James Bevel

About

A minister and civil right activist who was the Director of Direct Action and the Director of Nonviolent Education of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the 1960's.

Before Fame

He attended workshops at the Highlander Folk School taught by its founder, Myles Horton and participated in the 1960 Nashville Lunch-Counter Sit-Ins.

Trivia

As Director of Nonviolent Education of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) he initiated, strategized, directed, and developed SCLC's three major successes of the era: the 1963 Birmingham Children's Crusade, the 1965 Selma Voting Rights Movement, and the 1966 Chicago Open Housing Movement.

Family Life

He married Diane Nash and had two children, Sherri and Douglass Bevel, with her.

Associated With

He read Mahatma Gandhi's books and took workshops based on his nonviolent tactics.