[citation needed] During his speech to the crowd that day, Bevel called for a larger march in Washington D.C., a plan that evolved into the October 1967 March on the Pentagon. And I remember in school they talked about good touches and bad touches, but the difference was, I didn't trust the people in school. MARTIN: And you did try to tell your mother what was happening? Anyone can read what you share. The accuser was one of his daughters, who was 1315 years old at the time and lived with him. He was 72. He subsequently joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), serving as project director and becoming one of the most influential advisers to the SCLCs head, Martin Luther King, Jr. On Bevels recommendation, hundreds of youth were mobilized in 1963 in the childrens crusade to participate in peaceful antisegregation protests in downtown Birmingham, Ala. And the suns from the West. During his childhood years, he resided in both Itta Bena and in Cleveland, Ohio working as a plantation laborer in the . YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. His brother - and we were all present, either on the phone or live. She shares . She said Bevel's recent conviction does not detract from his work in the civil rights movement. The Institute cannot give permission to use or reproduce any of the writings, statements, or images of Martin Luther King, Jr. Almost 30 years on from his death, the story of James Bulger's murder is as shocking as ever.. And then also for us to go together, because we didn't grow up together. In 1992, he was vice presidential running mate to political extremist Lyndon LaRouche, who at the time was in a federal prison for a tax conviction. Bevel died Friday in Virginia after . Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. He is awaiting sentence now. The chain of events and police violence that was captured on national television ultimately culminated in the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The trial court found that abating the conviction would deny the victim the closure that she sought and denied the motion to abate. They could go to jail for this. Many of them died martyrs' deaths, just as King did. And that you know they're my children, because my son knows his grandfather and he knows Martin Luther King and you know very respectful of him. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Updates? James found out he had a gallbladder infection and needed emergency surgery. In the melee, Jackson was shot in the stomach while defending his mother from an attack. Copyright 2008 NPR. From the Helen L. Bevel Archives, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Bevel&oldid=1140934352, Statements by Rev. Bevel was born on October 19, 1936 in Itta Bena, Mississippi. Klan, a lot of Klan activity. [30] The commission was associated with conspiracy theorist Lyndon LaRouche, and sought to persuade the state legislature to reopen its two-year investigation into the Franklin child prostitution ring allegations. James L. Bevel is shown in a photoprovided by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. That was very hard for me. [7], Prior to his time with SCLC, Bevel worked in the Nashville Student Movement, which conducted the 1960 Nashville Lunch-Counter Sit-Ins, the 1961 Open Theater Movement, and recruited students to continue the 1961 Freedom Rides after they were attacked. You know, so it was just - it was like, why? Prosecutors opposed Bevel's release. This movement ended within a Summit Conference that included Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley. The duo wanted to be sure that young people knew how they could be most effective during protests because they had been blamed for strike-related violence previously. Updated: October 8, 2011 . Ms. MILLS: Well, I don't understand it. Springfield, Virginia, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. And actually during the trial he came out of the court room and he had met my daughter. It was under his leadership that the organization undertook most of their iconic campaigns including the Birmingham Children's Crusade in 1963, Selma voting rights movement in 1965, and the Chicago open housing . Her husband, James Bevel, was a civil rights activist, too. He died on December 19, 2008 in Springfield, Virginia, USA. . During the 1950s and 1960s hundreds of thousands He worked on a cotton plantation for a time as a youth and later in a steel mill. This rally was attended by tens of thousands of peace activists who followed the growing counterculture movement. James D Bevel James Bevel . Where was James Luther Bevel born and raised? This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. I mean, I remember being afraid of being taken from my home, you know that that was an option that I could be leaved and I would have to stay at a foster home, and I had these horrible images that foster homes would be worse. Yet when he died, disgraced after a conviction for incest in 2008 (the incident occurred in 1993, and Bevel said he was innocent), he was almost as unknown as he was in the 1960s. Do you think that's what it was? Bevel was convicted of unlawful fornication; he was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined $50,000. