Washington, DC – NOW leaders and activists around the country are mourning the loss of civil rights leader Julian Bond, who passed away on August 15th.
Bond was a fierce leader in the fight for racial justice, co-founding the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1960 as well as the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in 1971. He served as SPLC president from 1971-1979 and NAACP chair from 1998-2009. Additionally, he was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1967-1974, and was a member of the Georgia Senate from 1975-1987.
Bond was also a strong supporter of women’s equality and access to the full range of reproductive health care, and he decried the violence and harassment against women’s health clinics by anti-abortion extremists. He was an early voice against the Vietnam War and he spoke out in support of LGBTQIA rights and environmental justice.
Julian Bond’s commitment to equality and justice throughout his lifetime serves as an inspiration to individuals, organizations, and movements alike. He will be remembered and honored for making the United States a better place for all of us.