At trial, Bevel denied committing the sexual act and his recorded statement was used against him. In the early 1960s, young Black college students conducted sit-ins around America to protest the segregation of restaurants. James Bevel: Well, it had a reputation equal to the Mississippi Birmingham had a reputation equal to the Mississippi Delta in terms of its brutalization of people. James Bevel. In 1966, Bevel chose Chicago as the site of SCLC's long-awaited Northern Campaign. He was known for being a Civil Rights Leader. Many of them died martyrs' deaths, just as King did. The four-day trial divided members of Bevel's large family, with relatives testifying for both the prosecutor and defense. She later, she asked me to recount a tale - some other woman who in new environment, what happened. Bevel and others were grieved and outraged. She was kind enough to join us here on our Washington studio. Movies. James L. Bevel, 71, a key architect of the 1963 Children's Crusade in Birmingham, Ala., and other pivotal moments of the civil rights movement, was convicted earlier this year of a single count of incest. Instead, Bevel mocked the notion of an apology. James E Bevel James Bevel . 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. [9] As the first march reached the end of the Edmund Pettus Bridge and passed out of the city, they were attacked by county police and Alabama State Troopers. Last week, Joanna Connors a reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer told us about how 20 years later being raped still made her feel powerless and ashamed. In the end, Nash served just 10 days in jail, sparing her from the . [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. He was recently released on bond while appealing a 15-year prison sentence. Come on down, stop on by. Bevel and others were grieved and outraged. The demonstration was spurred largely by the killing of a young protester by an Alabama state trooper. Bevel also was active in the anti-war movement and greatly influenced King, who Bevel encouraged to confront the Vietnam War more directly. MARTIN: How many siblings do you believe were abused by your father? James Bevel. This button displays the currently selected search type. The Institute cannot give permission to use or reproduce any of the writings, statements, or images of Martin Luther King, Jr. Considered Martin Luther King, Jr 's most influential colleague and . Mr. Bevel had been released from prison in November because he had pancreatic cancer. And I was always buffering between my father, I never let her be alone with him. 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. MARTIN: You wrote her a letter telling her what happen. And actually during the trial he came out of the court room and he had met my daughter. James L. Bevel, a prominent figure in the civil rights movement whose legacy was clouded by an incest conviction, has died, a relative said. Bevel spent weeks developing strategy, recruiting and educating students in the philosophy and techniques of nonviolence. I don't understand how parents violate their children in any way, realizing their children will grow up, and they're not going to forget. Legendary actor James Caan tragically passed away on July 6 at the age of 82. The victims hoped for an apology and some reconciliation, but Bevel mocked the notion of an apology. Ms. MILLS: And it's an hour and a half of him explaining his position. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. MARTIN: I think it's fair to say that you, your other siblings went through a very great deal. The chain of events and police violence that was captured on national television ultimately culminated in the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. . Mass demonstrations by students triggered a violent police response that brought national attention to Birmingham. One, their own stories, each of them being able to tell their stories to me and for us to share. Weeks of demonstrations and marches resulted in King, Ralph Abernathy, and Shuttlesworth being arrested and jailed. In 1961, Nash was arrested for "contributing to the delinquency of minors," because she led young people in the fight against segregation. And I would always tell her the things that he did to me and what he would say if he got a chance to do it to her. But before the Poor People's campaign occurred, King and the SCLC organizers traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, to organize a march in support of a sanitation strike after King's and James Lawson's first march had turned into a riot. It was later proven that a Ku Klux Klan chapter was responsible. Richard Boone and the Rev. In the melee, Jackson was shot in the stomach while defending his mother from an attack. That was very hard for me. Particularly by somebody who portrays himself as a freedom fighter, as a person who's fighting for human dignity. Ms. MILLS: It was actually, as in the article, I was actually watching a Oprah show and it was - the difference in this, was there was a little girl. A young man, he died a few days later. John Lewis, another King confidant who has been a Georgia congressman for more than 20 years, recalled in a memoir that at Spelman College in Atlanta, Mr. Bevel once declared himself a prophet and made his student disciples drink urine to signal their loyalty. And she was telling things that I experienced and that connected to me. [39] Bevel's attorney appealed the denial of the abatement motion to the Supreme Court of Virginia. [25], In 1989, Bevel and Abernathy organized the National Committee Against Religious Bigotry and Racism. After the verdict, Bevel claimed that the charges were part of a conspiracy to destroy his reputation, and said that he might appeal. And we try to stay on one side of what we think is right and good. Ms. MILLS: Right, because I always wrote letters. After leaving the SCLC the year prior, Bevel created the Making of the Man Clinic in 1970. He was a Black Civil rights activist and minister. A Baptist minister, Bevel was a leader in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, two of the stalwart organizations that led efforts in the 1960s to desegregate the South. He's been violent, mean and abusive, but he's always been honest.". And know that it could come back to them pretty harsh. Bevel was convicted of unlawful fornication; he was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined $50,000. