[19] He worked to create tenant unions and build grassroots action to "end" slums. His contention that convicted assassin James Earl Ray was not guilty of Kings murder embarrassed many in the movement. At the sentencing hearing, the victims said they were hoping that Bevel would apologize for his actions and seek forgiveness and reconciliation. I don't want to live that anymore. Bevel, Memo to King, 13 April 1964, MLKJP-GAMK. James Bevel was born on October 19, 1936 and died on December 19, 2008. He also rallied young people in the city to get involved in civil rights demonstrations -- something King and other advisers objected to. And the sand in the glass is right. But he was also a child predator, who exploited the trust of his family by molesting his daughter Aaralyn Mills. He was 72. Bevel also worked behind the scenes on the Chicago open housing movement in 1966; the anti-Vietnam War movement in 1967; the Memphis sanitation workers strike; and the Poor People's Campaign in 1968. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Three months after the March on Washington, Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson ascended to the Oval Office. James found out he had a gallbladder infection and needed emergency surgery. Bevel said that he had no interest in getting her pregnant. You know, so it was just - it was like, why? The Likely Lads, as well as the television . How old was James Bevel when he died? He passed away on 19 December 2008 from pancreatic cancer. James L. Bevel is shown in a photoprovided by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Find out about civil rights leader James Bevel: Age, What he did before fame, his family life Fun facts: before fame, family life, popularity rankings, and more Translate After the success of this action, and with the aid of SCLC's Ella Baker, activist students from Nashville and across the South developed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Bevel spent weeks developing strategy, recruiting and educating students in the philosophy and techniques of nonviolence. Although Bevel initially intended to pursue a recording career, he felt called to Christian ministry. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. They buried him on the spot by the temple and his gravestone is still there by the temple (in c. 160). At that time, prosecutors revealed at least four other daughters had made similar allegations against him. During the 1950s and 1960s hundreds of thousands Because the executor of Bevel's estate had not sought to prosecute the appeal, the Court affirmed the dismissal of his appeal as moot. This rally was attended by tens of thousands of peace activists who followed the growing counterculture movement. After Crystal was taken to the hospital and treated for injuries, she spoke to the police. Bevel died Friday in Vir During his childhood years, he resided in both Itta Bena and in Cleveland, Ohio working as a plantation laborer in the . MARTIN: One thing I want to point out is that one of the reasons that you decided to move forward with pressing charges is that there was a young woman in the house or a young girl in the house, with your father at the time your parents marriage had ended. But in April, a jury convicted Bevel of incest for having sex more than a decade ago with a then-teenage daughter. 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. All photos and bio are bevel-cut and double matted under glass. "My hope was for him to apologize in a Christian way, to repent. The victims hoped for an apology and some reconciliation, but Bevel mocked the notion of an apology. And that was the pretty much the catalyst for my understanding that maybe it's not just me that's feels uncomfortable, maybe this is wrong. He was sentenced in October. James Luther Bevel (October 19, 1936 December 19, 2008) was a minister and leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The Court of Appeals affirmed this judgment. Mr. Bevel attended New Hope Church of Christ and was president of the Whitaker Cemetery Board. 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. Eventually, the Freedom Riders reached their goal of New Orleans, Louisiana, generating nationwide coverage of the violence to maintain Jim Crow and white supremacy in the South.[16]. 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. In March 1965 protesters made a symbolic march, inspired by a fiery speech by Bevel at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church, where much organizing was done. MARTIN: What made you realized that it was wrong? After serving seven months he was freed awaiting an appeal; he died of pancreatic cancer in December 2008. Many of them died martyrs' deaths, just as King did. You had moved on with your life, but there was another young girl, another child he had had through a subsequent marriage. Come on down, stop on by. Bevel also read several of Mohandas Gandhi's books and newspapers while taking off-campus workshops on Gandhi's philosophy and nonviolent techniques taught by James Lawson of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. From the Helen L. Bevel