Zev Aelony facts for kids

Zev Aelony (born February 21, 1938 – died November 1, 2009) was an American activist who worked hard for the Civil Rights Movement. He helped start a student group called Students for Integration. He was also a Freedom Rider and a member of CORE Soul Force. Zev was one of the "Americus Four," a group who faced very serious charges for helping people register to vote.

Zev Aelony's Early Life and Education

Zev Aelony was born on February 21, 1938, in Palo Alto, California. His parents were Janet and David Aelony. His father, David, came to the United States from the Soviet Union in 1925. David believed strongly in equality for all people.

Zev grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He went to University High School and graduated in 1956. He studied Russian and played football. Zev then went to the University of Chicago for two years. After that, he lived for a year in a special community in Israel called a Kibbutz.

When he came back to the United States, Zev spent time at Koinonia. This was a Christian community in Georgia. He then went to the University of Minnesota. He graduated in 1961, studying political ideas and anthropology. At the university, he met Karen Olson, who became his wife. They were married for 43 years and had four sons: Bjorn, Ephraim, Phil, and Jared.

Zev's Work for Justice

Zev Aelony and his wife owned a small business. They sold security products for commercial buildings. They made sure not to sell anything that could hurt people. Zev became a strong supporter of civil rights and social justice when he was a teenager. He admired Mahatma Gandhi and believed in peaceful ways to fight unfairness.

At the University of Minnesota, Zev helped create Students for Integration. This group worked to find homes and jobs for black and minority students. Zev was arrested several times for being a Freedom Rider. These rides tested laws against segregation on buses in the southern United States. He was also famously arrested in Americus, Georgia, for helping black citizens register to vote.

People described Zev as a quiet and peaceful man. He always believed in nonviolence and kept fighting for justice throughout his life.

How Zev Was Influenced

Family and Beliefs

The Aelony family was Jewish. This helped shape Zev's strong belief in peace and nonviolence. He lived in a Kibbutz in Israel, which is a community where people live and work together.

Zev's father, David, was an immigrant. He was against the rise of Nazism in Germany. David welcomed refugees into their home.

A big moment for Zev happened when he was about 18. His family went to a picnic with Jewish refugees from Europe and Japanese-Americans. These Japanese-Americans had been held in special camps in the western United States. Zev was shocked to learn that such camps existed in America. He thought such things only happened in other places.

Learning from Experiences

Zev knew about segregation from high school. In the mid-1950s, he helped distribute postcards for the NAACP. These postcards called for "Completely Free by ’63," meaning full freedom by 1963.

Seeing the hatred against the Koinonia community, which practiced racial equality, made him want to join the Civil Rights Movement even more. In 1959, he attended a training seminar in Miami, Florida. This seminar, run by the CORE, taught about nonviolence. Many future Freedom Riders were there. Zev learned that it was important to understand why people acted the way they did, instead of just labeling them as good or bad.

Zev's Civil Rights Work

Students for Integration (SFI)

Zev worked with students to help Persian students find housing. Landlords sometimes refused them, claiming they ruined bedding. White students would then check if rooms were truly unavailable. Often, the landlords would then agree to rent to the minority students.

Freedom Rider Journeys

The sit-in movement began to spread across the country. Students for Integration supported these actions at the university. In the summer of 1961, more Freedom Riders were needed. They wanted to show that all Americans had the right to equal treatment on public transport, as the law stated.

Zev Aelony and five friends began a bus trip to New Orleans. The first part of their journey was calm. They stopped in Nashville and joined a picket line at a grocery store.

The Freedom Riders were arrested when they reached Jackson, Mississippi. They were taken to the Jackson City Jail. Later, they were moved to the Hines County Jail and then to Mississippi's famous Parchman Farm. While there, Zev went on a hunger strike. He was put in isolation for writing a message on a wall with a spoon. Zev's story, shared in Europe, helped put pressure on the U.S. government to enforce civil rights laws.

CORE Soul Force Member

In 1963, Zev joined the Journey of Reconciliation. This journey started after William Moore, a white postman, was killed while walking to deliver a letter to the Mississippi Governor. Moore's letter asked the Governor to accept integration. Five members from CORE and five from SNCC decided to continue his journey.

This group, made of black and white men, was arrested in Alabama. They were charged with "walking into the state of Alabama in a manner designed to incite a breach of the peace".

The Americus Four

In 1963, Zev was asked to go to Americus, Georgia, to help with a voter registration drive. He worked with SNCC and local groups to help black people register to vote. He taught people how to protest peacefully.

One day, a deputy told Zev to stop taking pictures. Zev said, "it's a free country," and was arrested. He was taken to jail in Ocala. Officers told other inmates he was a Freedom Rider. Zev was left alone in the jail's "bullpen" and was badly beaten. He was eventually released after the governor of Minnesota stepped in.

Zev returned to Americus. Many people involved in the voting rights drive were arrested and taken to a camp outside of town. Zev was arrested too, charged with "insurrection" against the state of Georgia. This charge could lead to a very serious punishment. Three other CORE workers, Ralph Allen, Don Harris, and John Perdew, were also arrested. This group became known as the Americus Four.

At first, their arrests were not widely known in the United States. But they gained attention in Europe and Africa. As more people became concerned, awareness grew in the U.S. This put pressure on the government to act. The Americus Four were eventually cleared of the charges.

Later Life and Legacy

Zev Aelony continued to be active in politics in his hometown of Minneapolis. He worked on the campaign for Keith Ellison, a Muslim who ran for Congress on a platform of peace. In 2006, Ellison became the first Muslim elected to Congress. He was also the first African-American from Minnesota to be elected to the House of Representatives.

Zev Aelony passed away on November 1, 2009, at his home. He was 71 years old.