13 Facts About Avery Alexander

Avery Caesar Alexander was an American reverend, civil rights leader and politician.

Avery Alexander graduated from Union Baptist Theological Seminary and was ordained into the Baptist ministry in 1944.

Avery Alexander was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1975 and served in that office until his death.

Avery Alexander participated in voter registration drives in Louisiana prior to passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Avery Alexander helped organize boycotts against businesses in New Orleans which did not hire blacks, including a successful boycott to force the monopoly utility and transit company to hire black bus drivers.

Avery Alexander joined the NAACP to become an activist within the civil rights movement.

Continually Avery Alexander was even known to throw out wooden barriers used to racially separate whites from blacks in street cars.

Avery Alexander specifically was televised being dragged by his heels up the basement's steps with his head banging on the staircase.

Furthermore, within the same time frame Avery Alexander influenced black communities to invest their expenses into non-racial businesses.

In 1975 Avery Alexander became a Democrat to represent the 93rd District of Louisiana House of Representatives.

Avery Alexander served as the chaplain of the Black caucus and due to his political and religious background became known as "The Rev".

Avery Alexander established a non-denominational church, the Church of All People, in 1990.

Also a statue of Avery Alexander is placed across from the New Orleans city hall where he previously boycotted in 1963 to integrate the public basement cafeteria.