Longtime civil rights activist Bond dead at 75

[The Straight Story]

Source: AP

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Julian Bond, a civil rights activist and longtime board chairman of the NAACP, died Saturday night, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

He was 75.

Bond died in Fort Walton Beach, Florida after a brief illness, the SPLC said in a statement released Sunday morning.

The Nashville, Tenn. native was considered a symbol and icon of the 1960s civil rights movement. As a Morehouse College student, Bond helped found the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and as its communications director, he was on the front lines of protests that led to the nation's landmark civil rights laws.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/7809ccd9dadd4f859e93e425b99395c4/longtime-civil-rights-activist-bond-dead-75

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/7809ccd9dadd4f859e93e425b99395c4/longtime-civil-rights-activist-bond-dead-75

[Yavin4]

1. RIP Mr. Bond. You will be missed.

Did you know that he hosted Saturday Night Live?

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Oh noooo!

What a loss to the entire Civil Rights movement. I am stunned to see this. This year has been rough.

Thank you Mr. Bond for all your hard work and condolences to his family.

[scarletlib]

3. A great man. May he rest in peace.

[DinahMoeHum]

4. He narrated the "Eyes On The Prize" series

Last edited Sun Aug 16, 2015, 10:39 AM - Edit history (1)

on PBS TV

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/03/entertainment/la-et-eyes-prize3-2010apr03/2

Rest In Power, Julian Bond.

[appalachiablue]

5. A great American and Civil Rights leader. Rest in Peace and Thank You Mr. Bond.

[marble falls]

6. Someone who if he'd been born 20 years later might have been the first black President....

I'd certainly would have voted for him.

[TBF]

7. A courageous leader in civil rights

and a member of DSA (Democratic Socialists of America)

Safe passage, brother Julian.

[Gothmog]

8. May he rest in peace

[beac]

9. That's terrible. What a loss.

And 75 is much too young.

[Rose Siding]

10. Too soon

It's too damn soon to lose this Good Man. He was a Good Man.

[Demeter]

11. Too much death in life this week

[valerief]

12. So sorry to hear this. nt

[Rose Siding]

13. The GA House refused to seat him after he won by a landslide in '65

"I stand here with intentions to take an oath - that oath they just took in there - that will dispel any doubts about my convictions or loyalty." — Julian Bond, 1966

In a special election held in June of 1965, Julian Bond was elected by a margin of 2,320 to 487, to the Georgia House of Representatives. On January 6, 1966, four days before his swearing in, the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (Bond was a co-founder and member) issued a statement comparing the deaths of civil rights workers in the U.S. to the killing in Vietnam and called on African-Americans to fight racial injustices at home as an alternative to the draft, "knowing full well that it may cost their lives — as painfully as in Viet Nam." After Bond endorsed the statement, the Georgia House voted on January 10, 1966, (184-12) to bar Bond from taking his seat. The house argued Bond's actions were "totally and completely repugnant to and inconsistent with the mandatory oath" Bond was required to take before taking his seat. Bond was finally seated on January 9, 1967, after winning two more elections (one special and one general) and a unanimous decision (9-0) by the U.S. Supreme Court that found the Georgia House violated Bond's First Amendment rights.

http://www.aavw.org/protest/homepage_bond.html

[840high]

14. Rest In Peace Sir.

[Blue_Tires]

15. k+r

[smirkymonkey]

16. Very sad.

RIP Mr. Bond.

[trillion]

17. God Speed. Sounds like we lost another good one.

[CTyankee]

18. I worked with his wife Pam at the ACLU years ago. He dropped in at the office to see her one day and

she introduced me to him. I knew they had worked together but they weren't married at the time. I liked him and had looked up to him as a strong, if quiet, leader. Pam is a pretty strong lady herself...very outspoken as I recall...

[appalachiablue]

20. So surprising and and sad, it's hard to believe. I saw Bond lecture and met him

twice, at a local college when I was in HS and 8 years ago in the DC area. The last time in DC I mentioned I'd seen him when young, he asked my name and told me his wife was Pam. Then he said very wryly with a smile in his eyes, "I know how it is, I have a brother named "James".
After that meeting I inquired about taking his black culture class at Amer. Univ. but he was alternating teaching at UVA so I missed him and forgot to follow up.
What a remarkable and distinguished man, a widely respected American and a great Civil Rights leader who did so much for us and this country. Today I glanced at the NYT piece and several WaPo articles which include biography and many moving tributes.
How great you worked with Pam his wife at the ACLU. They seemed to have strong partnership and marriage.

[CTyankee]

21. I recall Pam as a real no nonsense person but I didn't know her that well.

Our boss was John Shattuck who was later appointed ambassador to the Czech Republic by Bill Clinton (they were law students together at Yale Law School). Shattuck is the sweetest guy you'd ever want to meet. He was a great boss.
What a small world...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Shattuck

[niyad]

19. requiescat in pace