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Harold Middebrooks at Bailey's Tabernacle Church . THE DIGITAL REPOSITORY FOR THE BLACK EXPERIENCE. Actions, most emphatically, did not distinguish King from his equally courageous colleagues, whose words, like his, were congruent with their lives. He reminded SCLC's executive board and staff that evening that King had left "marching orders" that, if anything should happen to him, he intended for Abernathy to take his place as SCLC's Chairman. When the winds from the East. Do you see it that way? James I died on this day in 1625. In subsequent years Bevel continued his political activism. The national and international media covered the story, and photographs of the force used against schoolchildren generated public outrage against the city and its officials. In 1960, Bevel and other black students trained by Lawson, including John Lewis, Dianne Nash, Marion Barry, and Bernard Lafayette, organized sit-ins against segregated lunch counters. Mr. Bevel had been released from prison in November because he had pancreatic cancer. Bevel left SCLC after Kings death and became involved in the Republican Party and the 1995 Million Man March. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. What if that does happen? James Luther Bevel (October 19, 1936 December 19, 2008) was a minister and leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in the United States. What happened James Bevel? All photos and bio are bevel-cut and double matted under glass. The Rev. MARTIN: Your father's name is one that appears in many, many history books. In 2008 Bevels legacy was tarnished when he was found guilty of having engaged in an incestuous relationship with a teenage daughter in the 1990s. These quality collectors pieces are designed for visual appeal. As a girl she was repeated molested by her father the Reverend James Bevel, one of the most brilliant and daring strategists of the civil rights movement, an Icon. Im very proud to be the daughter of a man who contributed so much to the world through his civil rights work, one of his daughters, Chevarra Orrin, of Winston-Salem, N.C., told The Associated Press. And the sand in the glass is right. Naval Reserve in 1954 and 1955 before entering the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee. He served in the U.S. As the Chicago movement neared its conclusion A. J. Muste, David Dellinger, representatives of North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, and others asked Bevel to take over the directorship of the Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam. James Bevel would have been 72 years old at the time of death or 78 years old today. "I had really bad . For this purpose the blade is made to move in a long groove, made in the stock or handle, and fixed to it by a nut and screw, so that it will alter to suit any degree of obliquity required; and thus it . [40], In 1961, Bevel married activist Diane Nash after he completed his seminary studies. Thank you so much for speaking with us. And know that it could come back to them pretty harsh. Vivian and others, Bevel participated in the Nashville Sit-In Movement organized by Nash, whom he would later marry to desegregate the city's lunch counters. James L. Bevel, 71 . Who can they turn to? During what was later called the Birmingham Children's Crusade, President John F. Kennedy asked King to stop using children in the campaign. He is known for 4 Little Girls (1997), Eyes on the Prize (1987) and King in Chicago (2008). A top lieutenant to Martin Luther King Jr. has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for incest. By signing up, you'll get thousands of step-by-step solutions to your homework questions. Ms. MILLS: Right, because I always wrote letters. On May 2, 1963, children marched from the 16th Street Baptist Church, and 600 were arrested on that first day of demonstrations. But prosecutors said his illness should not temper his sentence. And as if it was a conspiracy against him. James E Bevel's bio. And my grandmother was also there, and I didn't want my grandmother to know. 2023 The HistoryMakers. Bevel feared that activists who were not committed to nonviolence were conductingdemonstration[s] for the sake of demonstrating,and that these tactics resulted inrioting and deaths.He advised,In order to off-set these trends, the non-violent must project and execute a program that will [allow] more Negroes to become convinced of the effectiveness of non-violence and the principles of it.Bevel further implored King to putthe whole non-violent staffon the Alabama project (Bevel, 13 April 1964). Decades later, he also helped organize the Million Man March. And we'll decide what to do as a family. [6] Bevel strategized the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches, which contributed to Congressional passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Shortly after, Vespasian besieged Judea, taking them captive.". Bevel and Nash helped lead the Freedom Rides in 1961 and married later that year. She is the daughter of James Bevel who was recently convicted of molesting her when she was a child. Bevel said that he had no interest in getting her pregnant. In 1962, Bevel was invited to meet in Atlanta with Martin Luther King Jr, a minister who was head of the SCLC. She is telling us her story of rape and recovery. Find out about civil rights leader James Bevel: Age, What he did before fame, his family life Fun facts: before fame, family life, popularity rankings, and more Translate (The completed march, which led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act, took place two weeks later.). So, I really felt powerless. Omissions? In March 1965, Mr. Bevel, a fiery orator, spoke at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in Selma, Ala., the starting point of a symbolic march to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where demonstrators had been beaten two days earlier a day remembered as Bloody Sunday in a first attempt to march to Montgomery to protest discriminatory voting practices. [15] Diane Nash, the Nashville Student Movement's chairman, urged the group to continue the Freedom Rides, and called for college volunteers from Fisk and other universities across the South. And we try to stay on one side of what we think is right and good. And we really wanted our father based on