Martin Luther King, Jr. with Fred Gray
Fred Gray Receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Diane Nash Leading a Civil Rights March
Diane Nash Receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Earlier this month on July 7, President Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to 17 people. Two of the honorees played a major part in the modern Civil Rights Movement. Fred Gray is an attorney who argued many civil rights cases throughout his long career which continues at age 91. Although he was from Montgomery, AL he attended law school at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio because no law school in Alabama accepted Black people at that time. He returned to his home town and became part of the legal team that defended both Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. After representing plaintiffs in many civil rights cases during the 1960’s, Fred Gray served as one of the first Black people in the Alabama State Legislature since Reconstruction. He is also a person of deep Christian faith who followed a call to preach along with his practice of law.
Diane Nash was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) who helped to lead lunch counter sit-ins in Nashville, Freedom Rides, and other famous civil rights era campaigns. During the Freedom Rides of 1961, she resisted pressure from the federal government to stop the rides by letting government officials know that she and the other Freedom Riders from Nashville had made out their wills and were willing to die if necessary to advance the cause of racial justice by desegregating interstate transportation. The first video posted below provides a glimpse into her courage and commitment.
The second video shows President Biden presenting the Medal of Freedom to Fred Gray and Diane Nash. At a time when many people wonder if it is even possible to address the deep divisions and hostilities in our nation, Fred Gray and Diane Nash are examples of how ordinary people can make extraordinary contributions to justice for all people. The Cornelius Corps is committed to helping people today learn about the witnesses of Fred Gray, Diane Nash, and others whose names may not be familiar to many but whose lives provide inspiration and hope for continuing the journey for justice and healing in our time.