Archives, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Bevel&oldid=1140934352, Statements by Rev. On Saturday, she told The Associated Press she's still processing her "very complicated" feelings about his death. Corrections? [7], Prior to his time with SCLC, Bevel worked in the Nashville Student Movement, which conducted the 1960 Nashville Lunch-Counter Sit-Ins, the 1961 Open Theater Movement, and recruited students to continue the 1961 Freedom Rides after they were attacked. In 1968, Mr. Bevel was at the Memphis motel where Dr. King was assassinated, and in a bizarre post-mortem, he claimed that the man who was arrested for (and later convicted of) the shooting, James Earl Ray, was not the killer and that he had evidence which he declined to reveal that Mr. Ray was innocent. But first, we go behind Closed Doors, that's our weekly segment when we talk about painful issues. He was 58 years old and the first monarch to unite the crowns of Scotland and England. The accuser was one of his daughters, who was 1315 years old at the time and lived with him. They were led to an 18-year-old Robert Bever and his 16-year-old brother, Michael. King wanted to fill the jails with protesters, but it was becoming more difficult to find adults to march. James Luther Bevel (October 19, 1936 December 19, 2008) was a minister and leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in the United States. All rights reserved. Bevel also served as pastor and adviser to Chicago's Council of Mothers; the West Side Baptist Minister's Conference; WorkShip Coalition; and the Nation of Islam. [12] He was one of 17 children and grew up in rural LeFlore County of the Mississippi Delta and in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1967, Bevel was chairman of the Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam. In Birmingham when Dr. Martin Luther King was jailed, Bevel organized what became known as the Children's Crusade and faced Police Commissioner Bull Connor's fire hoses and police dogs. On December 19, 2008, at the age of 72, he died of pancreatic cancer in Springfield, Virginia. Ms. MILLS: There are eight girls. Movies. When Bevel died in December 2008, he had served a few months of a 15-year sentence. 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. Bob Fitch photography archive, Stanford University Libraries. Bevel would not reveal the evidence, and Ray was convicted of the crime. For this purpose the blade is made to move in a long groove, made in the stock or handle, and fixed to it by a nut and screw, so that it will alter to suit any degree of obliquity required; and thus it . 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. In 1966, Bevel chose Chicago as the site of SCLC's long-awaited Northern Campaign. Another daughter, Sherilynn Bevel, confirmed the death, The Washington Post reported. [13] Six weeks later he died of cancer, at the age of 72, in Springfield, Virginia. The street lights were turned off by Alabama State Troopers who attacked the protesters. But prosecutors said his illness should not temper his sentence. Eventually Bevel and his colleagues won a hard-fought, nonviolent victory; soon after, as chairman of the Nashville student movement, Bevel participated in Freedom Rides to desegregate interstate travel and public accommodations throughout the South. How should we think about those two James Bevels? James Drury -- the star of the Western series, "The Virginian" -- has died. This beautifully matted collector's photo presentation is a collage. 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. Bevel was later instrumental in organizing the historic march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., an event that was credited with helping to usher in the Voting Rights Act (1965). And my little sister who had a more recent experience in Chicago, she could have, but she could not talk. She was kind enough to join us here on our Washington studio. [26][27] A year earlier, Bevel had denounced the deprogramming of a Moon follower and called for the protection of religious rights. MARTIN: I think it's fair to say that you, your other siblings went through a very great deal. Decades later, he also helped organize the Million Man March. We didn't know each other really, and we were just getting to know each other, but I didn't know how difficult it would be. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. In September 1963, a bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham killed four young girls attending Sunday School and damaged the church. How much you describe it? Doctors estimate he has only six weeks to six months to live. All photos and bio are bevel-cut and double matted under glass. The national and international media covered the story, and photographs of the force used against schoolchildren generated public outrage against the city and its officials. Ms. MILLS: Right, because I always wrote letters. Almost 1,000 students were arrested on the first day. Lafayette and his wife, Colia Lidell, also opened an SNCC project in Selma, Alabama, to assist the work of local organizers such as Amelia Boynton. MARTIN: We were corresponding about your coming on the program because I had to be honest, I was hesitant to contact you because I was worried that you would see it as an intrusion or as a burden to talk about something so painful, again. Ms. MILLS: I mean we have to look at a lot of aspects of life, in those parallels. 