who he is and his own understanding to take that step to look at himself, to begin to if not challenge other men first by challenging himself. But it's this idea that he was teaching all his daughters to look at the evils in the world and within men whatever - whoever the man was, whether it's your father or the guy next door or your husband. I don't want to live that anymore. And he placed himself in the position of being the person who was going to save the world. MARTIN: Sounds like you would have made a hell of an organizer? [25], In 1989, Bevel and Abernathy organized the National Committee Against Religious Bigotry and Racism. They invited King and other SCLC leaders to Selma to develop larger protests and actions, and work alongside Bevel's and Nash's Alabama Project. James Luther Bevel was born on October 19, 1936, in the town of Itta Bena, Mississippi. He also worked on a cotton plantation and in a steel mill. James Bevel was one of the key strategists of the civil rights movement. Menu. He was tried in April 2008, convicted of incest, sentenced to 15 years in prison,[11] and fined $50,000. Don't think I thought about James Bevel until he died in 2008 at age 72. Eventually, the Freedom Riders reached their goal of New Orleans, Louisiana, generating nationwide coverage of the violence to maintain Jim Crow and white supremacy in the South.[16]. While in the Seminary, Bevel joined the Nashville chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), then led by the Reverend James Lawson. Mr. Bevel attended New Hope Church of Christ and was president of the Whitaker Cemetery Board. He worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Bevel, and was the Director of Direct Action, as well as the Director of Nonviolent Education of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. It's barbaric, but hey, it's home. At the turn of the 20th century, southern state legislatures had passed new constitutions and laws that effectively disenfranchised most blacks. In September 1963, a bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham killed four young girls attending Sunday School and damaged the church. I had no idea that it happened to anyone but me including my other sisters. MARTIN: If you are just joining us, I'm speaking with Aaralyn Mills. Three months after the March on Washington, Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson ascended to the Oval Office. That same year, Bevel and the other Nashville activists attended the founding meeting of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) at Shaw University. They also revealed that at least four other daughters Bevel had with various women have made similar allegations against him. Court testimony revealed that accusation had stemmed from a family reunion during which several family members recalled having been molested by Mr. Bevel. What if I do, we do remove my little sister from the environment and what if she decides to go back when she's 17 or 18 to see her dad, and he does the same thing and she gets wrapped up in his spell. American comedian and civil rights activist. Diane Nash is an acclaimed American civil rights activist. demonstration[s] for the sake of demonstrating. James L. Bevel, a prominent figure in the civil rights movement whose legacy was clouded by an incest conviction has died, a relative said. Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place. After a day of organizing workshops, the two men drove back to the Lorraine . That really made me feel not just powerless but that, what can you do? [39] Bevel's attorney appealed the denial of the abatement motion to the Supreme Court of Virginia. While in the Seminary, Bevel joined the Nashville chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), then led by the Reverend . This was financially backed by the Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon, which appeared to be trying to improve its controversial image by allying with such respected leaders. After the verdict, Bevel claimed that the charges were part of a conspiracy to destroy his reputation, and said that he might appeal. He was sentenced in October. Bevel was at Kings side during many of the major campaigns of the, (SCLC) and was at the Lorraine Motel at the time of Kings, Bevel feared that activists who were not committed to. But this was the meeting in which we called other members of the community, Bernard Layfette and Will Sanders and as well as relatives. James Bevel was born in Itta Bena, MS, in 1936. Credited by Martin Luther King with initiating the Children's Crusade during the Birmingham Campaign of 1963, James Bevel emerged as a civil rights leader from the ranks of the Nashville, Tennessee, student movement. The demonstration was spurred largely by the killing of a young protester by an Alabama state trooper. And when I got the confirmation from other siblings that it happened to them as well it was something I had to do. Particularly by somebody who portrays himself as a freedom fighter, as a person who's fighting for human dignity. It contains an photo offset with an additional photo, coupled with a bio. On February 16, 1965, Jimmie Lee Jackson, his mother, and grandfather took part in a nighttime march led by C. T. Vivian to protest the related jailing of activist James Orange in Marion, Alabama. Civil rights activist Reverend James Luther Bevel was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, on October 19, 1936. . [26][27] A year earlier, Bevel had denounced the deprogramming of a Moon follower and called for the protection of religious rights. Below you will read the earliest known testimony to the death of James the Just, brother of Jesus our Lord. MARTIN: What made you realized that it was wrong? His legacy in the civil rights movement was clouded when he was convicted in April by a Loudoun County, Va., judge for having sex more than a decade ago with one of his daughters, Aaralyn Mills, who was a teenager at the time. MARTIN: I mean you were a very young girl when the abuse started. He received an appeal bond on November 4, 2008, and was released from jail three days later, after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. James was 72 years old at the time of death. Where it's flat and immense. Organizers appealed to the federal court against an injunction by the state against marching in order to complete their planned march to the capital. