Famed civil rights lawyer Fred Gray Sr. will be receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, according to a statement by the White House.
On July 7, the former Alabama State Representative will be presented with the award alongside the other 16 nominees which include Simone Biles, Denzel Washington, Sandra Lindsay, Diane Nash, Steve Jobs and Megan Rapinoe.
“It speaks volumes to Civil Rights workers who have devoted their talents and resources toward improving the quality of life of Americans in this country; and it speaks directly to African Americans in general,” said Gray in a statement about his award.
In addition to his career in the House of Representatives, Gray is being recognized for his work in the Civil Rights Movement, representing prominent figures such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. amongst others.
In 1955, fresh out of law school at the age of 25, Gray became a part of the movement when he personally represented both Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks following their arrests for refusing to give up their bus seats.
Along with his role serving as lead counsel and filing the petition for the Browder v. Gayle case, Gray played a key role during the Montgomery Boycott and the desegregation of buses in Alabama as the legal advisor for the Montgomery Improvement Association.
In addition to his work protecting the NAACP and serving as a personal lawyer for Dr. King Jr., Gray is also known for filing the case for Lee v Macon County Board of Education, the case whose 1967 decision helped integrate the remaining Alabama schools.
“When I filed the various civil rights cases from 1955 to date, I was concerned about African Americans receiving the same constitutional rights as all other Americans,” said Gray in his statement. “We have made substantial progress but the struggle for the elimination of racism and for equal justice continues.”
“I hope this award will encourage other Americans to do what they can to complete the task so that all American citizens will be treated the same, equally and fairly, in accordance with the Constitution,” he added.
The campaign to award Gray with the medal was spearheaded by Rep. Terri Sewell, D-District 7 and her office. In Jan. 2021, Sewell sent President Biden a letter urging him to bestow Gray with the honor. Since then, she has worked to get endorsements for the idea from groups such as the National Bar Association and the Southern Poverty Law Center amongst others. In December, on Gray’s 91st birthday, the representative also publicly spoke in favor of the idea on the House Floor.
“Attorney Gray is one of the most consequential civil rights lawyers of our time, having represented Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, and the Foot Soldiers,” said Sewell in a statement.“From the very beginning, I’ve known that there is no one more deserving of our nation’s highest civilian honor than Attorney Gray whose trailblazing work helped end segregation and advance a more equitable future.”