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. "Saying 'I'm sorry' is a game we play. In the melee, Jackson was shot in the stomach while defending his mother from an attack. Find James Bevel phone, address, facebook, insatgram, twitter and email on OurBiography, the leading online directory. Originally planned as a rally in Central Park, the United Nations Anti-Vietnam War March became the largest demonstration in American history to that date. James Bevel and James Orange spent April 4, 1968 at Clayburn Temple Church organizing young people. The "Children's Crusade," as the movement led by Bevel came to be known, turned the media tide in the favor of the desegregationists. Did you always know that it was wrong? Bevel was at Kings side during many of the major campaigns of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and was at the Lorraine Motel at the time of Kings assassination in 1968. He became a true witness to both Jews and Gentiles that Jesus is the Christ. 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. 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. The demonstration was spurred largely by the killing of a young protester by an Alabama state trooper. One of the things that I was hoping for and some of my siblings were hoping for when we started this process with my father was that we could start to understand it. He was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1959 and went on to pastor the Chestnut Grove Baptist Church. [12], In 1960, along with James Lawson's and Myles Horton's students Bernard Lafayette, John Lewis, Diane Nash, C.T. It was known for its Bull Connor, its police department, its violation and bombing, and denigrating black people and it was very resistant city. He had stints in the Navy and graduated in 1961 from Nashville's American Baptist Theological Seminary. [5] Together the groups became collectively known as the Selma Voting Rights Movement, with James Bevel as its director. And what really helped me was the fact that I had such a support system. He entered the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville in 1957; he graduated and was ordained in 1961. James Bevel. He is awaiting sentence now. MARTIN: I mean you were a very young girl when the abuse started. He was 72. The assault occurred in the early 1990s in Loudoun County, when Bevel was working closely with the Virginia-based organization led by political extremist Lyndon LaRouche. James Bevel was born on October 19, 1936 in Itta Bena, Mississippi, USA. Bevel also served as pastor and adviser to Chicago's Council of Mothers; the West Side Baptist Minister's Conference; WorkShip Coalition; and the Nation of Islam. Ms. MILLS: I feel almost as if it's something I had to do. He subsequently joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), serving as project director and becoming one of the most influential advisers to the SCLCs head, Martin Luther King, Jr. On Bevels recommendation, hundreds of youth were mobilized in 1963 in the childrens crusade to participate in peaceful antisegregation protests in downtown Birmingham, Ala. SNCC Chairman John Lewis and Amelia Boynton were both injured. At trial, Bevel denied committing the sexual act and his recorded statement was used against him. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He served in the U.S. In 1961, Nash was arrested for "contributing to the delinquency of minors," because she led young people in the fight against segregation. [13] King was initially reluctant, but agreed. Bevel was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, on 19 October 1936. Springfield, Virginia, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. Bevel died Friday in Virginia after . Susan Jameson, a highly important and quite distinct person, is happily married to James Bolam. [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. Bevel suggested recruiting students in the campaign. [17] Activists encountered severe violence at that time and retreated to regroup. Beating death of James the Just (Brother of Jesus) "Such was his martyrdom. In case of Aaralyn Mills, it was all three. James Bevel, 1936-2008. And we'll decide what to do as a family. And the heat is intense. [36], On April 10, 2008, after a three-hour deliberation, the jury convicted Bevel of incest. Updated: November 11, 2011 . 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. He is known for 4 Little Girls (1997), Eyes on the Prize (1987) and King in Chicago (2008). And we try to stay on one side of what we think is right and good. 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 . 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. Where it's flat and immense. How many of your sisters? Kennedy's staff, who already were drafted one, came to an agreement on its contents with SCLC's leadership. And it's something I had the support of so many people to do, up until 2004. 