Eutaw, AL – Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and others at a memorial service for the Rev. James Bevel said he should be remembered for his civil rights works and not the problems in his personal life.
Bevel died Dec. 19 at age 72 of pancreatic cancer. He was buried in the rural west Alabama town of Eutaw, where the memorial service was held Monday.
Bevel was found guilty of incest in Virginia for having sex with his daughter when she was a teenager. He was convicted in April, but was released on bond in November while appealing his 15-year sentence.
The four-hour service also featured eulogies and speeches from Tuscaloosa native Charles Steele, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
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