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literacy test to become a registered voter. In 1949 Lewis was hired to lead a program created by the
Montgomery School Board in an agreement with the Veterans Administration that offered job training classes for black veterans. In 1952 Lewis founded the Citizens Club, a social club aimed to assist the black community with matters of voter registration. In 1954 Lewis worked with
167:
The family lived on
Bolivar Street in Montgomery, Alabama at the home of William Clayton following his passing. The street has since been renamed Rufus A. Lewis Ln and the family home is now the residence of Lewis' granddaughter, Ms. Karen Dawkins. Jule Clayton Lewis passed away in 1958 following a car accident.
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Lewis first became active in the voter registration movement in 1938 when he went to work with students in the “Citizenship Club” at
Alabama State Laboratory High School. During the early 40s, Lewis set up schools and clinics to teach community members, especially veterans, to fill out the required
166:
on
November 30, 1906. He was the fourth and last child of Lula and Jerry Lewis. He had three older sisters: Roberta, Janie, and Corrine. Lewis married in 1935 to Jule Adelaide Clayton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William and Frazzie Clayton. They had one child, a daughter, Mrs. Eleanor Lewis Dawkins.
223:
in 1941. Although he was called to serve in the war, a prior injury resulting from a car accident made him ineligible. He went on to spend two years working with the
National Defense Project as a civilian. After the war ended, Lewis established classes for black Montgomery residents who wanted to
302:(ADC). Lewis was the first president of the Montgomery County Democratic Conference, 2nd Congressional District of the Democratic Conference. He was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Montgomery Community Action Committee. He later attended the official signing of the
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183:. Lewis was involved in athletics at the high school and college level, participating in both football and baseball. After junior college, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee to attend University. Lewis graduated from
330:
In 1994, one of
Montgomery's libraries was renamed Rufus A. Lewis Regional Library in his honor. The street that he and his wife lived on for many years was also changed from Bolivar Lane to Rufus A. Lewis Lane.
286:. He served on the organization's executive committee and was chairman of the transportation committee and the voter registration committee. At the organization's first meeting, Lewis nominated
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Lewis received his early education in
Montgomery County where no public high school program was available to black children at the time. As a teenager, he attended
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where he worked as the athletic coach and librarian. In 1943, Lewis, a charter member of the graduate chapter of Alpha
Upsilon Lambda chapter of
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Lewis’ early work as a civil rights activist lead to a successful political career later in life. In 1960 he co-founded the
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to organize the
Citizen Coordinating Committee to advance efforts in civic consciousness and get people registered to vote.
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Dividing Lines: Municipal
Politics and the Struggle for Civil Rights in Montgomery, Birmingham, and Selma
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The Thunder of Angels: The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the People Who Broke the Back of Jim Crow
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The Civil Rights Movement in America: From Black Nationalism to the Women's Political Council
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154:(November 30, 1906 – August 19, 1999) was an American civil rights activist and politician.
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Rufus Lewis returned to Alabama after graduating where he taught for one year at the
705:. Washington University Libraries, Film and Media Archive, Henry Hampton Collection.
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Interview with Rufus Lewis, conducted by Blackside, Inc. on October 31, 1985, for
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Alabama's Civil Rights Trail: An Illustrated Guide to the Cradle of Freedom
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Becoming King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Making of a National Leader
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of the Middle District of Alabama. He worked in this role until 1981.
1305:
Democratic Party members of the Alabama House of Representatives
892:
753:
The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute
786:"Montgomery Improvement Association (1955–1969) • BlackPast"
211:(1932-1933). In 1933 Rufus Lewis became a faculty member at
703:
Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years (1954-1965)
639:"Rufus Lewis Collection | Trenholm State Community College"
594: Conference division title or championship game berth
268:. His discussion centers on the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
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187:in 1931 with a degree in Business Administration.
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372:Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
38:Alabama House of Representatives
1285:Activists for African-American civil rights
921:Alabama State Hornets head football coaches
53:November 8, 1976 – October 7, 1977
1275:20th-century African-American sportspeople
911:
897:
889:
318:appointed Lewis to become the first Black
20:
1295:Coaches of American football from Alabama
1265:20th-century African-American politicians
668:Thornton, J. Mills (September 25, 2002).
723:. University Press of Kentucky. p.
586: National championship
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228:they were required to complete to vote.
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1290:Alabama State Hornets football coaches
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181:Alabama State Teachers' Junior College
1315:Sportspeople from Montgomery, Alabama
815:. Chicago Review Press. p. 184.
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1310:Politicians from Montgomery, Alabama
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177:Alabama State Laboratory High School
590: Conference title
1280:Activists from Montgomery, Alabama
280:Montgomery Improvement Association
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1270:20th-century American legislators
310:. In 1976, he was elected to the
1325:20th-century Alabama politicians
1005:Professor Kilpatrick (1917–1918)
312:Alabama House of Representatives
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16:American activist and politician
855:. University of Alabama Press.
