In 2005, Bevel was accused of incest by one of his daughters and abuse by three others. [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. MARTIN: Because you described kind of a cult-like environment where you were all being, the children, the family, the woman, and the family are being kind of trained to accept a certain kind of behavior. By the time they entered Montgomery 54 miles away, the marchers were thousands strong. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. whose influence spurred a pivotal event of the civil rights movement, the "children's crusade" in Birmingham, Ala . Nashville Student Movement (1960-61) and SNCC, Dispute with President John F. 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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. I don't want to live that anymore. And actually during the trial he came out of the court room and he had met my daughter. In subsequent years Bevel continued his political activism. They, Nash, and others stayed in Mississippi to work on grassroots organizing. . What a strange character James is! And know that it could come back to them pretty harsh. The Rev. The news coverage, which featured children being water-hosed by police and more than 600 youth being arrested, prompted a groundswell of support for the civil rights movement. He put this barrier between us and the world. 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. The Court of Appeals affirmed this judgment. And we try to stay on one side of what we think is right and good. At a family reunion, three other daughters had also alleged that Bevel sexually abused them. 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. On Saturday, she told The Associated Press she's still processing her "very complicated" feelings about his death. And in order to make the case in the absence of physical evidence which is long since disappeared because you had grown up and moved away from being the zone of harm is that you confronted your father in a recorded monitored conversation with law enforcement where you confronted him about his behavior. There are a lot of people who would have run in the other direction, who would have just, look I am gone - I don't - I can't deal with this. Almost 1,000 students were arrested on the first day. 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. Another daughter, Sherilynn Bevel, confirmed the death, The Washington Post reported. And she was telling things that I experienced and that connected to me. It was such a fundamental affront to human dignity, to force sex upon a girl who's too young to consent, too young to understand what's going on, to abuse your position as the head of the household. Copyright 2008 NPR. Bevel led this effort as the head of SCLCs Direct Action Department. And you can listen to it for, you know, over and over again and it won't make sense. James Bevel was born on October 19, 1936 and died on December 19, 2008. [36], On April 10, 2008, after a three-hour deliberation, the jury convicted Bevel of incest. In a shocking development, Crystal stated that her brothers, Robert and Michael, were responsible for the attacks. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. "We know that the defendant is dying," said Prosecutor Gigi Lawless. The street lights were turned off by Alabama State Troopers who attacked the protesters. MARTIN: Some people would call it intervention. James Bevel. 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). I think he's more like a spoiled child in which he has been doing and being the way he is for so long that he gets away with it. Yet when he died, disgraced after a conviction for incest in 2008 (the incident occurred in 1993, and Bevel said he was innocent), he was almost as unknown as he was in the 1960s. And I am wondering how it is that you and your siblings, you particularly, were able to do it. James Luther Bevel, one of 17 children, was born on Oct 19, 1936, in Itta Bena, in central Mississippi, and divided his childhood between there and Cleveland, where he worked in the steel mills as a teenager. [citation needed]. At that time, prosecutors revealed at least four other daughters had made similar allegations against him. ); and chairman of the Camden, New Jersey, County Economic Development Board. It contains an photo offset with an additional photo, coupled with a bio. He went on to plan some of the movement's major . . Some protesters were jailed, but the movement kept the pressure on. James Bevel was born on October 19, 1936 in Itta Bena, Mississippi, USA. Find James Bevel phone, address, facebook, insatgram, twitter and email on OurBiography, the leading online directory. What was the location of death? How did she react? What did James Bevel do for the Civil Rights Movement? "I had really bad . [13] Virginia had no statute of limitations for the offense of incest. This was followed by a number of erratic-seeming episodes in his life. And I'd never see my brothers and sisters again. And when she told me that everything I told her about what's happening as I was telling her that really hurt me. There are other ways to live, and you could choose how you wanted to live your life. When did James Bevel die? | Homework.Study.com Born 1958 and died 1997. Almost 30 years on from his death, the story of James Bulger's murder is as shocking as ever.. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Incest Survivor Speaks Out : NPR Rights leader sentenced to 15 years for incest - NBC News "Everyone dies. His brother - and we were all present, either on the phone or live. MARTIN: And you did try to tell your mother what was happening? 