Tal Rutledge facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Talmadge Rutledge (born 1929 – died April 16, 2020) was an important American leader who worked for civil rights. He lived in Clearwater, Florida. He was the very first president of the NAACP's Clearwater group. The NAACP is an organization that works to make sure all people, especially African Americans, have equal rights. His brother, Charles, was also a businessman and helped with a legal case that led to schools in Pinellas County Schools becoming desegregated, meaning students of all races could go to the same schools.

Talmadge Rutledge also owned a business that was a laundromat and dry cleaning shop.

Working for Equal Rights

Talmadge Rutledge was a strong voice for fairness and equality. In 1968, he took part in a protest to help end segregation in schools. During this time, he faced legal challenges because of his actions to support desegregation. The national president of the NAACP, Kivie Kaplan, even came to his trial to show support.

Community Involvement

Mr. Rutledge also stood up against the closing of a community center in Clearwater. This center was named after Martin Luther King Jr., another famous civil rights leader. Talmadge Rutledge believed it was important for the community to have this center.

All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:

Tal Rutledge Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.