800

By: saulgoodman

saulgoodman — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:42:24 -0800

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:54:05 -0800

By: zarq

zarq — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:03:31 -0800

By: wuwei

wuwei — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:05:18 -0800

By: cashman

cashman — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:18:38 -0800

By: Iridic

Iridic — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:45:05 -0800

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:00:43 -0800

By: parmanparman

parmanparman — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:11:35 -0800

By: aught

aught — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:17:50 -0800

By: mudpuppie

mudpuppie — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:19:23 -0800

. FWIW, I've been reading The Warmth of Other Suns. It's ultimately about the great migration north, but it has some really captivating (and infuriating) first-person accounts of life in the Jim Crow South. It's also very well-written. I'd recommend it on any other day, but it seems especially appropriate to do so today. We obviously have a long ways to go, but it's important to realize how far we've come thanks to folks like Reverend Shuttlesworth.

By: ahimsakid

ahimsakid — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:29:07 -0800

By: cookie-k

cookie-k — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:30:04 -0800

By: magstheaxe

magstheaxe — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:33:49 -0800

Thank you, sir. I am here today because of you. .

By: wayward vagabond

wayward vagabond — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:34:35 -0800

By: 4ster

4ster — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:42:41 -0800

By: boubelium

boubelium — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:36:53 -0800

By: penduluum

penduluum — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:49:46 -0800

Rest in peace, Rev. Shuttlesworth.

By: Mittenz

Mittenz — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:31:14 -0800

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:02:02 -0800

By: mediareport

mediareport — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:21:22 -0800

By: kuppajava

kuppajava — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:27:55 -0800

He inspired us all to be better human beings. .

By: Miko

Miko — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:32:03 -0800