Atheists in the Civil Rights MovementAtheists in the Civil Rights Movement
In the story of the Civil Rights Movement, pride of place is often given to religious African Americans like Martin Luther King, Jr., who used the power of religious ideas to-motivate and inspire millions of Americans. Writing for the Religious News Service, Kimberly Winston points out that...archive.boston.com
Blacks say atheists were unseen civil rights heroes
Think of the civil rights movement and chances are the image that comes to mind is of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. leading the 1963 March on Washington.But few people think of A. Philip Randolph, a labor organizer who originated the idea of...www.christiancentury.org
"This chapter explores an often overlooked and dismissed aspect of Randolph's personal and philosophical convictions: Christianity. Randolph grew up in a household and community dominated by African American religious traditions, especially those of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Yet there was a time after his move to New York City when Randolph professed to be an atheist. After his radical years, however, Randolph returned to his previously held beliefs, though the charge of atheism—often used by his critics—stuck. This chapter thus attempts to rectify the issue by illustrating not only Randolph's religious beliefs but also how he integrated them into his civil rights work and labor organizing."
He fell astray like most of you have. But he came back eventually