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. Aaralyn Mills, good luck to you. He was 85. Nonetheless, Dr. King relied on his counsel. MARTIN: Some people would call it intervention. That was very hard for me. Copyright 2008 NPR. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. . In 1992, Bevel ran for vice president on a ticket with Lyndon LaRouche. The Rev. 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. Bevel served several months of his 15-year sentence before he was released in November on bond while appealing. Particularly my - one of my - little sister, not the youngest one that was in the household, but particularly her because I had, I had sought to protect to her. James L. Bevel, 71 . They agreed to work until they had ended segregation, obtained voting rights, and ensured that all American children had a quality education. [37] On October 15, 2008, the judge sentenced him, based on the jury's recommendation, to 15 years in prison and fined him $50,000. At a family reunion, three other daughters had also alleged that Bevel sexually abused them. Four other daughters make allegationsProsecutors estimated that Bevel, who is eligibile for parole, would serve no more than five years if he were to live that long. She was not able to deal with it. Thank you so much for speaking with us. [38], Bevel's attorney requested that the Court of Appeals of Virginia abate the conviction on account of Bevel's death. His pressure paid off, and at the May 1964 executive staff meeting King recommended that SCLC increase its presence in Alabama. And we have to find a way, because they exist. All rights reserved (About Us). YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Bevel feared that activists who were not committed to nonviolence were conductingdemonstration[s] for the sake of demonstrating,and that these tactics resulted inrioting and deaths.He advised,In order to off-set these trends, the non-violent must project and execute a program that will [allow] more Negroes to become convinced of the effectiveness of non-violence and the principles of it.Bevel further implored King to putthe whole non-violent staffon the Alabama project (Bevel, 13 April 1964). People Photos Purpose. On May 2, 1963, children marched from the 16th Street Baptist Church, and 600 were arrested on that first day of demonstrations. Primarily known for his role as tough guy Sonny . He unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1984, served as Lyndon LaRouches running mate in the 1992 U.S. presidential election, and helped organize the Million Man March in 1995. Obituary The Huntsville Times Huntsville, Alabama Sunday, November 15, 2009 James Bevel, 81, of New Hope, passed away Saturday, November 14, 2009. "Dr. King could not have done the things he did unless he had a James Bevel." ---- Ralph David Abernathy "He was a great philosopher, an unbelievable philosopher." Bevel testified during Wednesday's hearing that he was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that has spread to his liver. The Movement began to stage regular marches to the county courthouse, which had limited hours for blacks to register as voters. "Jim Bevel was Martin Luther King's most influential aide," civil rights historian David J. Garrow said. It must have been even more painful to tell. What happened James Bevel? His brother - and we were all present, either on the phone or live. Bevel moved to Chicago in 1965 to begin laying the groundwork for a nonviolent northern civil rights drive. They worked together on civil rights, and had a daughter and son together. In his home state, Bevel created the SCLC Mississippi Project for voting rights in 1962. He put this barrier between us and the world. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. James Luther Bevel (October 19, 1936 - December 19, 2008) was a leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement who, as the Director of Direct Action and Director of Nonviolent Education of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), i . They would have two children. In 1962 Bevel left SNCC to become Mississippi field secretary for SCLC. Updates? [15] Diane Nash, the Nashville Student Movement's chairman, urged the group to continue the Freedom Rides, and called for college volunteers from Fisk and other universities across the South. LaRouche, characterized as a perennial candidate, was serving a prison sentence for mail fraud and tax evasion. Updated: October 8, 2011 . 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. Hoping for him 'to repent'Bevel's daughter, Aaralyn Mills, testified about the conflicting feelings she has had as she pursued the case against her father, a man that she said she still loves and respects in many aspects. He went on to plan some of the movement's major . 