Frederick Lee Shuttlesworth
  • Male
  • Birmingham, AL
  • United States

Frederick Lee Shuttlesworth's Friends

  • James Leonard Farmer, Jr.
  • Emmett Till
  • Martin Luther King Jr
  • Ralph Abernathy
  • Joseph Lowery
  • NAACP - National Association for
  • SCLC Southern Christian Leadersh
 

Frederick Lee Shuttlesworth's Page

Profile Information

Greatest Contribution to the Civil Rights Movement
Helping lead the Birmingham Campaign to fight for desegregation

About Me

My general profile and major accomplishments

I was a major civil rights activist working in Birmingham during the freedom rides. I led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. I worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy to desegregate  Birmingham and fight for rights for blacks.

Education

Ministerial Degree (unaccredited black school)

Masters Degree in education from Alabama State College

Profession

  • Moonshine distributor and truck driver. 1940
  • Pastor of Bethel Baptist Church. 1953
  • Worked in Cincinnati, Ohio on poverty and black problems face in the urban North. 1965

Organizations and memberships

  • Joined the NAACP in 1953 until 1956 when it was outlawed
  • Established the ACMHR in 1956 to carry on the NAACP's work
  • Co-founder and leader of the SCLC 

A signature quote

"No matter how many times they beat us up, segregation has still got to go." 

My goal, in one sentence

Desegregate Birmingham and the rest of America!

More about me

I come from a poor Alabama family of eight children. I went from selling moonshine out of my backyard, to leading major civil rights organizations with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I helped organize multiple groups, including the ACMHR and the SCLC alongside MLK. I was the victim of two targeted bombings, one bombing in particular, on Christmas day, where dynamite was set off next to my bedroom and blasted the wall. My mattress was blown out from under me, yet I stood fine after and kept fighting for our rights. I was beaten with bike chains and brass knuckles by the KKK after trying to enroll my children in an all white school. I was targeted by a fire hose during a peaceful protest, causing me severe chest injuries. I was arrested 30 or 40 times for protesting, marching, and disturbing the peace when all I was trying to do was make it.

Source: Black &White

by Larry Dane Brimner

Sources:

Frederick Lee Shuttlesworth's Photos

Comment Wall (4 comments)

At 8:56pm on June 11, 2013, Tricia London said…

Mr. Shuttlesworth,

Can you tell us about the horrible thing that happened that Christmas night that Mrs. London explained about in class?  (hint Google, your name (in quotation marks) and the word Christmas)  You may even find some great primary sources.

At 12:30pm on June 12, 2013, Mrs. O'Brien said…

Could you explain what you mean by the "Birmingham Campaign?"

At 7:10pm on June 13, 2013, Emmett Till said…

"And the fact that Emmett Till, a young black man, could be found floating down the river in Mississippi, as, indeed, many had been done over the years, this set in concrete the determination of people to move forward" Frederick Lee Shuttlesworth.

http://www.lsrhs.net/departments/history/ShenM/Site/20th_classwork,_handouts_files/The%20impact%20of%20Emmett%20Till.pdf 

I can't begin to explain how much joy this brought to my heart, thank you for saying such kind words and I hope to keep moving people forward with my story along with your help by word of mouth. 

Emmett

At 7:23am on June 14, 2013, James Leonard Farmer, Jr. said…

Mr. Shuttlesworth,

Your never ending support for me has given me the courage necessary to come this far. Thank you for pushing me to go beyond my limits. Without supporters like you, a leader would be nothing.
Thank you,
-James L. Farmer

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Shuttlesworth)

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