Fred Shuttlesworth

From about 1948 to 1964, there were at least 80 unsolved bombings of black churches, homes and businesses in Birmingham, Ala. Segregationists targeted the black community so frequently that the city was nicknamed Bombingham. When others were terrified to stand up and speak out, Fred Shuttlesworth, who died Oct. 5 at 89, put his body on the line to end segregation in Birmingham and the state of Alabama. He was fearless. Shuttlesworth was beaten with chains, his home and church were bombed, and he lived under constant threat of violence and murder. But he never, ever lost faith in the power of love to overcome hate. He was doggedly determined on the one hand but a modest, gentle spirit on the other. He never tried to shine. He just wanted to make a difference. And he did. The Birmingham movement was so effective, Shuttlesworth once commented, that we made a steer out of commissioner of public safety Eugene “Bull” Connor, our prime adversary. Shuttlesworth must be looked upon as one of the founders of the new America. Through his courage and sacrifice, he helped liberate not just a people but an entire nation from the burden of hate.

Lewis is the U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 5th Congressional District