Known for movies
Short Info
Died | April 17, 1990, Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
Spouse | Juanita Abernathy |
Fact | President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1968-1977). |
Ralph Abernathy was born in Linden, Alabama, on March 11, 1926. He was the second of three children born to Louis and Louise Abernathy. His father was a farmer and his mother was a domestic worker. Abernathy’s early education was in the local schools of Marengo County. He excelled in his studies and was active in sports and other extracurricular activities. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at Alabama State University.
Abernathy’s college career was interrupted by World War II. He served in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946. Upon his return to Alabama State, he resumed his studies and became active in the campus chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He also became friends with Martin Luther King, Jr., who was also a student at the university.
After graduating from college in 1950, Abernathy became a minister. He served as pastor of several churches in Alabama and Georgia. In 1955, he and King became co-pastors of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.
Abernathy was an active participant in the civil rights movement. He was arrested numerous times for his participation in protests and boycotts. In 1961, he helped organize the Freedom Rides, which were designed to challenge segregation in interstate travel. He also served as one of the organizers of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
In 1964, Abernathy was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a position he held until 1967. He continued to work closely with King during this time. In 1968, King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Abernathy took over as leader of the SCLC and helped to organize King’s funeral.
In 1969, Abernathy ran for Congress but was unsuccessful. He continued to work for civil rights and economic justice throughout his life. He died in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 17, 1990.
General Info
Full Name | Ralph Abernathy |
Died | April 17, 1990, Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
Profession | Minister, Activist |
Education | Alabama State University, Clark Atlanta University |
Nationality | American |
Family
Spouse | Juanita Abernathy |
Children | Ralph David Abernathy III, Donzaleigh Abernathy, Juandalynn R. Abernathy, Kwame Luthuli Abernathy, Ralph David Abernathy Jr. |
Parents | Louivery Bell Abernathy, W. L. Abernathy |
Social profile links
Quotes
# | Quote |
---|---|
1 | Christians should be ready for a change because Jesus was the greatest changer in history. |
2 | [about President Richard Nixon] He told us he was going to take crime out of the streets. He did. He took it into the damn White House. |
Facts
# | Fact |
---|---|
1 | Grandfather of Ralph David Abernathy IV. |
2 | Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 5-6. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999. |
3 | Father of Donzaleigh Abernathy, and Ralph Abernathy III. |
4 | President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1968-1977). |
Pictures
Movies
Self
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
11-22-63: The Day the Nation Cried | 1989 | TV Movie documentary | Himself (as Rev. Ralph Abernathy) |
Booknotes | 1989 | TV Series | Himself |
Eyes on the Prize | 1987 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
In Remembrance of Martin | 1986 | Documentary | Himself |
I Am Somebody | 1970 | Short documentary | Himself |
Panorama | 1969 | TV Series documentary | Himself - Leader, Poor Peoples' March |
Archive Footage
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
The Trials of Muhammad Ali | 2013 | Documentary | Himself |
Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed | 2004 | Documentary | Himself |
Our Friend, Martin | 1999 | Video | Himself - consoles Coretta King (uncredited) |
Mahalia Jackson: The Power and the Glory | 1997 | Himself | |
The Speeches of Malcolm X | 1997 | Video documentary | Himself - Leads March Into Montgomery, at Signing of Voting Rights Act |
George Wallace | 1997 | TV Movie | Himself - Behind King (uncredited) |
4 Little Girls | 1997 | Documentary | Himself - with Martin Luther King (uncredited) |
The Speeches of Robert F. Kennedy | 1995 | Video | Himself - Marches with King |
Malcolm X | 1992 | Himself - Behind King and Malcolm (uncredited) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia