"OUR RICH BLACK HERITAGE": REV. RALPH D ABERNATHY

One of the things I like about this week's Black Pioneer is that he was born on th e same date as me, March 11. Besides that, he worked with Martin Luther King Jr in the Civil Rights Movement! Our story begins in Linden, Alabama, where Ralph D Abernathy was born on March 11, 1926, at his family's home. From there we travel to The Linden Academy Baptist School in Linden, where Ralph led his first public demonstrations to improve the conditions of the school and the lives of his fellow students.Next, we travel to World War ll , where we find young Ralph, other Blacks, and White members of the U.S. Military battling the forces of Fascism abroad! Next, we travel back to Alabama , where Ralph is enrolled at Alabama State University, partially due to benefit of the military G.I. Bill. During his sophomore year, he was elected president of the student council. As student council president, Ralph led a successful hunger strike to improve the quality of the food being served to students on campus. Additionally, while he was still attending Alabama State University, he became an ordained minister. In 1950, Ralph graduated with a degree in mathematics. Also in 1950, he became the first Black disc jockey in Montgomery, Alabama to host a show on a White radio station. Next, we travel all the way to Atlanta University, in Atlanta, Georgia, where Ralph earned Master of Arts degree in Sociology. Finally, we travel back to Alabama State University, where Ralph began his professional career as the dean of men at the University. Furthermore, later that year, he became the Senior pastor of the First Baptist Church, which was the largest Black Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Well, some of the interesting things about him were ; he was a member of the brotherhood of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, he was a close friend and mentored Rev Martin Luther King Jr, he help create the Montgomery Improvement Association to defend the civil rights of Black People, he was President of the SCLC, and Ralph led the Poor People's Campaign in Washington D.C., in May of 1968. On April 17, 1990, Ralph D Abernathy died at Emory Crawford Long Memorial Hospital. Following his death, officials at Alabama State University dedicated Ralph D. Abernathy Hall in his honor. Also, officials in Atlanta, Georgia named Ralph David Abernathy Freeway, Abernathy Road, and Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard in his honor.