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. whose influence spurred a pivotal event of the civil rights movement, the "children's crusade" in Birmingham, Ala . He appeared headed for a career as a pop music singer he had signed a contract with a record label when he felt called to the ministry and enrolled in the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, where he joined the local chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Later efforts in Mississippi developed as Freedom Summer in 1964, when extensive voter education and registration efforts took place. Obituary The Huntsville Times Huntsville, Alabama Sunday, November 15, 2009 James Bevel, 81, of New Hope, passed away Saturday, November 14, 2009. He joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. That it's supposed to be only for procreation, and you have to be forced to see that, just like you have to be forced to accept nonviolence by getting beaten. And I am wondering how it is that you and your siblings, you particularly, were able to do it. They agreed to continue until they had achieved these goals, and to ask for funding from the SCLC only if the group was involved in organizing a movement. Two years later, Bevel was a key figure in the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama's capital. MARTIN: One thing I want to point out is that one of the reasons that you decided to move forward with pressing charges is that there was a young woman in the house or a young girl in the house, with your father at the time your parents marriage had ended. In 1961, Nash was arrested for "contributing to the delinquency of minors," because she led young people in the fight against segregation. Almost 1,000 students were arrested on the first day. At the time, Bevel was living in Leesburg, Virginia, and working with LaRouche's group, whose international headquarters was a few blocks from Bevel's apartment. During this period Bevel joined with fellow seminarian John Lewis, Diane Nash from Fisk University, and Vanderbilts James Lawson in the Nashville movement to initiate a local sit-in campaign in early February 1960. She was kind enough to join us here on our Washington studio. Things we often feel we have to keep hidden. This information, his behavior in now also part of history. The Rev. Ms. MILLS: Yeah, that could be some, definitely can. King asked Bevel to refrain from recruiting students, and Bevel instead said that he would organize the children to march to Washington D.C. to meet with Kennedy about segregation, and King agreed. James Luther Bevel was born in the farming community of Ittabena, Mississippi, on October 19, 1936. So, it was my way of communicating to her. Although Bevel initially intended to pursue a recording career, he felt called to Christian ministry. How should we think about those two James Bevels? And he usually - he played the role of judge and jury in these meetings. At a family reunion, three other daughters had also alleged that Bevel sexually abused them. [36], On April 10, 2008, after a three-hour deliberation, the jury convicted Bevel of incest. James Bevel (1936-2008) James Bevel was one of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most trusted advisors during the American Civil Rights campaigns of the mid-20th century. You can also ask. Where it's flat and immense. He was 72. We have great country we live in that had slavery. Thank you so much for speaking with us. A young man, he died a few days later. One of the reasons you pressed charges and it was decided that you would press charges is it's the statute of limitations in Virginia which is where this acts took place allowed him to be prosecuted. She was prominently involved with integrating lunch counters through sit-ins, the Freedom Riders, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating . A young man, he died a few days later. 1997 at 38 years old. MARTIN: How many siblings do you believe were abused by your father? He was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1959 and went on to pastor the Chestnut Grove Baptist Church. He was 72. [38], Bevel's attorney requested that the Court of Appeals of Virginia abate the conviction on account of Bevel's death. [8][9] His last major action was as co-initiator of the 1995 Day of Atonement/Million Man March in Washington, D.C. For his work, Bevel has been called the strategist and architect of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement[10] and, with Dr. King, half of the first-tier team that formulated many of the strategies and actions to gain federal legislation and social changes during the 1960s civil rights era.[8][9]. Bevel died Friday in Vir Ms. MILLS: Yeah, it was - it was like intervention, but for my father it was a meeting, it was a, you know, you present your case, I'll present my case. While working on SNCC's commitment to desegregate theaters, Bevel successfully directed the 1961 Nashville Open Theater Movement. 