Civil rights activist James Bevel dies at age 72

[The Straight Story]

Civil rights activist James Bevel dies at age 72


Published Saturday, December 20, 2008


The Rev. James L. Bevel, a civil rights activist who helped organize movements such as the 1965 Selma Voting Rights Movement has died. He was 72-years-old.

Bevel died Friday in Virginia after a fight with pancreatic cancer, said a daughter, Chevara Orrin, who lives in Winston-Salem, N. C.

Selma attorney Collins Pettaway met Bevel in the 1980s. The two often discussed their shared Christian faith. Pettaway said Bevel was one of the most important figures in the Civil Rights Movement.

“If it were not for James Bevel, the Selma to Montgomery March on Bloody Sunday might not have happened.”

http://www.selmatimesjournal.com/news/2008/dec/20/civil-rights-activist-james-bevel-dies-age-72/