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| Civil rights activist and former NAACP Director Julian Bond passed away August 15, 2015. Photograph: Getty Images-Earl Gibson III |
In a career that spanned over 50 years, Julian Bond served as a civil rights activist, legislator, NAACP chairman and champion of equal rights for all Americans.
As a young man in the early 1960s, Bond became known for leading non-violent student protests against segregation in Atlanta. He was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1965, but due to his stance against the war in Vietnam, it took a U.S. Supreme Court decision for Bond to finally take his seat in 1967. In 1968 he was nominated for vice-president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, although he was too young to hold the position. In 1975 Bond went on to serve in the Georgia Senate until 1986.
In 1998 Bond became the chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where he served until 2010. He remained active throughout his life as a voice for any individual or group subjected to oppression or discrimination.
“Julian Bond stands as one of the great civil rights leaders of our time,” said IAM General Vice President Diane Babineaux. “His calm demeanor was unique during a turbulent time in our history. His influence on the progress towards true equality for everyone is immeasurable.”
Julian Bond was 75 at the time of his death.
