MONTGOMERY, Ala. — In a heartfelt ceremony on Thursday, the Alabama State Bar Association paid tribute to Fred Gray, a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement and an esteemed attorney whose legal prowess supported many landmark cases for equality. The ceremony unveiled a statue of Gray, described by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as the “chief counsel” of the movement.
Reflecting on his achievements, the 94-year-old Gray expressed his astonishment and gratitude for being honored in his hometown. “Growing up in Montgomery on the west side, I never thought that one day my image would be in stone to honor my professional career,” he shared passionately during the unveiling in downtown Montgomery.
Gray’s legacy is intertwined with his representation of iconic civil rights leaders such as Rosa Parks, John Lewis, and King himself, aiding in the strategic utilization of mass arrests and civil disobedience to champion equal rights. His legal involvement in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965 was pivotal in the passage of the Voting Rights Act that same year.
During the ceremony, Gray dedicated the honor to less celebrated individuals from the Civil Rights Movement, such as Claudette Colvin, who defied racial norms by refusing to give up her bus seat in 1955, several months before Rosa Parks gained global recognition for a similar act of defiance. “I humbly accept this award for all those unknown heroes and clients whose names never appear in print media, whose faces never appear on television. They are the persons who laid the foundation so that you can honor me here today,” Gray commented, acknowledging the many unsung participants in the movement.
The statue bears the inscription “lawyers render service,” a phrase synonymous with Gray’s philosophy and now embraced by the Alabama Bar Association, where he served as the first Black president in 2002.
Gray’s illustrious 70-year career goes beyond the Civil Rights Movement. He broke racial barriers in 1970 by becoming one of Alabama’s first Black state legislators since Reconstruction. Gray also played a crucial role in seeking justice for Black men affected by the unethical Tuskegee Syphilis Study, leading to a formal apology from President Bill Clinton in 1997.
Presently, he is engaged in a legal battle to remove a Confederate monument from a central square in mostly Black Tuskegee and remains an active advocate for civil rights. In recognition of his lifework, Gray received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022, regarded as the highest civilian honor in the United States.
An ordained minister, Gray attributes his success to his faith and the unwavering support of his family, who joined the ceremony. “The system doesn’t always deliver justice,” he remarked, “but I will continue to work until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a stream.”