Below you will read the earliest known testimony to the death of James the Just, brother of Jesus our Lord. Housing in the area was segregated in a de facto way, enforced by covenants and real estate practices. 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. The Rev. I wanted to ask why you decided that now was the time to tell it. How did she react? During his childhood years, he resided in both Itta Bena and in Cleveland, Ohio working as a plantation laborer in the . She is telling us her story of rape and recovery. 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. 2023 The HistoryMakers. Another daughter, Sherilynn Bevel, confirmed the death, The Washington Post reported. What happened James Bevel? The Court of Appeals remanded the case to the trial court to determine whether there was good cause not to abate the conviction. 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. In 1962, Bevel was invited to meet in Atlanta with Martin Luther King Jr, a minister who was head of the SCLC. [26][27] A year earlier, Bevel had denounced the deprogramming of a Moon follower and called for the protection of religious rights. So, it was my way of communicating to her. 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. His brother - and we were all present, either on the phone or live. Bevel led this effort as the head of SCLCs Direct Action Department. And my little sister who had a more recent experience in Chicago, she could have, but she could not talk. Ms. MILLS: Right. Mass demonstrations by students triggered a violent police response that brought national attention to Birmingham. He was sentenced in October. So, I really felt powerless. They worked together on civil rights, and had a daughter and son together. While in the Jackson jail, Bevel and Bernard Lafayette initiated the Mississippi Voting Rights Movement. Naval Reserve in 1954 and 1955 before entering the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee. James Forman (October 4, 1928 - January 10, 2005) was a prominent African-American leader in the civil rights movement.He was active in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Black Panther Party, and the League of Revolutionary Black Workers.As the executive secretary of SNCC from 1961 to 1966, Forman played a significant role in the Freedom Rides, the Albany movement, the . This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Luther-Bevel, African American Registry - Biography of James Bevel, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Global Freedom Struggle - Biography of James Luther Bevel. It's barbaric, but hey, it's home. Marriage didn't slow down her activism. 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. Springfield, Virginia, USA. James Bevel was born on October 19, 1936 and died on December 19, 2008. The trial court found that abating the conviction would deny the victim the closure that she sought and denied the motion to abate. They invited King and other SCLC leaders to Selma to develop larger protests and actions, and work alongside Bevel's and Nash's Alabama Project. Come on down, stop on by. And when I left there, I began that process of deciding and designing how I wanted to live my life. He was 72. 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. He received an appeal bond on November 4, 2008, and was released from jail three days later, after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Accuracy and availability may vary. Far from be-ing "secondary," King's popular essays and incandes-cent oratory made him unique. MARTIN: So in his world, he decides what true and not true. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. He went on to plan some of the movement's major . A fight broke out between LaRouche supporters and black nationalists.[34]. In April of this year, Mr. Bevel was convicted of having sexual intercourse with one of his daughters in the 1990s, when the girl was a teenager. The victims hoped for an apology and some reconciliation, but Bevel mocked the notion of an apology. James L. Bevel, an adviser to the Rev. One of the things you said to me was that the healing growth and happiness that my family and I experienced need to be shared. In the melee, Jackson was shot in the stomach while defending his mother from an attack. I wrote her I love you letters, and you know, this was my day letters. This rally was attended by tens of thousands of peace activists who followed the growing counterculture movement. And you describe this - I don't know what words to use, it's almost like a trial at - so you decided you should put him on trial, and then he defended himself in this, I don't even really know how to describe it. Later efforts in Mississippi developed as Freedom Summer in 1964, when extensive voter education and registration efforts took place. James Bevel would have been 72 years old at the time of death or 78 years old today. Bevel and others were grieved and outraged. James Bevel was born on October 19, 1936 and died on December 19, 2008. Corrections? Diane Nash is an acclaimed American civil rights activist. The street lights were turned off by Alabama State Troopers who attacked the protesters. Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305. The Rev. James Bevel, the Rev. In the melee, Jackson was shot in the stomach while defending his mother from an attack. During his trial, testimony indicated that Bevel considered it parents' duty to "sexually orient" their children. