Civil rights leader dies at 90
Co-founder of Southern Christian Leadership Conference was 'genuine and authentic person'
NEW ORLEANS — The Rev. Simmie Lee Harvey, a civil rights stalwart who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and helped plan the March on Washington in 1963, has died. He was 90.
Harvey died Sept. 10 of complications from a stroke, according to Rhodes Funeral Home of New Orleans. He had been hospitalized for about two weeks before his death.
Harvey was a co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which was created in 1957 by King and other leaders from across the South with the purpose of advancing racial equality.
"Rev. Harvey was one of the original leaders of SCLC," Dr. Joseph Lowery, a former president of the group for 20 years said in a statement. "He was a genuine and authentic person. He wore the badge of SCLC on his coat and in his heart."
Harvey helped plan the March on Washington, which culminated with King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
Harvey was born in Jacksonville, Fla., and grew up in St. Joseph, La. He graduated from the Utica Institute in Utica, Miss., and earned master's and doctoral degrees from Union Baptist College and Theological Seminary.
The SCLC said one of Harvey's last public appearances was in July at the group's 50th annual convention in New Orleans — the city where the group was founded.
Harvey "passionately pleaded for everyone in the room to recommit themselves to the civil rights movement," the group said in a statement on its Web site. "He spoke of the hardships, trials and tribulations that he had to endure while fighting for justice and equality throughout this country.
The group's current president and chief executive officer, Charles Steele Jr., said in a statement that Harvey was one of the most effective civil rights leaders of his time. "He was somebody who could captivate you with his stories of the movement," Steele said.
Harvey was presiding at a meeting of the Research Missionary Baptist Association when he suffered the stroke, the Rev. Norwood Thompson, a longtime friend, told The Times-Picayune.
Harvey worked as a longshoreman and was pastor of Zion Travelers First Baptist Church, Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church and Second New Light Missionary Baptist Church. He joined Mount Moriah in 1959 and became its pastor in 1967.
He is survived by his wife, Marion Harvey; four sons, eight daughters, 35 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild.
Funeral services were scheduled Saturday at Israelite Baptist Church in New Orleans. Harvey's body was to lie in repose Friday at Gallier Hall on historic St. Charles Avenue.
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Comments
This article has 5 comment(s)
Posted by eyfigueroa on September 21, 2008 at 9:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wish that the younger generation of Blacks and Hispanics could go back in time and see what their grandparents had to go through to get what so many had taken for granted.
Dignity
If they TRULY knew what life was like when they wouldn't have been able to go to the schools they wanted to. Drink from ANY water fountains, shop & eat in ANY store or move into certain neighborhoods.
If they knew of the ultimate sacrifices of Blacks and Whites to help secure civil rights, perhaps some of them would look at their lives as a precious gift and not squander it away by dropping out of school and engaging in illegal activities.
There are MANY minorities that are doing great and wonderful things in this world. But unfortunately there is a growing number of those who fail to see just how wonderful life is or can be simply because they do not know of their TRUE history.
Rest in peace Reverend Harvey. Thank you for your service to America.
Posted by soul2soul on September 22, 2008 at 10:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I ego your comment eyfigueroa, if only they knew.......
I respect and honor those who fought, died and worked so diligently for the next generation to come just so we can have it so much easier than they did. When my father speaks of his humble beginnings, he does it without complaining they worked with what they had, in his words it has made him the humble person that he is today.
RIP Mr. Simmie Lee Harvey your living was surely not in vain. Its people like you that has made life easier for people like me.
Posted by soul2soul on September 22, 2008 at 10:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm sorry that should've been "echo"
Posted by Lovely_One on September 22, 2008 at 5:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I had my kids watch videos of acts from the civil rights error. That included marches, sit ins, hangings, police brutality against Blacks and any one who dared stand with and for us, Emmit Till before and after his death, protests, segragated restrooms and water fountains and schools, and many more things. My 11 year old son was tearing up while we were watching these things. My husband and I are working together to make sure they all understand what people went through to make sure they were afforded the things they have today.
We want them to realize that things were not as easy as they are today and that people actually died in order for them to have it the way they have it. We explained to them that not taking advantage of all of those things (education, voting-when old enough to, etc) they are spitting in the faces of all of those people.
We explained that if they engage in anything that is degrading to them as a person or that degrades someone else they are no better than the people that tried to hold "us" back and keep us down. We make sure we teach them about people other than MLK, Jr. and Rosa Parks. We want them to know that many, many people wanted them to have the things that they were not allowed.
RIP Rev. Harvey. Your service is greatly appreciated!
Posted by eyfigueroa on September 24, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Amen Lovely!