Julian Bond, Longtime Civil-Rights Activist, Dies at 75

Earlier this year, Bond was among those who condemned an Arkansas bill that some said fell short of providing needed non-discrimination protections to all of the state’s residents.

In the 1960’s Julian Bond was front And center in the civil rights movement, and as CNN reminds, was among activists who protested for equal rights for African-Americans.

“With Julian’s passing, the country has lost one of its most passionate and eloquent voices for the cause of justice”, said Morris Dees, the SPLC’s co-founder.

While attending Morehouse College, Bond became one of the original leaders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s.

Bond played a major role in sit-ins and freedom rides and the 1963 March on Washington.

He moved from the militancy of the student group to the top leadership of the establishmentarian N.A.A.C.P. Along the way, he was a writer, poet, television commentator, lecturer, college teacher, and persistent opponent of the stubborn remnants of white supremacy. He took the fight all the way to the Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled in his favor. Future generations will look back on the life and legacy of Julian Bond and see a warrior of good who helped conquer hate in the name of love.

Julian Bond (second from left) listens as Phillip Agnew (second from right), executive director of the Dream Defenders, announces the end of a 31-day sit-in at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee that was held in response to the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

“Not only has the country lost a hero today, we’ve lost a great friend”, the legal advocacy group said in a statement.

Bond is survived by his wife, Pamela Horowitz, a former SPLC staff attorney; his five children, Phyllis Jane Bond-McMillan, Horace Mann Bond II, Michael Julian Bond, Jeffrey Alvin Bond, and Julia Louise Bond; his brother, James Bond; and his sister, Jane Bond Moore.