Last January 14th, marked Julian Bond's 83er birthday, and I would like to remind everyone why was is so important that we remember.
Julian Bond was a civil rights activist and a leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and a pioneering figure in the Black Power Movement. Most notably, Bond was the first African American to be elected to the Georgia House of Representatives. He served in the Georgia legislature continuously from 1965 to 1975 and again from 1983 to 1987. As an activist, Bond worked to advance civil rights, combat racism, and reduce poverty. He also championed the causes of women's rights and LGBT rights. His activism included participation in protests and sit-ins and speeches for civil rights organizations. He was a major force in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and he joined the NAACP as its first president in 1975. Bond was also an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War, and he was a leader in the battle to preserve affirmative action. At the time of his death in 2015, Bond was lauded by President Barack Obama as a “hero.”
Julian Bond (1940-2015)