Rodney N. Powell facts for kids

Rodney Norman Powell, born in 1935, is a well-known leader who fought for civil rights and for the rights of LGBTQ people. He was an important part of the Nashville Student Movement.

Early Life and Education

Rodney Powell grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents were Raymond and Norma Powell. His family faced poverty during his childhood. His father worked many different jobs, like driving, carpentry, and other labor. His mother helped the family by working as a seamstress.

Rodney had three siblings. He felt a strong responsibility to do well in school. He took on odd jobs, like making deliveries for a Jewish delicatessen, to save money for college. Around age 10, Powell realized he was gay. He spent his youth involved in the Boy Scouts and playing the violin. One day, on his way home from school, he used his violin case to defend himself from a group of kids.

He attended Saint Joseph's University, a Catholic school, for his first degree. He graduated with high honors. After that, he went to Meharry Medical College, an all-black college known as an HBCU. He hoped to find a "more authentic black experience" there. However, it was not what he expected. He wanted to join the Civil Rights Movement, but he felt the school and students were more interested in social events than activism.

Fighting for Civil Rights

Rodney Powell's journey in the Civil Rights Movement began in 1957. This was after he moved to Nashville, Tennessee. He joined other important leaders like Diane Nash, James Bevel, and Bernard Lafayette. They learned about nonviolent resistance from James Lawson. Their training followed the peaceful teachings of Martin Luther King Jr..

This group became known as the Nashville Student Movement. They started the Nashville sit-ins. These protests helped to end segregation at lunch counters in Nashville. This made Nashville one of the first big cities to do so. During these protests, Powell sometimes found it hard to stay nonviolent. When he felt angry, Reverend C. T. Vivian would tell him to "Go back to church and renew yourself to nonviolence."

Rodney and his future wife, Gloria Johnson, even agreed not to protest together. They worried they might not stay nonviolent if the other person was attacked. Powell worked closely with Diane Nash to organize the 1961 Freedom Rides. However, he could not join the rides himself. His school threatened to take away his medical degree if he participated. Martin Luther King Jr. had told the group it was important for them to finish their education. He said there was a great need for black doctors in their communities.

After their work in the Civil Rights Movement, Johnson and Powell joined the Peace Corps. They traveled to Africa to help others.

Standing Up for LGBTQ Rights

The Equality Ride Bus, used in rides organized by SoulForce

Rodney Powell started to speak out for LGBTQ rights later in his life. He was inspired by Susan Ford Wiltshire. Soon after, he learned about Soulforce. This is an LGBTQ organization that follows the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr.

Powell felt renewed in his activism. He reached out to his friends from the Civil Rights Movement for help. But most of them turned him down. In 2005, he helped Soulforce organize the Equality Ride. These rides were inspired by the earlier Freedom Rides. During the Equality Rides, they traveled to different military and religious places. These places had ideas that were against LGBTQ people.

Powell became a mentor to many Soulforce members. Mel White, who founded Soulforce, remembered how Powell pushed them to see their actions through to the end. He encouraged them to stay in jail if arrested, saying it made their actions more impactful. Today, Powell is on the board of directors for Faith in America. This LGBTQ organization works to change groups that discriminate against LGBTQ people based on religion.

Personal Life

Rodney Powell met Gloria Johnson at Meharry Medical College. They later married and had three children: April Powell-Willingham, Allison Powell, and Daniel Powell. Later in their marriage, Powell shared that he was gay. His children accepted this news. However, Johnson found it difficult to adjust. They separated five years later in 1975.

After their separation, Powell moved to Hawaii. There, he could live openly as a gay man. He met his current partner, Bob Eddinger, who is a zoologist. Powell worked at the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Rodney Powell continues to support LGBTQ rights. He has taken on a more relaxed role in his activism now. He is retired from medicine and lives in Honolulu with Eddinger.