Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, Sr.
Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, Sr. died on April 17, 1990 in Atlanta, Georgia at age 64. Abernathy was born on March 11, 1926 in Linden, Alabama. He was a Baptist minister, civil rights leader and an associate and close friend of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. They worked together in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Rev. Abernathy acquired the leadership of the SCLC Poor People’s Campaign after Rev. King’s death, and was the leader of the SCLC Poor People’s March on Washington, DC. He served as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for nine years.