Terri Sewell: “During this CBC Special Order hour, we're going to honor the life and legacy of Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth. And I rise…”

“During this CBC Special Order hour, we're going to honor the life and legacy of Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth. And I rise today to pay tribute to a great civil rights leader, Reverend Fred Lee Shuttlesworth, who passed away yesterday at the age of 89. Reverend Shuttlesworth was a passionate advocate for equal rights and a courageous Freedom Rider. He was one of the leaders of the civil rights movement in Birmingham, Alabama, and a cofounder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, SCLC. Martin Luther King considered Reverend Shuttlesworth the most courageous civil rights fighter in the South. Born in Mount Meigs, Alabama, on March 18, 1922, Reverend Shuttlesworth was raised in Birmingham, Alabama. Brought up by his tough-minded mother, Mrs. Alberta Robinson Shuttlesworth Webb, Reverend Shuttlesworth developed a very powerful personality that prepared him for his civil rights leadership in Alabama. Reverend Shuttlesworth was a bright student and graduated valedictorian of his class at Rosedale High School in 1940. Shuttlesworth was compassionate. He was captivating, both as a student, and then later as a minister. He was captivated by the Baptist denomination and felt called to the ministry. He graduated from Alabama State College--now known as Alabama State University--in 1952 and became the pastor of the historic First Baptist Church in Selma, Alabama.…”