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. I wanted to ask why you decided that now was the time to tell it. I am equally devastated and disgusted by his pedophilia., James L. Bevel, 72, an Adviser to Dr. King, Is Dead, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/us/23bevel.html. In his home state, Bevel created the SCLC Mississippi Project for voting rights in 1962. During his trial, testimony indicated that Bevel considered it parents' duty to "sexually orient" their children. Obituary The Huntsville Times Huntsville, Alabama Sunday, November 15, 2009 James Bevel, 81, of New Hope, passed away Saturday, November 14, 2009. James L. Bevel, an adviser to the Rev. James L. Bevel is shown in a photoprovided by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. At the time, he was living and working in Leesburg, Virginia, near LaRouche's headquarters. 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. . James E Bevel's bio. In 1963, Bevel took on a new role as the SCLC's director of Direct Action and Non-violent Education. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. James Bevel - Bio, Age, Wiki, Facts and Family - in4fp.com [12], In 1960, along with James Lawson's and Myles Horton's students Bernard Lafayette, John Lewis, Diane Nash, C.T. Did you always know that it was wrong? Bevel never submitted the collected petitions and left the state the following summer. She said Bevel's recent conviction does not detract from his work in the civil rights movement. THE DIGITAL REPOSITORY FOR THE BLACK EXPERIENCE. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. And the sand in the glass is right. The Movement began to stage regular marches to the county courthouse, which had limited hours for blacks to register as voters. He helped plan the 1963 March on Washington and the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965. [19] He worked to create tenant unions and build grassroots action to "end" slums. He was 72. He was recently released on bond while appealing a 15-year prison sentence. The trial court found that abating the conviction would deny the victim the closure that she sought and denied the motion to abate. Following the nationwide publicity generated by Jackson's death and the previous attack on peaceful marchers, hundreds of religious, labor and civic leaders, many celebrities, and activists and citizens of many ethnicities traveled to Selma to join the march. You know, it was just me. On May 2, 1963, children marched from the 16th Street Baptist Church, and 600 were arrested on that first day of demonstrations. James Luther Bevel was born in the farming community of Ittabena, Mississippi, on October 19, 1936. During the 1950s and 1960s hundreds of thousands And what really helped me was the fact that I had such a support system. Ms. MILLS: The hardest part was learning of everyone's story. While in the Seminary, Bevel joined the Nashville chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), then led by the Reverend . This civil rights activist, minister, lyricist, and human rights advocate gained a national reputation for both his . WASHINGTON - The Rev. And I think, all of us were abused in some way or another. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Ms. MILLS: Her - the exact statement was that I spelled molest wrong. It must have been even more painful to tell. 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) In 1963, as the Alabama project director for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the organization led by Dr. King, Mr. Bevel persuaded Dr. King to allow children to participate in antisegregation demonstrations, in which they would almost surely face arrest. Where it's flat and immense. 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. People Photos Purpose. James Luther Bevel | American minister and political activist How did James Caan die? Beloved actor and former college - Sportskeeda How should we think about those two James Bevels? James Bevel was one of the key strategists of the civil rights movement. Their meetings occurred at Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church, and it was from there that Bevel directed the students, 50 at a time, to peacefully walk to Birmingham's City Hall to talk to Mayor Art Hanes about segregation in the city. Glosario de Geologia | PDF | Absorption Spectroscopy | Glacier or 404 526-8968. Kennedy's staff, who already were drafted one, came to an agreement on its contents with SCLC's leadership. And then also for us to go together, because we didn't grow up together. [12] He was one of 17 children and grew up in rural LeFlore County of the Mississippi Delta and in Cleveland, Ohio. During his childhood years, he resided in both Itta Bena and in Cleveland, Ohio working as a plantation laborer in the . Far from be-ing "secondary," King's popular essays and incandes-cent oratory made him unique. 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 . Come on down, stop on by. 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. And then, so what are the options for children? When Bevel died in December 2008, he had served a few months of a 15-year sentence. As the Chicago movement neared its conclusion A. J. Muste, David Dellinger, representatives of North Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, and others asked Bevel to take over the directorship of the Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam. How much you describe it? [17] Activists encountered severe violence at that time and retreated to regroup. James Bevel was born on the 19th of October, 1936. In 1965 SCLC gave its highest honor, the Rosa Parks Award, to James Bevel and Diane Nash for their work on the Alabama Voting Rights Project. 