Montgomery’s city planning commission has unanimously passed a recommendation to rename one of its streets for a civil rights lawyer. The plan to change Jeff Davis Avenue to Fred D. Gray Avenue was passed during a City of Montgomery Planning Commission meeting.
Gray is a Montgomery native who grew up on that street. He represented Dr. Martin Luther King, junior and was one of Rosa Parks' attorneys when she was arrested for refusing to move to a seat in the back of a public bus. Gray also helped in the legal fight to allow African American students to learn at the University of Alabama. The recommendation next heads to the city council for approval.
Gray’s voice also leads off Alabama Public Radio’s international award-winning documentary “The King of Alabama,” which observed fifty years since the assassination of Dr. King. The program took gold at the New York Festivals International Radio competition. Click below to hear the documentary again.