674:. University of Alabama Press.
162:Rufus Andrew Lewis was born in
592:
588:
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213:Alabama State Teachers College
197:Conecuh County Training School
1:
300:Alabama Democratic Conference
278:and a founding member of the
1235:# denotes interim head coach
276:Dexter Avenue Baptist Church
262:“Interview with Rufus Lewis”
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840:. AFL CIO. pp. 182–4.
217:Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
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811:Williams, Donnie (2007).
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304:Voting Rights Act of 1965
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203:(1931-1932) and then at
851:Gaillard, Frye (2010).
205:People's Village School
1320:United States Marshals
1300:Fisk University alumni
715:Jackson, Troy (2008).
316:President Jimmy Carter
288:Martin Luther King Jr.
284:Montgomery bus boycott
42:from the 77th district
643:www.trenholmstate.edu
366:Alabama State Hornets
1107:Whitney L. Van Cleve
836:Levy, Peter (2015).
757:Stanford, California
335:Head coaching record
282:which organized the
792:. December 16, 2009
761:Stanford University
340:
274:He was a member of
164:Montgomery, Alabama
109:Montgomery, Alabama
92:Montgomery, Alabama
1059:George H. Lockhart
1027:Bertrand C. Jacobs
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209:Mt. Meigs, Alabama
201:Evergreen, Alabama
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1083:Arthur E. Simmons
958:Theodore Bradford
942:Theodore Bradford
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326:Honors and awards
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266:Eyes on the Prize
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89:November 30, 1906
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1211:Donald Hill-Eley
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74:Personal details
64:Charles Langford
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251:External videos
239:Jo Ann Robinson
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185:Fisk University
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158:Life and family
132:Fisk University
116:Political party
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102:August 19, 1999
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874:External links
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862:978-0817355814
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822:978-1556526763
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763:. May 17, 2017
749:"Lewis, Rufus"
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734:978-0813125206
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359:Bowl/playoffs
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290:as president.
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152:Rufus A. Lewis
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106:(aged 92)
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35:Member of the
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1155:Willie Parker
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1139:Willie Parker
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1123:Willie Parker
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1115:Henry Holbert
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1147:Ron Mitchell
1099:Marino Casem
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1019:Ralph Harris
1010:
989:
973:
966:J. A. Welton
949:
933:
884:Find a Grave
852:
846:
837:
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794:. Retrieved
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765:. Retrieved
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646:. Retrieved
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320:U.S. Marshal
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273:
235:
221:World War II
194:
174:
161:
151:
150:
104:(1999-08-19)
59:Succeeded by
48:
18:
1260:1999 deaths
1255:1906 births
1213:(2017–2021)
1205:(2015–2017)
1197:(2007–2014)
1189:(2003–2006)
1187:Charles Coe
1181:(2000–2002)
1173:(1998–1999)
1165:(1987–1997)
1133:(1976–1983)
1125:(1973–1975)
1117:(1969–1972)
1109:(1964–1968)
1085:(1952–1961)
1077:(1949–1951)
1069:(1945–1948)
1045:(1934–1942)
1037:(1929–1933)
1029:(1926–1928)
1021:(1921–1925)
1013:(1919–1920)
1000:(1914–1916)
992:(1912–1913)
984:(1909–1911)
976:(1906–1908)
377:(1934–1942)
314:. In 1977
308:White House
243:E. D. Nixon
141:Businessman
25:Rufus Lewis
1249:Categories
1179:L. C. Cole
1067:John Brown
1051:John Brown
602:References
353:Conference
138:Profession
127:Alma mater
120:Democratic
85:1906-11-30
998:John Hope
982:John Hope
790:BlackPast
356:Standing
224:pass the
171:Education
49:In office
1229:(2022– )
1221:# (2021)
1149:# (1985)
796:June 10,
767:June 10,
648:June 10,
350:Overall
232:Activism
1011:No team
990:No team
974:Unknown
950:No team
934:Unknown
575:40–35–9
561:40–35–9
306:at the
1157:(1986)
1141:(1984)
1101:(1963)
1093:(1962)
1061:(1944)
1053:(1943)
968:(1905)
960:(1904)
952:(1903)
944:(1902)
936:(1901)
859:
819:
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678:
571:Total:
191:Career
111:, U.S.
94:, U.S.
488:6–2–2
469:4–4–1
430:5–2–3
410:8–2–1
391:4–4–2
347:Team
344:Year
264:from
857:ISBN
817:ISBN
798:2019
769:2019
729:ISBN
676:ISBN
650:2019
538:1942
519:1941
500:1940
481:1939
462:1938
443:1937
423:1936
403:1935
384:1934
241:and
99:Died
79:Born
882:at
545:0–7
526:4–4
507:6–3
450:3–7
435:1st
415:1st
207:in
199:in
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370:(
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83:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.