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Quick thread of limitless pride in my hometown hero, Fred Shuttlesworth, an absolute giant of a civil rights icon, activist and humanitarian whose name should be known by every American. #BMH
(Caveat: I could do a 9,000-part thread and still not do justice by Mr. Shuttlesworth's memory, so I'll focus on a few specific moments that will always be locked in my heart as an Alabamian.)
Mr. Shuttlesworth co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. King in 1957, vowing with their nonviolence pledge, "Not one hair of one head of one person should be harmed."
In contrast to his commitment to nonviolence, Mr. Shuttlesworth was often a victim of monstrous brutality, including several attempted murders by the KKK.
I don't fault anyone in the Civil Rights movement, then or now, for fearing for their safety and choosing to work behind the scenes. But Mr. Shuttlesworth was unwavering in his fearlessness, putting himself on the front lines and often shielding others.
Christmas 1956: the Klan placed 16 sticks of dynamite outside the Shuttlesworths' bedroom window. Narrowly escaping the blast, they found a smirking police officer outside who said, "If I were you I'd get out of town as quick as I could." Fred replied: "I wasn't raised to run."
In 1957, when attempting to enroll their children in what had been an all-white Birmingham school, Mr. Shuttlesworth and his wife, Ruby, were attacked by a white mob armed with bats, brass knuckles and chains. He was beaten mercilessly. She was stabbed.
Receiving no help from police or medical personnel, the Shuttlesworths drove themselves to the hospital after their attack and, despite all they'd endured, urged peace and forgiveness.
In 1961, when Freedom Riders were attacked and nearly killed outside Anniston, Ala., Mr. Shuttlesworth organized the convoy that rescued them. His resilience inspired activists across the U.S. and kept the beatings in Bham and Anniston from stopping the Freedom Rides' momentum.
Dr. King rightly gets the most credit for the accomplishments of the Civil Rights movement, but I firmly believe Mr. Shuttlesworth's tenacity and fearlessness were absolutely vital to the cause's success. The Birmingham I love today would not exist without Fred Shuttlesworth.
I'm proud to live in a city that honors Mr. Shuttlesworth's memory in the name of our airport, Birmingham's Shuttlesworth International, but more importantly I try to live by his example each day and remember how much he was willing to confront in the name of equality.
Many of us grew up under the myth that the promise of Civil Rights was achieved in the 1960s, but now we've all been awakened to how much is left to accomplish and how much hatred still rages in our own communities.
I hope we can all be even a fraction as fearless and unwavering in our commitment to equal justice as Mr. Shuttlesworth was every day of his life. He will always be my hero, and I hope you'll join me in ensuring future generations remember his name, his deeds and his legacy.
