Remembering the Legacy of Civil Rights Icon Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth

The Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, one of our nation’s most revered civil rights heroes, died this week at 89 in Birmingham, Ala. Shuttlesworth was a leading activist in the fight against segregation and racism in the South during the Jim Crow era. Together with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, Shuttlesworth also helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Civil rights communities and advocates across the nation are mourning the loss of one of the movement’s  most inspiring leaders. Below are a few remembrances from civil rights leaders:

“Fred Shuttlesworth was as important as anyone in American History. It would not have been a Civil Rights Movement had it not been for Fred Shuttlesworth. Others got the credit, but he did the work. We must stand with his family at this time and make sure history records the name of Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth forever.”
–Reverend Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network

“He was a dear friend of mine, and a crusader who mobilized thousands to get involved in the fight for equality. Nothing could stop him in his campaign for justice; not fire hoses or death threats. He will truly be missed by those who knew him and by those who continue to look to him for inspiration.”
–Myrlie Evers-Williams, NAACP chairman emeritus

“Today, we lost a true pillar of the civil rights community. During the civil rights era, Rev. Shuttlesworth fearlessly confronted all manners of segregation. His leadership during that time was critical in helping knock down the barriers to equality.”
–Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP

“When others did not have the courage to stand up, speak up and speak out, Fred Shuttlesworth put all he had on the line to end segregation in Birmingham and the state of Alabama.”
-U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D. Ga.

“When God made Bull Connor, one of the real negative forces in this country, he was sure to make Fred Shuttlesworth.”
–Rev. Joseph Lowery

“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.”
–President Obama