Ray Robinson (activist) facts for kids

Perry Ray Robinson (born September 12, 1937) was an African-American activist. He worked for equal rights during the Civil Rights Movement. Ray Robinson went missing around April 25, 1973. This happened while he was helping with a protest by the American Indian Movement (AIM). The protest was called the Wounded Knee incident in South Dakota.

Early Life of Ray Robinson

Ray Robinson was born on September 12, 1937. His hometown was Bogue Chitto, Alabama. He went to schools that were separated by race back then. Ray was strong and good at sports. He even became a boxer for a while.

Ray Robinson's Activism

After boxing, Ray Robinson became a civil rights activist. He followed the ideas of Martin Luther King, Jr..

Marching for Rights

Ray took part in the 1963 March on Washington. This was a very important event for civil rights. He heard Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech there.

Ray also helped organize "Resurrection City" in 1968. This was a camp set up in Washington Mall. It was meant to show how hard life was for poor people in the United States.

A True Soldier for Freedom

People who knew Ray said he was very brave. Bradford Lyttle, who started the United States Pacifist Party, said Ray was "willing to take risks." He always put himself forward to help.

Rose Sanders, a judge in Alabama, called Ray a "true soldier." She said he was a "true liberator." This meant he really believed everyone should be free.

Family and New Causes

In the late 1960s, Ray supported the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW). This group was against the war in Vietnam.

In 1966, Ray met Cheryl Buswell at an anti-war rally. They later got married. Cheryl left college to join the political movements. She and Ray moved to Selma, Alabama. They worked to help people with education and food. They had three children together.

Supporting Native American Rights

In 1973, Ray learned about the occupation of Wounded Knee. This protest was led by the American Indian Movement (AIM). AIM activists were protesting government policies. They asked for support from others.

Ray decided to go to Wounded Knee to help. He wanted to connect the fight for rights for African Americans with the fight for rights for Native Americans. Four African Americans from Alabama went to Pine Ridge. Only three of them came back.

Ray Robinson's Disappearance

Cheryl Robinson never saw her husband again after he left for Wounded Knee. She reported him missing to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In 1974, Cheryl tried to find out more about what happened. She visited AIM offices in Rapid City, South Dakota, and St. Paul, Minnesota. But she could not learn much about her husband's fate. Ray Robinson was later officially declared dead. However, his body has never been found.

Ray Robinson's Legacy

Ray Robinson's family still remembers him. He is survived by his wife, Cheryl Buswell-Robinson. He also has three children: Desiree Mark, Tamara Kamara, and J. Marc Robinson.