Civil Rights Gladiator Dies, Final Rights for Reverend Fred Taylor

By Harold D. (Hal) Lamar

(Source Atlanta Inquirer):

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.” – Psalm 37:23-24, King James Version

That biblical verse preached by Trinity Baptist Church of Atlanta founder-pastor T. Dewitt Smith, Jr. fit homegoing Civil Rights gibraltar Reverend Frederick (Fred) Douglas Taylor to a tee.

“Fred was a humble man,” said Smith who eulogized to congregants who came out July 12th at historic West Hunter Street Baptist Church in Atlanta’s West End community. “Not unlike many of us, he would fall but he always picked himself up and got back in the race.”

A plethora of others who marched, sang, prayed and supported Taylor through his near 40-year career as a virtual unsung hero in ministry, Civil Rights and specifically the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) echoed Pastor Smith’s remarks during the near two-hour ceremony.

Tyrone Brooks, a former member of the Georgia general assembly, veteran foot soldier and SCLC’s longtime national communications director, recited a litany of Taylor’s trek through his own attempts toward righting the wrongs of injustice, bigotry, bigots and violence, including their first eyeball-to-eyeball meeting.

“In 1969, I was at the front desk of SCLC headquarters sitting in and answering the phones when Taylor walked in looking for Reverend T.Y. Rogers who was director of chapters and affiliates,” said Brooks, as he stood in West Hunter’s center aisle clad in the Civil Rights attire of bib overalls and red shirt [he got that from Hosea Williams]. When Rogers died in an auto accident in 1971, Taylor became the new director. “I told Vanya [Fred’s daughter] that, from that point, Fred and I hit the road.” Brooks began schooling the neophyte Taylor on the good, bad and ugly of Civil Rights activity.     “This is what we do. We march, go to jail, picket, get beat up, tear-gassed; the dogs might bite us, and we might get shot or assassinated. Fred got excited.”

“He [Fred] didn’t let us stand on the sidelines,” said newly re-elected Georgia State Senator Donzella James. “Through his leadership, he embodied all of us. When we would fight against poverty, injustice or hunger in the General Assembly, Fred would show up at the state capitol with other leaders and give us inspiration.” “Fred Taylor was legendary,” said longtime State lawmaker Nan Orrock. “We are grateful to Reverend Taylor for his service. We must now emulate that service.”

“Fred and I were both born in Prattville, Alabama,” said longtime State Senator Ed Harbison of Columbus Georgia.    “We both moved from Prattville to Montgomery, Alabama. We both participated in the Montgomery bus boycott [1955], though we were tiny then. We marched right along though because we had that fire then. You should have seen Fred in high school. He was fired right up.”

“For 21 years, Fred preached behind the pulpit of Trinity Church,” said Smith. He was named associate pastor and there was never a more loyal person that a pastor or preachers could have. Fred Taylor’s steps were ordered by the Lord. Can’t you hear him with that bullhorn marching in and out of the line yelling, ‘What do we want?: FREEDOM!’ ‘When do we want it!: NOW!’ I want you to know, Vanya, that your father was a walking sermon!”