Alpha Kappa Alpha Mourns Loss of Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth

Oct. 6, 2011 - PRLog -- Contact: Melody M. McDowell  - Chief Information Officer – Alpha Kappa Alpha  - 773-660-2001 – Office –  312-371-8917 – Cell –  e-mail: melodyaka@aol.com


ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY MOURNS THE LOSS OF
REVEREND FRED SHUTTLESWORTH

Chicago, Illinois – October 6, 2011 - Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s international president, Attorney Carolyn House Stewart, announced today that the Sorority joins the world in mourning the loss of civil rights legend, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth.

Speaking on behalf of the organization's 260,000 members worldwide, President Stewart hailed Shuttlesworth for his relentless fight and passionate commitment to the civil rights and human rights struggle.  She noted that, with the Rev. Martin Luther King, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy and others, Shuttlesworth waged a heroic battle to achieve the gains that African-Americans and others enjoy today.

“With conviction and a rare courage, Shuttlesworth marched for justice, endured beatings, warded off death threats, and braved indignities as he fought against segregation in Alabama in the ‘50s and ‘60s,” said Stewart.  “He was truly an authentic and original hero and a civil rights icon.”

Reflecting on the contributions he made in ridding the nation of segregation and other evils, Stewart hailed Shuttlesworth as a “valiant and vibrant leader who was unrelenting in decrying injustice and urging that wrongs are righted. It was his lifelong mission and he was unyielding, uncompromising and unbending in his quest."

With admiration, Stewart noted that Shuttlesworth was one of the few who not only championed desegregation in Alabama but also stood up to the contempt and tactics of police chief Bull Connor. She said his outspokenness resulted in his church being bombed, his family being terrorized and in his being beaten while escorting his daughters to an all-white Birmingham high school.  Through it all, he remained defiant and more energized to fight for justice.

Stewart noted that even to his dying day, he was still engaged in the struggle for equality. For that reason, she pointed to Shuttlesworth as a "role model whose example should inspire us today as Alpha Kappa Alpha and those who aspire to protect our freedoms, mount a counteroffensive to current efforts to undo these long-fought-for gains.”

She noted that Shuttlesworth embodies the spirit of the Sorority's current theme: "Global Leadership Through Timeless Service," as he was a global leader who wielded considerable influence with his activism; and his contributions will always be timeless.

She extended condolences to his family, to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, of which he was a co-founder along with Dr. King and Dr. Abernathy; to Alabamans where he focused most of his work and where he achieved the most gains; and to the millions who benefited from his lifelong mission to make the world a better place -- for all.

She asked members of the Sorority to take a moment of silence to remember him and other civil rights leaders.

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