ATLANTA, Ga., July 9, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) National, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, AD King Foundation, Rosa Parks Consortium, and other organizations in the civil rights community will convene for a two-day celebration of the life of Rev. Frederick Douglass Taylor, a revered leader in the civil rights movement and former lieutenant to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks. Rev. Timothy McDonald III and Rev. Dr. T. DeWitt Smith, Jr. will preside, with remarks from Ambassador Andrew Young. The public is encouraged to attend.

Civil Rights Leader Rev. Fred Taylor
Photo caption: Civil Rights Leader Rev. Fred Taylor was known for using his megaphone to fire up marchers.

CONTACT: MEDIA please RSVP to Edrea Davis via edmedia@dogonvillage.com or text 818.613.9521. Local leaders are available to talk about the tribute and Rev. Taylor’s life of service.

:: THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2024

Lying in Repose:
Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Ebenezer Horizon Sanctuary, 101 Jackson St, Atlanta, GA 30312

March Assembly:
Time: 5:00 PM
Starting Location: SCLC Headquarters, 320 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
Route: The celebration will commence with a march from SCLC National Headquarters to Ebenezer Horizon Church. Participants will assemble at 5:00 PM at SCLC, proceed to The King Center, pausing in front of Martin and Coretta Scott King’s grave site, and then continue to Ebenezer Horizon Sanctuary.

Memorial Service:
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Ebenezer Horizon Sanctuary, 101 Jackson St, Atlanta, GA 30312
Presiding: Rev. Timothy McDonald III, Senior Pastor of First Iconium Baptist Church and former SCLC staffer
Remarks by: Ambassador Andrew Young

:: FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2024

Public Viewing:
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: West Hunter Street Baptist Church, 1040 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

Celebration of Life Service:
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: West Hunter Street Baptist Church, 1040 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW, Atlanta, GA 30310
Presiding: Rev. Dr. T. DeWitt Smith, Jr.

ABOUT REV. FRED D. TAYLOR:

Rev. Fred D. Taylor was born on October 23, 1942, in Autauga County, Alabama, and spent his early years on a plantation. At age thirteen, he met Dr. Ralph David Abernathy and became actively involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rev. Taylor graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1961, earned his undergraduate degree at Alabama State College, and received his Master of Divinity from the Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1969, he joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and served in various roles over four decades, working closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Dr. Joseph Lowery, and Rev. James Orange, among others. Even after retiring from the SCLC in 2007, Rev. Taylor remained a vocal advocate during the Black Lives Matter Movement, helped get out the vote (GOTV) in Georgia, and volunteered with Georgia Stand Up and Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda. Rev. Taylor died June 21, 2024 at the age of 81-years-old.

Note: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Rev. Taylor to:
A.D. King Memorial Fund
Memo: Rev. Fred Taylor Memorial Fund
2505 Creel Road, Suite A, Atlanta, GA 30349

News Source: Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda