Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth was at the forefront of the early Civil Rights Movement, having withstood countless attempts on his life, destruction of his church and untold years of frustration. Throughout all of it he never flinched, never wavered in his commitment to the Civil Rights struggle.

As way of a tribute to the man and his struggle, here is a portion of an address given in Birmingham on April of 1963.

Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth: “Negroes are not concerned about white folks smiling at them, they’ve been smiling for years. What the Negroes are concerned about is how far is it from here to my freedom”.

Rest In Peace, Reverend Shuttlesworth.