Why Famous:A close friend of Martin Luther King Jr., Abernathy and King co-founded the Montgomery Improvement Association to support the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1957 in Alabama.
Abernathy became president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference upon King's assassination in 1968, an organization they had both co-founded.
Abernathy was also a key negotiator in the peace deal to end the stand-off between the FBI and the leaders of the American Indian Movement at Wounded Knee in 1973.
Born: March 11, 1926 Birthplace:Linden, Alabama, USA
Died: October 17, 1990 (aged 64) Cause of Death: Blood clot
Historical Events
1955-12-05 Montgomery Improvement Association formed by Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Edgar Nixon to support the Montgomery bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama
1957-02-13 Southern Christian Leadership Conference organizes in New Orleans with Martin Luther King Jr. as President
1973-05-08 Indians holding South Dakota hamlet of Wounded Knee for 10 weeks surrender
Bayard Rustin
Cesar Chavez
Ida B. Wells
John Lewis
Josephine Baker
Tommie Smith