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. James D Bevel James Bevel . Bevel led this effort as the head of SCLCs Direct Action Department. In 1969, Bevel left SCLC and created the Making of a Man Clinic in 1970. Where the caravan camels roam. He was a member of the Nashville Student Movement in 1961, and rode the first bus of Freedom Riders into Jackson on May 24. He was 72. Although Bevel initially intended to pursue a recording career, he felt called to Christian ministry. He also rallied young people in the city to get involved in civil rights demonstrations -- something King and other advisers objected to. [17] Activists encountered severe violence at that time and retreated to regroup. How much you describe it? That didn't happen. After high school, he spent some time serving in the U. S. Navy. He helped plan the 1963 March on Washington and the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965. [citation needed]. The Rev. The Rev. He earned extensive . American comedian and civil rights activist. All rights reserved (About Us). Three months after the March on Washington, Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, and Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson ascended to the Oval Office. Bevel was a top lieutenant to Martin Luther King Jr. and architect of the 1963 Children's Crusade in Birmingham. This beautifully matted collector's photo presentation is a collage. But, you know, I was sad because I knew that he wouldn't be a grandfather. Ms. MILLS: I feel, I feel at peace with this whole process in terms of I'm happy that we stood on something and we followed it through. Springfield, Virginia, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. King asked Bevel to refrain from recruiting students, and Bevel instead said that he would organize the children to march to Washington D.C. to meet with Kennedy about segregation, and King agreed. MARTIN: Your father's name is one that appears in many, many history books. And as if it was a conspiracy against him. James Bevel Birthday and Date of Death. 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. When King was jailed, Bevel organized black children and marched against Commissioner Bull Connor's fire hoses and police dogs. 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. And you can listen to it for, you know, over and over again and it won't make sense. He fathered 16 children with nine women, Orrin told The Associated Press. Susan Jameson, a highly important and quite distinct person, is happily married to James Bolam. There are other ways to live, and you could choose how you wanted to live your life. Politically Mr. Bevel drifted to the right, supporting Ronald Reagans presidency and tying himself to Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr., the perpetual fringe candidate for president. "I am very proud to be the daughter of a man who contributed so much to the world through his civil rights work. And she was telling things that I experienced and that connected to me. I'm Michel Martin, and this is tell me more from NPR News. 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. And being there for two years, I was saturated in the environment where family values and just you know, I grew up where there was a lot of talked about love and peace, and happiness, and family values. But he was also a child predator, who exploited the trust of his family by molesting his daughter Aaralyn Mills. The U.S. Department of Justice had to step in and help end the protest on May 10. . Don't think I thought about James Bevel until he died in 2008 at age 72. Civil Rights Activist. Harold Middebrooks at Bailey's Tabernacle Church . She is the daughter of James Bevel who was recently convicted of molesting her when she was a child. "I had really bad . [12] He was one of 17 children and grew up in rural LeFlore County of the Mississippi Delta and in Cleveland, Ohio. Arrested dozens of times for their civil rights work in Mississippi and Alabama in the early 1960s, Nash and her husband, James Bevel, received the SCLC's Rosa . One, their own stories, each of them being able to tell their stories to me and for us to share. ); and chairman of the Camden, New Jersey, County Economic Development Board. How did James bevel die? They divorced after seven years. Bevel died Friday in Virginia after . 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 the sand in the glass is right. [13] SCLC's remaining Board of Directors removed Bevel from his leadership positions in 1969. Almost 1,000 students were arrested on the first day. [13] King was initially reluctant, but agreed. I would not have been able to do that without my other sisters. He told the court that he was the father of 16 children by 7 women. Movies. From the Helen L. Bevel Archives, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Bevel&oldid=1140934352, Statements by Rev. Wife Susan Jameson & Adopted Son Details. [13] While at seminary, Bevel reread Leo Tolstoy's 1894 book The Kingdom of God Is Within You, which had previously inspired his decision to leave the military. James Bevel. What is love Tina Howard Bevel Expand search. And it's something I had the support of so many people to do, up until 2004. He worked on a cotton plantation for a time as a youth and later in a steel mill. And so, I had moved on and I had felt that my father perhaps - like it was my fault. Ms. MILLS: Right, because I always wrote letters. And the suns from the West. 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. Kennedy's staff, who already were drafted one, came to an agreement on its contents with SCLC's leadership. He is awaiting sentence now. I have to say, I think that it is powerfully courageous thing to do. After the resurrection, however, he is one of the leading figures in the church. Ms. MILLS: It is hard to describe because it's part of the whole environment that we lived in, in terms of having meetings to discuss problems. 