Shuttlesworth, Fred (1922-2011), was an African American civil rights leader. A Baptist minister, Shuttlesworth fought against segregation and discrimination in Alabama beginning in the mid-1950’s. He was a leading organizer of lunch counter sit-ins and bus boycotts in Birmingham, Alabama. His willingness to stand for civil rights despite threats of violence gave Shuttlesworth a reputation for courage.
Shuttlesworth was born on March 18, 1922, in Mount Meigs, Alabama. His name was originally Fred Lee Robinson. The name Shuttlesworth came from his stepfather, whom his mother married in 1927. After high school, Shuttlesworth worked for a cement company and as a truck driver. He became a preacher in 1944 and was ordained (officially appointed) as a minister in 1948. In 1952, he completed a bachelor’s degree in English from Alabama State College (now Alabama State University).
In 1953, Shuttlesworth became pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church in Birmingham. While serving there, he sought to confront such issues as segregation in city services and the lack of voting rights for minorities. He worked with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Birmingham until 1956, when an Alabama court prohibited the group from operating in the state. He then formed the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. In 1957, he became a founding member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
Shuttlesworth’s civil rights activities often put him in harm’s way. In 1956, a bomb set between the church and his home damaged both buildings and injured Shuttlesworth. The church was bombed again in 1958. Shuttlesworth was severely beaten in 1957 when he tried to enroll two of his daughters in an all-white high school. He was arrested more than 30 times for his participation in demonstrations.
In 1961, Shuttlesworth moved to Cincinnati, where he continued his career as a minister. He also continued to fight to improve conditions for minorities. In 1988, he founded the Shuttlesworth Housing Foundation to help poor people find low-cost housing. Shuttlesworth retired from his ministry in 2006. He died on Oct. 5, 2011.
