27 Facts About James Orange

James Edward Orange was born in Birmingham, Alabama, but moved to Atlanta, Georgia in the early 1960s.

James Orange was known for preaching and singing in a strong baritone voice.

James Orange had a large family, several of whom were active in the civil rights movement.

James Orange was the third of his parents' seven children.

James Orange's father worked in the large ACIPCO foundry in Birmingham, but was fired in 1957 for union activity.

James Orange's mother was very active in the Civil Rights Movement and attended the Monday night mass meetings at the Sixteenth Street church.

James Orange quit his job and started going with us, although we were only paying $10 a week.

In 1963, working as a chef in Birmingham, James Orange wasn't involved heavily in Civil Rights.

James Orange remarked later that he was probably assigned the task because of his massive size.

James Orange was arrested, the first of at least 104 arrests for picketing or acts of civil disobedience.

James Orange became involved with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Alabama, with fellow members as notable as Martin Luther King Jr.

James Orange was described as always having his "groupies" around him, which consisted of not only older like-minded people, but young people he was mentoring.

James Orange immediately became extremely involved and headstrong in the group.

Additionally, James Orange always called people that worked with him "leaders," even those who he was instructing.

On one occasion, James Orange attempted to separate a violent gang action by preaching a message of positivity and ended up with a broken nose.

In 1968, James Orange was invited to attend the well-known Poor-People's Campaign, where thousands of homeless people camped out in front of the White House in an act of protest.

That same year, James Orange was standing at the bottom of the staircase of the Lorraine Hotel, only feet away from Martin Luther King Jr.

James Orange was a project coordinator at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference from 1965 to 1970, then later became a regional coordinator with the AFL-CIO in Atlanta, Georgia.

James Orange worked on at least 300 labor-organizing campaigns in that role.

In 2006, James Orange worked on Cynthia McKinney's attempt to regain her congressional seat, and appeared at the April 1,2006 rally against the Iraq War in Atlanta.

Since 1995, James Orange had served as the founder and general coordinator for the Martin Luther King Jr.

In 2004, Orange protested the interruption of Atlanta's King commemorations due to an uninvited appearance by George W Bush.

James Orange was still conducting it from his hospital bed.

At the time of his death in February, 2008, at Atlanta's Crawford Long Hospital, James Orange was recovering from gallbladder surgery.

James Orange had had a triple heart bypass operation about six years before his death, and his health had declined over the years, despite his robust physique.

James Orange died at age 65 at Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta after being admitted to the hospital for gallbladder surgery the previous week.

James Orange is played in the 2014 film Selma by Omar Dorsey.