NY J03328

Reverend C.T. Vivian died on July 17, 2020, at age 95; he was a Baptist minister and key adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Served as national director of 85 Southern Christian Leadership Conference affiliate chapters from 1963 to 1966, directing protest activities, nonviolence training, voter registration, and community development.

Participated in major civil rights campaigns including the 1960 Nashville lunch counter sit-ins, Freedom Rides to Mississippi, and the 1963 March on Washington.

Founded the Black Action Strategies and Information Center in Atlanta and co-founded the National Anti-Klan Network (later renamed Center for Democratic Renewal) to monitor hate groups.

Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2013; survived by six children, nine grandchildren, and multiple generations of descendants.