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. And so, I had moved on and I had felt that my father perhaps - like it was my fault. I am equally as devastated and disgusted by his pedophilia," Orrin said. 10 Facts You Should Know About Civil Rights Activist James Bevel James Drury, 'The Virginian' star, dead at 85 | Fox News In 1962 Bevel left SNCC to become Mississippi field secretary for SCLC. But that you have to come to some understanding of what sex is outside of pleasure. 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. In the decades after King's death, Bevel aligned himself with fringe movements. One, their own stories, each of them being able to tell their stories to me and for us to share. James L. Bevel, The Freedom Rides, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 14:24. 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. He was educated at segregated local schools in both Mississippi and Cleveland. How many of your sisters? Freedom's Ring: King's "I Have a Dream" Speech, King holds press conference on opening day of Youth Leadership Conference at Shaw University, King addresses Youth Leadership Conference in Raleigh. Ms. MILLS: And it's an hour and a half of him explaining his position. Court testimony revealed that accusation had stemmed from a family reunion during which several family members recalled having been molested by Mr. Bevel. We are not just, you know, one way all the time. Marriage didn't slow down her activism. That was our hope, but he wasn't ready to look at himself. In 1992, he was vice presidential running mate to political extremist Lyndon LaRouche, who at the time was in a federal prison for a tax conviction. [26][27] A year earlier, Bevel had denounced the deprogramming of a Moon follower and called for the protection of religious rights. [13], Actor and rapper Common portrays Bevel in the 2014 film Selma.[42]. Did you always sense that it was wrong? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. At trial, Bevel denied committing the sexual act and his recorded statement was used against him. James D Bevel's bio. In September 1963, a bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham killed four young girls attending Sunday School and damaged the church. But he was also a child predator, who exploited the trust of his family by molesting his daughter Aaralyn Mills. Having background is important to get the whole picture. He was a Black Civil rights activist and minister. Orrin, who said she did not testify at Bevel's trial, said she was molested by her father when she was 12. [25], In 1989, Bevel and Abernathy organized the National Committee Against Religious Bigotry and Racism. We will have a link to it on our website. Considered Martin Luther King, Jr 's most influential colleague and . He was convicted earlier this year of having sex 15 years ago with his then-teenage daughter in Virginia. This defendant should die in jail.". Richard Boone and the Rev. Nash married civil rights activist James Bevel in 1961 and moved to Jackson, Mississippi where she began organizing voter registration and school desegregation campaigns for the SCLC. Bevel was born on October 19, 1936 in Itta Bena, Mississippi. 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. 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. The city officials could not pretend that the Civil Rights Movement isn't a big deal (Gilmore). The chain of events and police violence that was captured on national television ultimately culminated in the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Bevel was at Kings side during many of the major campaigns of the, (SCLC) and was at the Lorraine Motel at the time of Kings, Bevel feared that activists who were not committed to. He was 85. Bevel spent weeks developing strategy, recruiting and educating students in the philosophy and techniques of nonviolence. After King's assassination in 1968, Bevel helped lead many of King's unfinished efforts, such as a demonstration to support striking sanitation workers in Memphis. By signing up, you'll get thousands of step-by-step solutions to your homework questions. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. And that you know they're my children, because my son knows his grandfather and he knows Martin Luther King and you know very respectful of him. Where it's flat and immense. Ms. MILLS: Perhaps. This button displays the currently selected search type. She is the daughter of James Bevel who was recently convicted of molesting her when she was a child. James Bevel died on December 19, 2008 in . King wanted to fill the jails with protesters, but it was becoming more difficult to find adults to march. 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. He died on December 19, 2008 in Springfield, Virginia, USA. Diane Nash: Civil Rights Leader of My Generation - NETWORK Lobby He also worked on a cotton plantation and in a steel mill. James Bevel - Wikipedia (In fact, by 1992, James Bevel was the vice-presidential candidate to LaRouche's presidential bid.) Bevel said that he had no interest in getting her pregnant. 