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September 17, 2024

Rev. Frederick Douglass Taylor

By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU

An Alabama State University alumnus who was noted for his stand and leadership during the modern Civil Rights Movement (Movement) and beyond has passed. The Rev. Frederick Douglass Taylor (ASU 1965) was 81 years-old. 

A native of Prattville, Alabama, Rev. Taylor was the associate pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga. He served in various positions within Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and was an aide to a number of well-known figures within the Movement, including Dr. King, Rosa Parks, Rev. Ralph David Abernathy (ASU 1950) and others. 

Rev. Abernathy was Taylor’s childhood pastor when his family attended the First Baptist “Brick-a-Day” Church in Montgomery. It was Abernathy who inspired Taylor to join the Movement. 

As a child, Taylor participated in the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956. In his later life, Taylor protested apartheid in South Africa, supported voting drives in Georgia and volunteered with Georgia Stand Up.

The Atlanta City Council wrote the following about Taylor upon hearing of his passing: "He was a beacon of courage and leadership during the Civil Rights Movement. His relentless advocacy inspired many to organize and exercise their rights to protest peacefully."