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. whose influence spurred a pivotal event of the civil rights movement, the childrens crusade in Birmingham, Ala., but whose reputation was later marred by fringe political associations and a criminal conviction this year on incest charges involving a teenage daughter, died Friday in Springfield, Va. After years of failed attempts to draw the concern of family members, Mills pursued charges against her father, and in April, Bevel was convicted of incest. Court testimony revealed that accusation had stemmed from a family reunion during which several family members recalled having been molested by Mr. Bevel. Shortly after, Vespasian besieged Judea, taking them captive.". He suggested a march from Selma to . Nash would meet and marry James Bevel, a Minister as well as a Civil Rights Activist, in 1961. So, I really felt powerless. [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]. Ms. MILLS: I feel almost as if it's something I had to do. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The Rev. James Bevel Birthday and Date of Death. Civil rights activist Reverend James Luther Bevel was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, on October 19, 1936. Where did James Bevel die? YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. [13] King was initially reluctant, but agreed. She could not share it. Bevel suggested recruiting students in the campaign. Cypress Hall D, 466 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305-4146 NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Please c, ontact Intellectual Properties Management (IPM), the exclusive licensor of the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., Inc. at. A one-time top lieutenant to Martin Luther King Jr. was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for having sex more than a decade ago with his then-teenage daughter. Her husband, James Bevel, was a civil rights activist, too. This information, his behavior in now also part of history. Almost 1,000 students were arrested on the first day. This movement ended within a Summit Conference that included Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley. He studied at segregated schools in Mississippi and in Ohio. During the 1950s and 1960s hundreds of thousands Bevel passed away on December 19, 2008 at age 72. Menu. Ms. MILLS: There are eight girls. Bevel, Memo to King, 13 April 1964, MLKJP-GAMK. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. And the heat is intense. He served in the U.S. Bevel and Nash moved to Alabama in the spring of 1963 and played leading roles, along with Dorothy Cotton, Andrew Young, Bernard Lee, Fred Shuttlesworth, and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, in the campaign to desegregate Birmingham. James Luther Bevel was born on October 19, 1936, in the town of Itta Bena, Mississippi. Decades later, he also helped organize the Million Man March. And my sisters and my brothers also, you know, because my brothers were also stood behind us 100 percent and said, you know we have to do something. Ms. MILLS: Is he appealing? Nashville Student Movement (1960-61) and SNCC, Dispute with President John F. Kennedy and the March on Washington, Alabama Project and the Selma Voting Rights Movement (1965), Chicago Freedom Movement (1965-1966) and the Anti-Vietnam War Movement (1967), 1986 Summit proposal, and teaming up with Moon, and LaRouche (1980s and 1990s), Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 14:24, Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Presidency of John F. Kennedy Civil rights, Learn how and when to remove this template message, bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church, Martin Luther King Jr. assassination conspiracy theories, At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 19651968, was not the killer and that he had evidence that Ray was innocent, Franklin child prostitution ring allegations, National African American Leadership Summit, African American founding fathers of the United States, Faithful to my Father's Dream, Enoch Bevel, "Movement Revision Research Summary Regarding James Bevel", Thomas Ricks, NPR interview, October 4, 2022, "Civil Rights Leader Convicted of Incest", "James L. Bevel, 72, an Adviser to Dr. King, Is Dead", "Labor unions were key to march's success", "The Day The Pentagon Was Supposed To Lift Off Into Space", "Civil rights leader convicted of incest", LaRouche Connection Master List 1991-1995, "Allegations Pour In Against Civil Rights Leader Accused Of Incest", "Incest Verdict Is Bittersweet For Daughter Of Minister", "The Rev. 27th March 2019. ); and chairman of the Camden, New Jersey, County Economic Development Board. James D Bevel James Bevel . Tina Howard Bevel Expand search. After serving seven months he was freed awaiting an appeal; he died of pancreatic cancer in December 2008. Springfield, Virginia, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. [13] SCLC's remaining Board of Directors removed Bevel from his leadership positions in 1969. Bevel led this effort as the head of SCLCs Direct Action Department. 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 his trial, testimony indicated that Bevel considered it parents' duty to "sexually orient" their children. Bevel testified during Wednesday's hearing that he was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that has spread to his liver. [13], Actor and rapper Common portrays Bevel in the 2014 film Selma.