Abraham Woods
Encyclopedia
Abraham Woods was an American
civil rights
leader, who helped coordinate the 1963 March on Washington, D.C.
and stood behind Martin Luther King, Jr.
during his historic speech.
Abraham Lincoln Woods, Jr. was born on October 7, 1928 in Birmingham, Alabama
. He was one of 11 children born to his parents, Rev. Abraham Woods Sr. and the former Maggie Wallace. He attended Morehouse College
with Martin Luther King, Jr., and later received a Bachelor of Theology
at Birmingham Baptist College, a bachelor's in sociology at Miles College
and a master's degree from the University of Alabama
in American history.
He had been pastor of the First Metropolitan Baptist Church in the early 1960s and led the St. Joseph Baptist Church starting in 1967 as its pastor.
In addition to his service as the president of the Birmingham chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
, Woods would often lead community marches to protest community violence, police shootings and slumlord
s. Woods was one of the coordinators of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
and stood behind Martin Luther King, Jr.
during his I Have a Dream
speech on August 28, delivered to a crowd of 250,000 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial
.
Little more than two weeks after Dr. King's speech, Woods was at the site of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing
minutes after the explosion resulted in the deaths of four girls. "They found shoes. Finally they found bodies. You could smell the human flesh." he told The New York Times
. While Ku Klux Klan
member Robert Chambliss had been convicted in 1977, a new investigation spurred by Rev. Woods' efforts led to the conviction of Thomas Blanton and Bobby Frank Cherry
, two other Klan members, who were found guilty by state juries of all four murders and sentenced to life in prison.
Woods helped bring attention to the issue of segregation at country clubs, staging protests that the 1990 PGA Championship
, one of professional golf's four major tournaments, was going to be played at the Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club near Birmingham, which at the time had no black members. The PGA considered moving the tournament to a new site but reached a compromise with the club in which a local insurance executive was invited to become an honorary member with full membership privileges. The PGA and USGA changed rules regarding course selection, requiring clubs that hosted events to meet inclusive membership requirements.
In 1997, Woods had been invited to a Promise Keepers
luncheon that had been extended to him by a white Federal Bureau of Investigation
agent, but was reluctant to attend as he perceived it to be "a white male organization". He attended despite his misgivings and was impressed by the number of the organization's top officers who were black.
Introducing himself at a 2004 news conference staged to protest an unjust police shooting, Woods stated that he had "sometimes been called a troublemaker in the city of Birmingham, an agitator
," but turned the word around by noting that he didn't resent the title of "agitator" because he could recall that "the little old lady said if a washing machine didn't have an agitator, then it wouldn't get the clothes clean."
Woods died at age 80 on November 7, 2008 at Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, having battled cancer for several years.
He is buried in Elmwood Cemetery
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
leader, who helped coordinate the 1963 March on Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and stood behind Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
during his historic speech.
Abraham Lincoln Woods, Jr. was born on October 7, 1928 in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. He was one of 11 children born to his parents, Rev. Abraham Woods Sr. and the former Maggie Wallace. He attended Morehouse College
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
with Martin Luther King, Jr., and later received a Bachelor of Theology
Bachelor of Theology
The Bachelor of Theology is a three to five year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines. Candidates for this degree typically must complete course work in Greek or Hebrew, as well as systematic theology, biblical theology, ethics, homiletics and Christian ministry...
at Birmingham Baptist College, a bachelor's in sociology at Miles College
Miles College
Miles College is a historically black college founded in 1898. It is located in Fairfield, Alabama, which is six miles west of Birmingham, Alabama. It is a private liberal arts institution of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church...
and a master's degree from the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in American history.
He had been pastor of the First Metropolitan Baptist Church in the early 1960s and led the St. Joseph Baptist Church starting in 1967 as its pastor.
In addition to his service as the president of the Birmingham chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is an African-American civil rights organization. SCLC was closely associated with its first president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
, Woods would often lead community marches to protest community violence, police shootings and slumlord
Slumlord
A slumlord is a derogatory term for landlords, generally absentee landlords, who attempt to maximize profit by minimizing spending on property maintenance, often in deteriorating neighborhoods. They may need to charge lower than market rent to tenants...
s. Woods was one of the coordinators of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was the largest political rally for human rights in United States history and called for civil and economic rights for African Americans. It took place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr...
and stood behind Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
during his I Have a Dream
I Have a Dream
"I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination...
speech on August 28, delivered to a crowd of 250,000 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
.
Little more than two weeks after Dr. King's speech, Woods was at the site of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
The 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama was bombed on Sunday, September 15, 1963. The explosion at the African-American church, which killed four girls, marked a turning point in the U.S...
minutes after the explosion resulted in the deaths of four girls. "They found shoes. Finally they found bodies. You could smell the human flesh." he told The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. While Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
member Robert Chambliss had been convicted in 1977, a new investigation spurred by Rev. Woods' efforts led to the conviction of Thomas Blanton and Bobby Frank Cherry
Bobby Frank Cherry
Bobby Frank Cherry was an American white supremacist and Klansman who was convicted of murder in 2002 for his role in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963...
, two other Klan members, who were found guilty by state juries of all four murders and sentenced to life in prison.
Woods helped bring attention to the issue of segregation at country clubs, staging protests that the 1990 PGA Championship
1990 PGA Championship
The 1990 PGA Championship was the 72nd PGA Championship held from August 9-12 at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama. Wayne Grady won his first major championship by three strokes over Fred Couples.-Final leaderboard:-External links:*...
, one of professional golf's four major tournaments, was going to be played at the Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club near Birmingham, which at the time had no black members. The PGA considered moving the tournament to a new site but reached a compromise with the club in which a local insurance executive was invited to become an honorary member with full membership privileges. The PGA and USGA changed rules regarding course selection, requiring clubs that hosted events to meet inclusive membership requirements.
In 1997, Woods had been invited to a Promise Keepers
Promise Keepers
Promise Keepers is an international conservative Christian organization for men. While it originated in the United States, it is now world-wide...
luncheon that had been extended to him by a white Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
agent, but was reluctant to attend as he perceived it to be "a white male organization". He attended despite his misgivings and was impressed by the number of the organization's top officers who were black.
Introducing himself at a 2004 news conference staged to protest an unjust police shooting, Woods stated that he had "sometimes been called a troublemaker in the city of Birmingham, an agitator
Agitator
An agitator is a person who actively supports some ideology or movement with speeches and especially actions. The Agitators were a political movement as well as elected representatives of soldiers, including the New Model Army of Oliver Cromwell, during the English Civil War. They were also known...
," but turned the word around by noting that he didn't resent the title of "agitator" because he could recall that "the little old lady said if a washing machine didn't have an agitator, then it wouldn't get the clothes clean."
Woods died at age 80 on November 7, 2008 at Princeton Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham, having battled cancer for several years.
He is buried in Elmwood Cemetery
Elmwood Cemetery (Birmingham, Alabama)
Elmwood Cemetery is a cemetery established in 1900 in Birmingham, Alabama northwest of Homewood by a group of fraternal organizations. It was renamed in 1906 and gradually eclipsed Oak Hill Cemetery as the most prominent burial place in the city...
.