Civil Rights Leader Bernard Lafayette Jr. Dies at 85

Lafayette helped plan the historic Selma-to-Montgomery march and worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Bernard Lafayette Jr., a central figure in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, died at the age of 85 in his home in Tuskegee, Alabama. Lafayette played a key role in many pivotal events of the era, including desegregating Nashville lunch counters, participating in the Freedom Rides, and helping plan the Selma-to-Montgomery march for voting rights in 1965. He was a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. and worked alongside him in the Poor People's Campaign.

Why it matters

Lafayette's life and work were deeply intertwined with the most significant moments of the civil rights movement. As an organizer, strategist, and nonviolent activist, he helped shape the trajectory of the struggle for racial equality in America during a critical period of progress and upheaval.

The details

Lafayette was a 19-year-old seminary student when he joined the Nashville Student Movement and helped desegregate the city's downtown commercial district through sit-in campaigns. He later traveled to Alabama as part of the Freedom Riders, challenging segregation in interstate travel, and was arrested and imprisoned at the notorious Parchman Farm in Mississippi. Lafayette went on to become the director of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee's Alabama Voter Registration Project and helped lay the groundwork for the historic Selma-to-Montgomery march in 1965.

  • In early 1960, Lafayette and others started a sit-in campaign that led to the desegregation of Nashville's downtown commercial district.
  • In 1961, Lafayette was arrested and imprisoned at Parchman Farm in Mississippi after joining the Freedom Riders in Alabama.
  • In 1962, Lafayette became the director of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee's Alabama Voter Registration Project.
  • In early 1963, Lafayette and his wife Colia moved to Selma, Alabama, where their organizing efforts laid the groundwork for the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march.
  • On March 7, 1965, the first attempt at the Selma-to-Montgomery march, known as Bloody Sunday, took place.

The players

Bernard Lafayette Jr.

A central figure in the civil rights movement of the 1960s who helped desegregate Nashville lunch counters, participated in the Freedom Rides, and played a key role in planning the Selma-to-Montgomery march for voting rights.

Martin Luther King Jr.

The renowned civil rights leader with whom Lafayette worked closely, including on the Poor People's Campaign.

John Lewis

A fellow civil rights activist who, along with Lafayette, was involved in the Nashville Student Movement and the Selma-to-Montgomery march.

Diane Nash

A civil rights activist who, along with Lafayette, was part of the Nashville Student Movement that desegregated the city's downtown commercial district.

James Bevel

A civil rights activist who, along with Lafayette, was involved in the Nashville Student Movement.

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What they’re saying

“We didn't run; we didn't fight back. We got back up when slammed to the ground, and looked our attackers directly in the eyes, fighting violence with nonviolence.”

— Bernard Lafayette Jr. (In Peace and Freedom: My Journey in Selma)

“The last thing he said to me is that we needed to figure out a way to institutionalize and internationalize nonviolence. I had to figure out how I was going to fulfill Martin Luther King's last request.”

— Bernard Lafayette Jr. (Gannett News Service)

The takeaway

Lafayette's life and work exemplified the power of nonviolent resistance and organizing in the civil rights movement. His commitment to the cause and his close collaboration with leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. made him a pivotal figure in some of the most significant events that advanced the struggle for racial equality in America.