Ralph David Abernathy was born in Linden, Alabama, on March 11. His family was more successful than most, owning 500 acres of farmland. He was a pastor and a civil rights activist. After his graduation, he was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1948, he would pursue his education by earning a mathematics degree from Alabama State College in 1950. He continued to become a pastor of the First Baptist Church in Montgomery. Abernathy became the dean of students at Alabama. He would then marry Juanita Odessa Jones. His wife would become an important part of Abernathy’s civil rights. Abernathy was very tight with Martin Luther King Jr. The duo would be involved in many decisions that would decide the fate of the country.
Ralph mentored MLK Jr. when he became a minister of a nearby church. They would both create a bond and would become leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1955, they both founded the Montgomery Improvement Association and arranged a year long bus boycott against the segregation. The boycott would mark the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. These actions were triggered by Rosa Parks and her arrest. This would catch the country’s attention but also caused some violence, too. Abernathy’s home and church was obliterated by bomb blasts. This would not stop Abernathy as he and…show more content… He would King by working at the West Hunter Street Baptist Church. They would continue to organize protests, sit-ins and marches. Abernathy was arrested 17 times with King for these acts. He would always be by King’s side. Abernathy would work to keep King’s spirit alive and became president of the SCLC. He led the Poor People’s Campaign of 1968. This was during when poor whites, African Americans, and Native Americans would present their issues with President Lyndon B. Johnson. The campaign included a march on Washington which led to the creation of the Federal Food Stamps
