Local civil rights activist dies

[Blue_Tires]

Raymond C. Gadsden, a Charleston civil rights activist, died Sunday. He was 65.

Gadsden was born in 1945 in Kinston, N.C. He attended Burke High School in Charleston and Shaw University in Raleigh. He was retired from AAA Financial Associates.

An advocate for African-American issues in the Charleston area, Gadsden helped lead the fight to establish a civil rights museum in the area.

Gadsden first began proposing a civil rights museum in 2006 after being inspired by an African-American history exhibit he saw in Albany, Ga.

Although the city was also developing its own African-American history museum, Gadsden said his would have a different story to tell.

In 1995, Gadsden and state Sen. Robert Ford organized a post-Million-Man-March demonstration to refocus the black community on African-American issues in the state.

Sarah Green, a fellow activist, has good memories of working with him out of what is now called the Sarah Green Community Center.

"He was a strong leader and organizer in the community," she said.

"We lost a good one."
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/jul/14/local-civil-rights-activist-dies/