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). She shares . Bevel died Friday in Virginia after . Where it's flat and immense. Do you think that's what it was? Screenshots are considered by the King Estate a violation of this notice. Will YouTube dim the fire of preachers to the powerful. He was 85. We are not just, you know, one way all the time. 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. SNCC Chairman John Lewis and Amelia Boynton were both injured. Things we often feel we have to keep hidden. King wanted to fill the jails with protesters, but it was becoming more difficult to find adults to march. He put this barrier between us and the world. He was looking at her and talking about her and, you know, being his jolly self, and I actually got really, really sad because I realized that, you know, I won't be able to experience him anymore. And I realized that, one, that it wasn't just you know, one way to live. Bevel and others were grieved and outraged. In the decades after King's death, Bevel aligned himself with fringe movements. Bevel then launched into an extended explanation of his philosophy, which includes applying the teachings of the New Testament to the "science of constitutionality." "Both of those feelings reside in the same soul, in the same space of my heart.". 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. 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. But he was also a child predator, who exploited the trust of his family by molesting his daughter Aaralyn Mills. To fight those feelings, she decided to track down her attacker. Doctors estimate he has only six weeks to six months to live. IE 11 is not supported. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. That's not to excuse the extremes in which people go, but it's the understanding. Nash would meet and marry James Bevel, a Minister as well as a Civil Rights Activist, in 1961. And we have to find a way, because they exist. How should we think about those two James Bevels? That really made me feel not just powerless but that, what can you do? And I always thought that was odd and that people would do something that's not going to be forgotten. His bond was revoked and he was taken into custody. Bevel was born on October 19, 1936 in Itta Bena, Mississippi. Bevel was a top lieutenant to Martin Luther King Jr. The Likely Lads, as well as the television . Beloved actor and former college football star's cause of death. By signing up, you'll get thousands of step-by-step solutions to your homework questions. All rights reserved. He joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Mr. Bevel was Mr. LaRouches running mate in 1992, a time when Mr. LaRouche was serving time for fraud and tax evasion. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Where did James Bevel die? When the winds from the East. [6] Bevel strategized the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches, which contributed to Congressional passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Ms. MILLS: Yeah, that could be some, definitely can. 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [19] He worked to create tenant unions and build grassroots action to "end" slums. He and the others were arrested after they arrived in Jackson, Mississippi and tried to desegregate the waiting rooms in the bus terminal. Bevel also attended workshops at the Highlander Folk School taught by its founder, Myles Horton, who emphasized grassroots organizing. Bevel was in the parking lot of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis and witnessed King's assassination on April 4, 1968. Some protesters were jailed, but the movement kept the pressure on. "[33] When Bevel introduced LaRouche at a convention of the 1996 National African American Leadership Summit, both men were booed off the stage. He often wore overalls over a shirt and tie; he shaved his head and sometimes covered it with a yarmulke in honor of Old Testament prophets. The Institute cannot give permission to use or reproduce any of the writings, statements, or images of Martin Luther King, Jr. 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. Ms. MILLS: The hardest part was learning of everyone's story. He became a true witness to both Jews and Gentiles that Jesus is the Christ. He suggested a march from Selma to Montgomery, the capital, to protest Jackson's death and press Governor George Wallace to support voting rights for African Americans. 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. 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. Both Bolam and his entertainer companion, Susan Jameson, reside in the West Sussex town of Wisborough Green, as well as in the London neighbourhood of Chiswick. Ms. MILLS: I haven't spoken to him since the trial. Bevel was born to sharecroppers on Oct. 19, 1936, in Itta Bena, Miss., one of 17 children. After the news media highlighted police commissioner Eugene "Bull" Connor's violent treatment of the children, public opinion began to shift in favor of the civil rights movement. James Bevel died on December 19, 2008 in . 