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WASHINGTON– On Tuesday, Charles Sherrod, the first field secretary of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and Civil Rights Movement pioneer, passed away at his home in Albany, GA. Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued the following statement:

“It is with great sadness that we recognize the passing of Charles Sherrod. We send our love and our prayers to his family and friends. Mr. Sherrod epitomized what it means to be a champion for civil rights and democracy. He led the Albany Civil Rights Movement with determination, grit, and grace. He never wavered from the values his strong Christian faith taught him. Mr. Sherrod was dedicated to achieving a more just America for Black people and all people of color for his entire life. In the 1960s, when the civil rights movement was at its apex, Mr. Sherrod was an essential part of SNCC, and its goal of using direct action to move the civil rights cause forward. He advocated for Black farmers and the larger movement for justice until he passed, inspiring Black leaders everywhere to act and lead in their communities. The Lawyers’ Committee will always be grateful for what Charles Sherrod and his generation of leaders did and how they led. We must rededicate ourselves to protecting their hard-won victories and continue to advance their vision of a better future for Black Americans and every American.”

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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to mobilize the nation’s leading lawyers as agents for change in the Civil Rights Movement. Today, the Lawyers’ Committee uses legal advocacy to achieve racial justice, fighting inside and outside the courts to ensure that Black people and other people of color have the voice, opportunity, and power to make the promises of our democracy real. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org