Ralph Abernathy

Biography

Ralph David Abernathy Sr., a civil rights activist and Baptist minister, was born on March 11, 1926, in Lindon, Alabama. He was a close friend and mentor of Martin Luther King Jr., collaborating with him to create the Montgomery Improvement Association and leading key events like the Poor People's Campaign. As president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference after King's assassination, Abernathy championed world peace and advocated for disenfranchised Americans.