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 Birmingham Campaign of 1963, James Bevel emerged as a civil rights leader from the ranks of the Nashville, Tennessee, student movement. "My hope was for him to apologize in a Christian way, to repent. In an opinion issued November 4, 2011, the commonwealth's Supreme Court held that abatement of criminal convictions was not available in Virginia under the circumstances of Bevel's case. [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. "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 pleaded not guilty to the one count charged and maintained his innocence. And the heat is intense. Bevel also was active in the anti-war movement and greatly influenced King, who Bevel encouraged to confront the Vietnam War more directly. In 1963, Bevel was compelled to join the desegregation struggle being waged by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth in Birmingham, Alabama. And I hid them in her purse or in her shoes and things. He was 72. And he usually - he played the role of judge and jury in these meetings. But it's this idea that he was teaching all his daughters to look at the evils in the world and within men whatever - whoever the man was, whether it's your father or the guy next door or your husband. MARTIN: How did you become aware that this was wrong? While in the Jackson jail, Bevel and Bernard Lafayette initiated the Mississippi Voting Rights Movement. Bevel was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, on 19 October 1936. 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. A minister and civil right activist who was the Director of Direct Action and the Director of Nonviolent Education of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the 1960's. James Bevel was born in MS. 'You dont like to work on anything that isnt your own idea,' King said, 'Bevel, I think you owe me one.'"[22]. Born 1927 and died 2001. No one wants the government in their home. She later, she asked me to recount a tale - some other woman who in new environment, what happened. James L. Bevel | Encyclopedia.com James Bevel and his pivotal role in the 1960s Civil Rights Movement Where the caravan camels roam. In 1993, two 10-year-old boys tortured and murdered the toddler after leading him away from a . They agreed to continue until they had achieved these goals, and to ask for funding from the SCLC only if the group was involved in organizing a movement. Rev. James Bevel - Martin Luther King: An Assassination Remembered - TIME He was tried in April 2008, convicted of incest, sentenced to 15 years in prison,[11] and fined $50,000. Reverend James Bevel's Biography - The HistoryMakers The Institute cannot give permission to use or reproduce any of the writings, statements, or images of Martin Luther King, Jr. He passed away on 19 December 2008 from pancreatic cancer. Memorialize James's life with photos and stories about him and the Bevel family history and genealogy. 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. Bevel died Friday in Virginia after a fight with pancreatic cancer, said a daughter, Chevara Orrin, who lives in Winston-Salem, N.C. She wrote a remarkable series of articles that told his story as well as her own. It was later proven that a Ku Klux Klan chapter was responsible. The Rev. Here are 10 other facts if you don't know you should about the civil rights leader. He earned extensive . Civil rights activist Reverend James Luther Bevel was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, on October 19, 1936. 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. As the number of adult participants willing to go to jail dwindled, Bevel began recruiting black students from Birminghams high schools, colleges, and churches to participate in the protests. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. That same year, Bevel and the other Nashville activists attended the founding meeting of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) at Shaw University. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. On August 28, 1963, SCLC participated in what became known as the March on Washington, an event organized by labor leader A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin, who had planned an earlier 1941 March. She was kind enough to join us here on our Washington studio. We have great country we live in that had slavery. What if I do, we do remove my little sister from the environment and what if she decides to go back when she's 17 or 18 to see her dad, and he does the same thing and she gets wrapped up in his spell. Harold Middebrooks at Bailey's Tabernacle Church . James Luther Bevel (October 19, 1936 - December 19, 2008) was a minister and leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in the United States. He became a true witness to both Jews and Gentiles that Jesus is the Christ. He enrolled in the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee. And I wanted so much for him, not just to be a grandfather for grandfather's sake, but for him to find healing in himself and to come to some peace in himself so that he could be a grandfather and father. 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. That was very hard for me. Klan, a lot of Klan activity. This piece comes framed in a beautifully sculpted black lacquered frame. MARTIN: Your story was very painful to read. And when I left there, I began that process of deciding and designing how I wanted to live my life. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Housing in the area was segregated in a de facto way, enforced by covenants and real estate practices.