2023 The HistoryMakers. Historian Taylor Branch quotes King in At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 19651968 (2006) as saying that "Andrew Young had given in to doubt, Bevel to brains, and Jackson to ambition", and said that the movement had made them and now they were using the movement to promote themselves. Bevel had hoped for probation so he could enter hospice care. Brother of Jesus Christ. Nash would meet and marry James Bevel, a Minister as well as a Civil Rights Activist, in 1961. Cypress Hall D, 466 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305-4146 Memorialize James's life with photos and stories about him and the Bevel family history and genealogy. And unfortunately not all of us are able to see the abuse even things that are obvious. James D Bevel's bio. I wrote her I love you letters, and you know, this was my day letters. This button displays the currently selected search type. Particularly by somebody who portrays himself as a freedom fighter, as a person who's fighting for human dignity. On February 16, 1965, Jimmie Lee Jackson, his mother, and grandfather took part in a nighttime march led by C. T. Vivian to protest the related jailing of activist James Orange in Marion, Alabama. Almost 30 years on from his death, the story of James Bulger's murder is as shocking as ever.. The large group were bludgeoned and tear-gassed in what became known as "Bloody Sunday". So, I didn't feel that it was wrong. Do you think that's what it was? What was the location of death? Screenshots are considered by the King Estate a violation of this notice. We are not just, you know, one way all the time. [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. James Luther Bevel, (born Oct. 19, 1936, Itta Bena, Miss., U.S.died Dec. 19, 2008, Springfield, Va.), American minister and political activist who played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement in the early 1960s. You can also ask. He was 72. James Luther Bevel, (born Oct. 19, 1936, Itta Bena, Miss., U.S.died Dec. 19, 2008, Springfield, Va.), American minister and political activist who played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement in the early 1960s. Ms. MILLS: Well, in that it was going to be in the news, the story the side of the - my side should be told. 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. Bevel then called off plans for the children's march. Where the caravan camels roam. He earned extensive . 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. James L. Bevel, an adviser to the Rev. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. As a girl she was repeated molested by her father the Reverend James Bevel, one of the most brilliant and daring strategists of the civil rights movement, an Icon. Bevel led this effort as the head of SCLCs Direct Action Department. The Institute cannot give permission to use or reproduce any of the writings, statements, or images of Martin Luther King, Jr. Far from be-ing "secondary," King's popular essays and incandes-cent oratory made him unique. Orrin, who said she did not testify at Bevel's trial, said she was molested by her father when she was 12. James Bevel, the Rev. I had a son at the time and I just had a daughter, but I just wanted to move on. Related Videos Bloody Sunday(TV-14; 4:10) Civil Rights Foot Soldiers(TV-14; 4:10) March from Selma to Montgomery(TV-14; 4:13) James was 72 years old at the time of death. During what was later called the Birmingham Children's Crusade, President John F. Kennedy asked King to stop using children in the campaign. Bevel went on to become national director of the Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam in 1967 and, the following year, joined King in the effort to win the Memphis sanitation workers strike. And the suns from the West. Bevel also attended workshops at the Highlander Folk School taught by its founder, Myles Horton, who emphasized grassroots organizing. Considered Martin Luther King, Jr 's most influential colleague and . He was recently released on bond while appealing a 15-year prison sentence. Bevel fought to desegregate downtown Birmingham stores, prompting police to respond with fire hoses and attack dogs against peaceful protesters. Ms. MILLS: I haven't spoken to him since the trial. He also worked on a cotton plantation and in a steel mill. 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 . The 911 call was later reported to be made by Daniel. I wanted to ask why you decided that now was the time to tell it. He fathered 16 children with nine women, Orrin told The Associated Press. This was financially backed by the Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon, which appeared to be trying to improve its controversial image by allying with such respected leaders. That protest gained worldwide attention and it made its mark by telling the world that equality is for everyone. A young man, he died a few days later. They could go to jail for this. No one wants the government in their home. And as if it was a conspiracy against him. Credited by Martin Luther King with initiating the Children's Crusade during the Birmingham Campaign of 1963, James Bevel emerged as a civil rights leader from the ranks of the Nashville, Tennessee, student movement. It's barbaric, but hey, it's home. A wild man from Itta Bena, Mississippi, Taylor Branch called him in Parting the Waters, the first volume of his history of the civil rights movement, a self-described example of the legendary chicken-eating, liquor-drinking, woman-chasing Baptist preacher..

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