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Roy Reed: Julian Bond, Former N.A.A.C.P. Chairman And Civil Rights Leader, Dies At 75
Julian Bond, a former chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a charismatic figure of the 1960s civil rights movement, a lightning rod of the anti-Vietnam War campaign and a lifelong champion of equal rights for minorities, died on Saturday night, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. He was 75. Mr. Bond died in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., after a brief illness, the center said in a statement Sunday morning. He was one of the original leaders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, while he was a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta. He moved from the militancy of the student group to the top leadership of the establishmentarian N.A.A.C.P. Along the way, he was a writer, poet, television commentator, lecturer, college teacher, and persistent opponent of the stubborn remnants of white supremacy.
He also served for 20 years in the Georgia Legislature, mostly in conspicuous isolation from white colleagues who saw him as an interloper and a rabble-rouser. Mr. Bond’s wit, cool personality and youthful face became familiar to millions of television viewers during the 1960s and 1970s; he was described as dashing, handsome and urbane. On the strength of his personality and quick intellect, he moved to the center of the civil rights action in Atlanta, the unofficial capital of the movement, at the height of the struggle for racial equality in the early 1960s. Moving beyond demonstrations, he became a founder, with Morris Dees, of the Southern Poverty Law Center, a legal advocacy organization in Montgomery, Ala. Mr. Bond was its president from 1971 to 1979 and remained on its board for the rest of his life.
When he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1965 — along with seven other black members — furious white members of the House refused to let him take his seat, accusing him of disloyalty. He was already well known because of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee’s stand against the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. That touched off a national drama that ended in 1966, when the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision ordered the legislature to seat him, saying it had denied him freedom of speech. He went on to serve 20 years in the two houses of the legislature. As a lawmaker, he sponsored bills to establish a sickle cell anemia testing program and to provide low-interest home loans to low-income Georgians. He also helped create a majority-black congressional district in Atlanta.
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Julian Bond, a former N.A.A.C.P. chairman and civil rights leader, has died at 75 nyti.ms/1Nyin6h http://t.co/w3qHEqfT9G
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The New York Times (@nytimes) August 16, 2025The NAACP mourns the passing of Chairman Julian Bond, civil rights titan and our brother. May he rest in eternal peace.
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NAACP (@NAACP) August 16, 2025****
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Julian Bond was one of a kind. We worked together in the Civil Rights Movement and he became one of my closest and dearest friends.
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John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) August 16, 2025We went through a difficult period during our campaign for Congress in 1986, but many years ago we emerged even closer.
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John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) August 16, 2025****
Julian was so smart, so gifted, and so talented. He was deeply committed to making our country a better country.
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John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) August 16, 2025Julian Bond's leadership and his spirit will be deeply missed.
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John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) August 16, 2025****
"Julian Bond helped change this country for the better. And what better way to be remembered than that." —@POTUS: http://t.co/Td1ig20iSz
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The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 16, 2025Julian Bond & @repjohnlewis registering black voters in the South in early 1970s with the Voter Education Project http://t.co/UDdPDQeQCA
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Ari Berman (@AriBerman) August 16, 2025****
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Julian Bond at the GA State House when the assembly voted to bar him from his seat due to his anti-war stance, 1966. http://t.co/JagdvAeNtg
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Robert Greene II (@robgreeneII) August 16, 2025Julian Bond's lifetime can't be summarized in a Tweet. All we can say is thank you & a job well done. Rest in power. http://t.co/3tJlOxEEX5
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Justice League NYC (@NYjusticeleague) August 16, 2025****
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We’re very sad to announce the passing of civil rights icon Julian Bond. We’ve lost a champion sp.lc/QX8aB http://t.co/FIuuSnL8lz
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SPLC (@splcenter) August 16, 2025Remembering Julian Bond: profile of the civil rights leader before his 30th birthday in 1970. nyti.ms/1DVg4dC http://t.co/qI1dBmJk9C
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NYT Archives (@NYTArchives) August 16, 2025****
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1989: Julian Bond delivered the dedication speech at the @CivilRightsCntr in Montgomery. Read: sp.lc/QXshR http://t.co/ftZygctUZm
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SPLC (@splcenter) August 16, 2025Civil Rights Icon & Longtime @NAACP executive Julian Bond has passed. MLK to President @BarackObama #inspiration http://t.co/a1lz60uBlK
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ESHE MAGAZINE (@ESHEmagazine) August 16, 2025****
You can watch parts 2-6 by clicking on the video and watching it on Youtube
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#JulianBond, a friend & fellow traveler who with courage, set the moral & academic tone of our generation. RIP http://t.co/V2OKZMYNiW
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Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) August 16, 2025Sad to hear that Julian Bond (civil rights activist/NAACP board chairman) has passed away. Condolences to his family. http://t.co/1ORiclI6p0
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Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) August 16, 2025****
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See civil rights leader Julian Bond's life in photos ti.me/1HPsgr7
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TIME.com (@TIME) August 16, 2025So profoundly sad to learn of the passing of the great Julian Bond. nbcnews.com/news/us-news/j… - he was equal parts kind, brilliant and fierce.
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Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) August 16, 2025****
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Civil rights icon Julian Bond dies age 75 - cbsn.ws/1JZPHnP http://t.co/5z3kaWT5CX
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CBS News (@CBSNews) August 16, 2025Civil rights activist Julian Bond is dead at 75 ti.me/1UM1PvR
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TIME.com (@TIME) August 16, 2025****
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Farewell to Julian Bond. http://t.co/zreHheBFyy
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Yakyu Night Owl (@YakyuNightOwl) August 16, 2025And here's an image of Paul Robeson with Julian Bond as a young boy. http://t.co/1ctmHi6oBV
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Robert Greene II (@robgreeneII) August 16, 2025****
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We have lost a civil rights giant in Julian Bond. And the best way to honor his memory is to pass the Voting Rights Act.
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Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) August 16, 2025Julian Bond, Civil Rights icon, has passed away at the age of 75. RIP. http://t.co/nkZMLUGwKX
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Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) August 16, 2025
