Fred Shuttlesworth

Fred Shuttlesworth ( born March 18, 1922 in Mount Meigs, Montgomery County, Alabama, as Freddie Lee Robinson, † October 5, 2011 Birmingham ( Alabama)) was a Baptist minister and civil rights activist, located in Birmingham ( Alabama) against any form of racism began.

Life

Fred Shuttlesworth, since 1953 pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church was, together with Martin Luther King in 1957 one of the founders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and worked with a leading role in the Freedom Rides in 1961. Even after 1961 pastor in Cincinnati, Ohio, was, he stayed at the Birmingham campaign, and many other civil rights activities, such as the marches from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 involved. Later, his special use of the overcoming of homelessness was. After his retirement in 2007, he returned to Birmingham back.

Shuttlesworth was portrayed in the miniseries King. In addition, in 2008, the Birmingham Airport was named after him. He was honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2001, the second highest civilian award of the USA.