Rodney N. Powell facts for kids

Rodney Norman Powell, born in 1935, is a former leader in the Nashville Student Movement. He is also an important activist for equal rights for all people.

Early Life and Education

Rodney Powell grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents, Raymond and Norma Powell, worked hard to support their family. His father had many jobs, like driving and carpentry. His mother was a seamstress, helping to earn money for the household.

Rodney was the oldest of four children. He felt it was his job to do well in school. He took small jobs, like delivering food, to save money for college.

When he was young, Rodney joined the Boy Scouts and played the violin. He went to Saint Joseph's University, a Catholic school, for his first degree. He graduated with high honors.

After that, he attended Meharry Medical College, a historically Black college. He hoped to find a stronger connection to the Black community there.

Fighting for Civil Rights

Rodney Powell's work for civil rights began in 1957. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee. There, he joined other leaders like Diane Nash, James Bevel, and Bernard Lafayette.

They learned about nonviolent resistance from James Lawson. This teaching followed the ideas 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.

Rodney worked closely with Diane Nash. They helped organize the 1961 Freedom Rides. These rides challenged segregation on buses. However, Rodney could not join the rides himself. His school warned him that he might lose his medical degree if he participated. Martin Luther King Jr. had told the group that Black doctors were greatly needed in their communities.

After their work in the Civil Rights Movement, Rodney and his future wife, Gloria Johnson, joined the Peace Corps. They traveled to Africa to help others.

Advocating for Equal Rights

Equality Ride Bus used in the Equality Rides organized by SoulForce

Later in life, Rodney Powell began to speak up for equal rights for all people. He was inspired by Susan Ford Wiltshire. He then learned about Soulforce, an organization that works for equality. This group was inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.'s teachings.

Rodney reached out to his friends from the Civil Rights Movement for help. However, many of them did not join him. This made Rodney feel separated from some parts of the African-American community. He even left the NAACP for a time.

In 2005, he helped Soulforce organize the Equality Ride. This event was like the Freedom Rides. During these rides, they visited schools and religious places. These places had policies that were unfair to some groups of people.

Rodney was a guide for Soulforce members. Mel White, who started Soulforce, said Rodney encouraged them to finish what they started. He would tell them not to take bail if they were arrested. This was because staying in jail made their actions have a bigger impact.

Today, Rodney Powell is on the board of directors for Faith in America. This organization works to change groups that treat people unfairly based on their beliefs.

Personal Life

Rodney Powell met Gloria Johnson at Meharry Medical College. They got married and had three children: April Powell-Willingham, Allison Powell, and Daniel Powell. They divorced in 1975.

After his divorce, Rodney moved to Hawaii. He worked at the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Rodney Powell continues to support equal rights for all. He is now retired from medicine. He lives in Honolulu.