Ear Hustle

In Loving Memory: Legendary & Longtime Civil Rights Activist Julian Bond Dies At Age 75

EarHustle411 and the writing staff are completely stunned and heart heavy at this time as we report the loss of a man who has been serving the Black community his entire life.  A man who dedicated his life to the betterment of people who looked just like him and used his influence to ensure that the rights of African-Americans and all people were kept in tact.

Julian Bond born January 14, 1940 born in Nashville, Tennessee to his librarian mother and educator father Julia and Horace Mann Bond.  As history would tell it, Julian Bond’s home was a place where celebrities, activists and some scholars would drop in from time to time.  Julian’s father was offered the position of President at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania thus warranted his family to move north where he graduated from a private Quaker Preparatory school named George School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

julian bond

A young Julian Bond

During Bond’s political organizing day he co-founded SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee)  in April 1960, serving as the communications director.  His involvement with SNCC he traveled to southern areas like Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas with the purpose of organizing voter registration drives and he also was a leader in protests against the Jim Crow law as well as the segregation of public facilities in Georgia.  His intense but purposeful efforts caused Julian to suspend his educational activities at Morehouse College, however he did return to his studies in 1971.

After the Civil Rights Act passed in 1965, Julian Bond was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, he was one of 11 individuals elected at this time but ironically in 1966 the Georgia State Representatives voted 184-12 to not “seat” him because of his past involvement in SNCC.  A panel of 3 judges ruled 2-1 and decided that the Georgia House did not violate the rights of Bond and therefore the decision to not “seat” him was upheld.  Of course Julian was not going to stand for this and took the issue to the Supreme Court in the case of Bond v. Floyd where he was vindicated.  It was a 9-0 decision that the Georgia House of Representatives violated Julian’s 1st Amendment rights to Freedom of Speech and were forced to “seat” him in is rightfully elected position.  His career at the Georgia House went from 1967 to 1974 where is districts had been often changed at least 3 times during his tenure.

Activist Julian Bond

Julian Bond

Julian was elected to the Georgia Senate where he served 6 terms in the Georgia Senate from 1975 to 1987.

Julian Bond was also an actor and voiceover artist in his own right, he used his voice to narrate the PBS blockbuster documentary “Eyes On The Prize” .  Bond appeared on Saturday Night Live, Ray, The Shadow of Hate and Freedom Summer.

Julian Bond’s political career as well as his contribution to education is beyond impeccable and his reputation for equality for all people whether Black, White, Brown, gay or straight is one that will forever be remembered.

EarHustle411 send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Julian Bond, we pray that his legacy of equality for all people continues through those whom he has touched the most.

We leave you with a few quotes from Mr.  Julian Bond and a photo montage of some of his finest shots captured from various sources.

Rest In Heaven Julian Bond

Julian Bond  RIH

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