Rutledge Pearson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rutledge Pearson |
|
|---|---|
Pearson on cover of Jet magazine, 1964
|
|
| First baseman | |
| Born: September 9, 1929 | |
| Died: May, 1967 | |
| Teams | |
|
Rutledge Henry Pearson (September 9, 1929 - May 1967) was an important American leader. He was an educator, a civil rights leader, and a human rights activist. In his younger years, he also played Negro league baseball.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Rutledge Pearson was the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd H. Pearson Sr. He finished New Stanton High School in 1947. He then went to Tillatson College in Austin, Texas. He earned a baseball scholarship to attend college. In 1951, he graduated with a degree in Sociology. His future wife, Mary Ann Johnson, and famous civil rights leader Medgar Evers were also his classmates there.
Baseball Career Highlights
Rutledge Pearson was a talented baseball player. In 1952, he played for the New York Black Yankees. This team was part of the Negro National League. He was a tall player, standing 6 feet 3 inches, and played first base. He also played professional baseball for the Birmingham Black Barons. This team was in the Negro American League. Later, he taught history at Isaiah Blocker Junior High School. He also coached baseball at New Stanton High School.
Leading the Civil Rights Movement
Rutledge Pearson became a very important civil rights leader. In 1961, he was chosen to be the President of the Jacksonville Branch of the NAACP. The NAACP is a group that works for equal rights for all people. Later, he became the President of the Florida State Conference of the NAACP.
As a leader, he strongly supported civil rights efforts. He helped with the St. Augustine movement in a nearby city. These efforts were very important. They helped lead to the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law made it illegal to treat people unfairly because of their race.
In April 1964, Rutledge Pearson was featured on the cover of JET magazine. The headline called him a "Former Baseball Star Leads Jacksonville Civil Rights Struggle." The article said he was great at getting new members for the NAACP. In just two years, he helped the group grow from a few hundred to over 2,000 members. He was also known for helping young people in Jacksonville. He could calm down some of the violence during civil rights protests in the 1960s.
Legacy and Remembrance
In May 1967, Rutledge Pearson sadly died in a car accident. He was on his way to help workers in Memphis, Tennessee. Today, a school, a US Post Office, and a park in Jacksonville, Florida, are named after him. These places honor his important work and his dedication to human rights.