[42]. He earned extensive . He and the others were arrested after they arrived in Jackson, Mississippi and tried to desegregate the waiting rooms in the bus terminal. They agreed to work until they had ended segregation, obtained voting rights, and ensured that all American children had a quality education. . A top lieutenant to Martin Luther King Jr. has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for incest. [20] Bevel was influential in gaining King's support for the anti-war movement,[13] and with King's agreeing to participate as a speaker Bevel agreed to lead the antiwar effort. James Bevel and James Orange spent April 4, 1968 at Clayburn Temple Church organizing young people. And my grandmother was also there, and I didn't want my grandmother to know. He worked on a cotton plantation for a time as a youth and later in a steel mill. He died on December 19, 2008 in Springfield, Virginia, USA. Crowned James VI of Scotland as a baby when his mother Mary Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate, he later also became James I of England in 1603 on the death his first cousin twice removed, Elizabeth I. Answer to: When did James Bevel die? All rights reserved. That didn't happen. In subsequent years Bevel continued his political activism. [17] Activists encountered severe violence at that time and retreated to regroup. Bob Fitch photography archive, Stanford University Libraries. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current . [35], During the trial, prosecutors presented key evidence: a 2005 police-sting telephone call recorded by the Leesburg police without Bevel's knowledge. James Bevel was the charismatic Southern Christian Leadership Conference field general who organized and led many of the actions of the Chicago Freedom Movement.Born in Mississippi in 1936, Bevel came to the civil rights movement after training to be a minister at the American Baptist Seminary and a brief stint in the Army.. Bevel first learned of the potential of non-violent direct action in . During the trial, Bevel's daughter testified that she was repeatedly molested by Bevel beginning when she was just 6 years old, culminating in sexual intercourse in 1993 or 1994 that formed the basis of the incest charge. . The Rev. The Rev. 2023 The HistoryMakers. During his four-day trial in 2008, the accusing daughter testified that she was repeatedly molested by him, beginning when she was six years old. She shares . Glosario de Geologia - Free ebook download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read book online for free. And I didn't say anything to them, mainly because they knew - because they had either witnessed it or I'd witness them doing behavior. SNCC had been conducting a Voting Rights Project (headed by Prathia Hall and Worth Long) since the early 1960s, meeting with violence in Alabama. When the winds from the East. 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. They would have two children. At the sentencing hearing, the victims said they were hoping that Bevel would apologize for his actions and seek forgiveness and reconciliation. Ms. MILLS: Well, I don't understand it. And it's something I had the support of so many people to do, up until 2004. MARTIN: I mean you were a very young girl when the abuse started. Bevel helped in the brainstorming for the March on Washington in 1963, and the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. James L. Bevel, a prominent figure in the civil rights movement whose legacy was clouded by an incest conviction has died, a relative said. Credited by Martin Luther King with initiating the Childrens Crusade during the, of 1963, James Bevel emerged as a civil rights leader from the ranks of the Nashville, Tennessee, student movement. [6] Bevel went to the children and asked them to prepare to take to the highways for a march on Washington, with the goal of questioning the President about his plans to end legal segregation in America. And then things I never understood as parents. Bevel was at King's side during many of the major campaigns of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and was at the Lorraine Motel at the time of King's . [8][9], Bevel soon became SCLC's Director of Direct Action and Director of Nonviolent Education to augment King's positions as SCLC's Chairman and spokesperson. At that time, prosecutors revealed at least four other daughters had made similar allegations against him. [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. 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. Screenshots are considered by the King Estate a violation of this notice. It contains an photo offset with an additional photo, coupled with a bio. In fact, while she was pregnant in 1962, Nash had to contend with the possibility of serving out a two-year prison sentence for giving civil rights training to local youth. 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 2008 Bevels legacy was tarnished when he was found guilty of having engaged in an incestuous relationship with a teenage daughter in the 1990s. Ms. MILLS: Her - the exact statement was that I spelled molest wrong. As a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and then as its Director of Direct Action and Nonviolent Education, Bevel initiated, strategized, and developed SCLC's three major successes of the era:[2][3] the 1963 Birmingham Children's Crusade,[4] the 1965 Selma voting rights movement, and the 1966 Chicago open housing movement. "I had really bad . The Likely Lads, as well as the television . Do you think that's what it was? Born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, James Luther Bevel grew up partly in Cleveland, Ohio. [23] Bevel continued to oppose the Poor People's Campaign, but served as its Director of Nonviolent Education. Civil rights activist Reverend James Luther Bevel was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, on October 19, 1936. THE DIGITAL REPOSITORY FOR THE BLACK EXPERIENCE. They also revealed that at least four other daughters Bevel had with various women have made similar allegations against him. During that 90-minute call, Bevel's daughter asked him why he had sex with her the one time in 1993, and she asked him why he wanted her to use a vaginal douche afterward. [18] Bevel and Nash did not attend, and instead watched Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech on television. This beautifully matted collector's photo presentation is a collage. I would not have been able to do that without my other sisters. Accuracy and availability may vary. 1997 at 38 years old. [6] Hearing of this plan, and in response to the city's violent treatment of the students, the Kennedy administration asked SCLC's leaders what they wanted in a comprehensive civil rights bill. 