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. Bevel married four times. I've never known him to be a liar. Bevel also was active in the anti-war movement and greatly influenced King, who Bevel encouraged to confront the Vietnam War more directly. In this same period, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) had organized the 1961 Freedom Rides through the Deep South to challenge southern state laws and practices that interstate buses and their facilities remain segregated despite federal laws for equal treatment. Did you always know that it was wrong? Who can they turn to? James Bevel, Self: 4 Little Girls. 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. This piece comes framed in a beautifully sculpted black lacquered frame. 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. 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. The Rev. We have great country we live in that had slavery. And he placed himself in the position of being the person who was going to save the world. 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. MARTIN: Some people would call it intervention. He was one of the seventeen children of Illie and Dennis Bevel. The Rev. The demonstration was spurred largely by the killing of a young protester by an Alabama state trooper. What helped you to understand that? [36], On April 10, 2008, after a three-hour deliberation, the jury convicted Bevel of incest. [13] Six weeks later he died of cancer, at the age of 72, in Springfield, Virginia. And then things I never understood as parents. These quality collectors pieces are designed for visual appeal. [38], Bevel's attorney requested that the Court of Appeals of Virginia abate the conviction on account of Bevel's death. 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. James L. Bevel, a prominent figure in the civil rights movement whose legacy was clouded by an incest conviction has died, a relative said. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Considered Martin Luther King, Jr 's most influential colleague and . Ms. MILLS: Well, in that it was going to be in the news, the story the side of the - my side should be told. Do you have any idea where you were able to find that within yourself to do this? 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. Copyright 2008 NPR. Bevel served as pastor of the Hebraic-Christian-Islamic Assembly in Chicago; a board member of Chicago's Fulfilling Our Responsibilities Unto Mankind (F.O.R.U.M. Even before the final march occurred, President Lyndon Johnson had gone on national television to address a joint session of Congress, appealing for passage of his administration-backed comprehensive Voting Rights Act. 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 . . Many of them died martyrs' deaths, just as King did. [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. 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. [21], In 1968 Dr. King objected to Bevel and other SCLC organizers' opposition to proceeding with King's planned Poor People's Campaign. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. 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. 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 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. 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 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. He's been violent, mean and abusive, but he's always been honest.". 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 . In 1966, Bevel chose Chicago as the site of SCLC's long-awaited Northern Campaign. 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. Bevel died Friday in Virginia after a fight with pancreatic cancer, said a daughter, Chevara Orrin, who lives in Winston-Salem, N.C. She was prominently involved with integrating lunch counters through sit-ins, the Freedom Riders, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating . His pressure paid off, and at the May 1964 executive staff meeting King recommended that SCLC increase its presence in Alabama. Ms. MILLS: Her - the exact statement was that I spelled molest wrong. Find James Bevel phone, address, facebook, insatgram, twitter and email on OurBiography, the leading online directory. What was the location of death? In May 2007, Bevel was arrested in Alabama on a charge of incest committed sometime between October 1992 and October 1994 in Loudoun County, Virginia. 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. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. In 1963, Bevel took on a new role as the SCLC's director of Direct Action and Non-violent Education. After a stint in the services, Bevel was called to the ministry and enrolled in the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee. [13] They were under an injunction by the state, so stayed within the city limits. How did James Bevel contribute to the Civil Rights Movement? James Luther Bevel was born on October 19, 1936, in the town of Itta Bena, Mississippi. Ms. MILLS: There are eight girls. Bevel then called off plans for the children's march. James Bevel was a leader of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. 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. After bailing out, he began recruiting future Riders in Jackson, and set up a CORE office there. 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. Civil rights activist Reverend James Luther Bevel was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, on October 19, 1936. We know that James D Bevel had been residing in La Pine, Deschutes County, Oregon 97739. And actually during the trial he came out of the court room and he had met my daughter. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). James L. Bevel, a prominent figure in the civil rights movement whose legacy was clouded by an incest conviction, has died, a relative said.