27th March 2019. Ms. MILLS: Well, in that it was going to be in the news, the story the side of the - my side should be told. (In fact, by 1992, James Bevel was the vice-presidential candidate to LaRouche's presidential bid.) In the decades after King's death, Bevel aligned himself with fringe movements. The Rev. "Jim Bevel was Martin Luther King's most influential aide," civil rights historian David J. Garrow said. Bevel then called off plans for the children's march. [19] He worked to create tenant unions and build grassroots action to "end" slums. But first, we go behind Closed Doors, that's our weekly segment when we talk about painful issues. MARTIN: Have you spoken to your father since the trial? A wild man from Itta Bena, Mississippi, Taylor Branch called him in Parting the Waters, the first volume of his history of the civil rights movement, a self-described example of the legendary chicken-eating, liquor-drinking, woman-chasing Baptist preacher.. What is the name of Steve on minecraft's name. [18] Bevel and Nash did not attend, and instead watched Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech on television. [13] They were under an injunction by the state, so stayed within the city limits. He was looking at her and talking about her and, you know, being his jolly self, and I actually got really, really sad because I realized that, you know, I won't be able to experience him anymore. Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place. . And I realized that, one, that it wasn't just you know, one way to live. She would be arrested many times including spending 30 days in jail in South . James Bevel. No one wants the government in their home. After high school, he spent some time serving in the U. S. Navy. And I think, all of us were abused in some way or another. James Bevel was born on October 19, 1936 in Itta Bena, Mississippi, USA. We are not just, you know, one way all the time. Beloved actor and former college football star's cause of death. Judge Frank Johnson approved a public march. James Bevel died on December 19, 2008 in . The Rev. James Bevel was a leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Nonetheless, Dr. King relied on his counsel. After a stint in the services, Bevel was called to the ministry and enrolled in the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee. After the success of this action, and with the aid of SCLC's Ella Baker, activist students from Nashville and across the South developed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Bevel married four times. Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305. Four other daughters make allegationsProsecutors estimated that Bevel, who is eligibile for parole, would serve no more than five years if he were to live that long. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy for a time and pursued a career as a singer. I don't want to relive any of that. What is love He went on to plan some of the movement's major . [23] Bevel continued to oppose the Poor People's Campaign, but served as its Director of Nonviolent Education. He's been violent, mean and abusive, but he's always been honest.". Bevel led this effort as the head of SCLCs Direct Action Department. He helped plan the 1963 March on Washington and the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965. After buses and riders were severely attacked, including a firebombing of a bus and beatings with police complicity in Birmingham, Alabama, CORE suspended the rides. In the 1960s, James Bevel was appointed the leader of the civil rights group known as Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Bevel also was active in the anti-war movement and greatly influenced King, who Bevel encouraged to confront the Vietnam War more directly. Mr. Bevel retired in 1993 after a career in the farm equipment industry that. MARTIN: So in his world, he decides what true and not true. He was 72. Corrections? Mass demonstrations by students triggered a violent police response that brought national attention to Birmingham. But in April, a jury convicted Bevel of incest for having sex more than a decade ago with a then-teenage daughter. He was recently released on bond while appealing a 15-year prison sentence. Bevel selected the student teams for the buses. Freedom's Ring: King's "I Have a Dream" Speech, King holds press conference on opening day of Youth Leadership Conference at Shaw University, King addresses Youth Leadership Conference in Raleigh. Cypress Hall D, 466 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305-4146 He helped with initiating and directing the 1961 and 1962 voting rights movement in Mississippi. He also rallied young people in the city to get involved in civil rights demonstrations -- something King and other advisers objected to. [14], The Open Theater Movement, led by Bevel, had success in Nashville, the only city in the country where SCLC activists had organized such an action. He was convicted earlier this year of having sex 15 years ago with his then-teenage daughter in Virginia. Bevel went on to become national director of the Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam in 1967 and, the following year, joined King in the effort to win the Memphis sanitation workers strike. When Bevel died in December 2008, he had served a few months of a 15-year sentence. How many of your sisters? In 1963, Bevel took on a new role as the SCLC's director of Direct Action and Non-violent Education. That was our hope, but he wasn't ready to look at himself. Bevel served several months of his 15-year sentence before he was released in November on bond while appealing. Where the caravan camels roam. In late 1963 Bevel, Nash, and Orange also worked with local grassroots organizations to educate blacks and support them in trying to gain registration as voters, but made little progress. MARTIN: How did you become aware that this was wrong? That protest gained worldwide attention and it made its mark by telling the world that equality is for everyone.
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