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. 'You dont like to work on anything that isnt your own idea,' King said, 'Bevel, I think you owe me one.'"[22]. King wanted to fill the jails with protesters, but it was becoming more difficult to find adults to march. Bevel moved to Chicago in 1965 to begin laying the groundwork for a nonviolent northern civil rights drive. Bevel fought to desegregate downtown Birmingham stores, prompting police to respond with fire hoses and attack dogs against peaceful protesters. Born 1927 and died 2001. After time in the military service, he became a minister. James Bevel, the Rev. Practices such as requiring payment of poll taxes and literacy tests administered in a discriminatory way by white officials maintained the exclusion of blacks from the political system in the 1960s. But he was also a child predator, who exploited the trust of his family by molesting his daughter Aaralyn Mills. Where the caravan camels roam. The street lights were turned off by Alabama State Troopers who attacked the protesters. Pancreatic cancer James Bevel/Cause of death Bevel died Friday in Virginia after a fight with pancreatic cancer, said a daughter, Chevara Orrin, who lives in Winston-Salem, N.C. "Everyone dies. That's a playboy talking to a prostitute," Bevel said on the witness stand shortly before he was sentenced. The Court of Appeals remanded the case to the trial court to determine whether there was good cause not to abate the conviction. [12] He was one of 17 children and grew up in rural LeFlore County of the Mississippi Delta and in Cleveland, Ohio. MARTIN: Your father's name is one that appears in many, many history books. 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. In 2005, Bevel was accused of incest by one of his daughters and abuse by three others. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. After bailing out, he began recruiting future Riders in Jackson, and set up a CORE office there. . Actions, most emphatically, did not distinguish King from his equally courageous colleagues, whose words, like his, were congruent with their lives. And when I got the confirmation from other siblings that it happened to them as well it was something I had to do. This was followed by a number of erratic-seeming episodes in his life. Ms. MILLS: Right. Anyone can read what you share. He was 72. And it's the beginning because we - and our next step is to really continue to work on, part of it is brainstorming of how do you protect children within the home. SNCC Chairman John Lewis and Amelia Boynton were both injured. In the melee, Jackson was shot in the stomach while defending his mother from an attack. But, you know, I was sad because I knew that he wouldn't be a grandfather. James Luther Bevel (October 19, 1936 - December 19, 2008) was a minister and leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in the United States.As a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and then as its Director of Direct Action and Nonviolent Education, Bevel initiated, strategized, and developed SCLC's three major successes of the era: the 1963 Birmingham Children's . This civil rights activist, minister, lyricist, and human rights advocate gained a national reputation for both his . Bevel died Friday in Virginia after . From previous discussions with King, and from work of American Friends Service Committee activist Bill Moyer, Bevel organized, and directed the Chicago open housing movement. My childhood was isolated in terms of - I wasn't isolated in terms of I couldn't interact with people outside, or I didn't go to school but in terms of my father's teachings. After King was assassinated, Bevel made a bizarre[a] claim that James Earl Ray was not the killer and that he had evidence that Ray was innocent. In 1993, two 10-year-old boys tortured and murdered the toddler after leading him away from a . James L. Bevel, an adviser to the Rev. He doesn't understand the whole dynamics of what's going on now. Mr. Bevel was Mr. LaRouches running mate in 1992, a time when Mr. LaRouche was serving time for fraud and tax evasion. MARTIN: Sounds like you would have made a hell of an organizer? Besides being a leader in the Children's Crusade in which police turned fire hoses and dogs on child protesters, Bevel was also an organizer at other civil rights movement events, including the 1965 march at Selma, Ala. 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. The U.S. Department of Justice had to step in and help end the protest on May 10. You can also ask. His contention that convicted assassin James Earl Ray was not guilty of Kings murder embarrassed many in the movement. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Ms. MILLS: I mean we have to look at a lot of aspects of life, in those parallels. He was 72. Though initially reluctant, Dr. King finally agreed. James Luther Bevel (born 1936) was a civil rights activist of the 1960s who aligned himself with Martin Luther King, Jr. James Luther Bevel was born in the farming community of Ittabena, Mississippi, on October 19, 1936.