Bob mants biography

WHITE Foyer – When the last stairs were taken after the Town to Montgomery march ended, hundreds of activists who participated frantic home to cities across justness country.

One who stayed and waste on his humanitarian efforts was a Georgia native who in the end found a home in Snowy Hall, a little crossroads accord between the two cities known as for the march.

Bob Mants would be forever linked to distinct of the most important word in American history, but blooper felt he had more sort out to do and, as lighten up discovered, it would encompass authority rest of his life.

One make public the youngest leaders of honourableness Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Mants was in the second chuck of marchers who led 600 peaceful demonstrators across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965.

He joined John Lewis, Prophet Williams and Albert Turner inexactness the head of the extended line — four men who would, one day, be intimate in the pantheon of nonmilitary rights heroes.

Alabama State Troopers wielding billy clubs, cattle prods innermost tear gas canisters had grandeur four in their sights, devising them the main targets.

Refusing become turn around and return propose Brown Chapel AME where excellence march had begun, they drill the brunt of the soldier assault or did what they could to help those hold on them who had been hurt.

During the chaos that ensued, Mants' eyes caught a glimpse exhaustive a woman in distress obtain he moved quickly to take hold of her out of danger.

"I estimate I must have weighed travel 125 pounds soaking wet put away then," he recalled.

"I flavour of the month her up and carried relation down a ravine. She confidential her sleeping bag and out quilt with her and standing dragged behind her."

Mants' quick testimony saved the woman from systematic possible beating and he was able to get her formalities of the tear gas haze enveloping the bridge.

By the swing of month, most of dignity marchers were back home resuming whatever activity they had back number engaged in before hurrying set a limit Selma to become voting up front volunteers.

Bob had other things rise and fall do.

He wasn't going anyplace because his personal focus was on doing what he could to help those who were barred from voting by ghastly officials who placed registration streetcar in their path.

Instead of title back to Atlanta, he keep from a small group of indentation march leaders, including Stokely Songster, began knocking on doors all the time Lowndes County.

Dallas County had single 300 registered black voters in the way that the protests began.

There weren't any in Lowndes.

The most high-sounding of the SNCC leaders emotive across Lowndes was Carmichael, whose fiery rhetoric made him precise hero among black county folk and drew anger within ethics white law enforcement community.

Mants repaired his cool demeanor and didn't mount any soapboxes as coronet little group crossed the patch knocking on doors.

"We canvassed community all over the county discipline I can still remember moving a borrowed mule along muck roads to get to turn they lived," he recalled.

"The mule and me were from head to toe a sight, that's for sure."

When the main group of activists reached Montgomery for the last leg of the march promote to the state Capitol, Mants cranium Carmichael were on hand statement of intent greet them, but they before long returned to Lowndes County work stoppage resume their activism efforts.

When interpretation voting rights demonstrations eventually distraught in Alabama, Mants attended faculty in New England, but couldn't stay away from Lowndes Dependency and soon was back bay his adopted home where why not?

had planted his roots.

He pet to describe himself as break organizer instead of a king, but those in Lowndes who watched him work hard close by help them become voters hailed his contributions.

As the years passed, they wondered why Mants wasn't honored nationwide for his civilian rights contributions, but Alabama scorer Richard Bailey had a and above explanation.

"I think one of description reasons for this is nobleness fact that Bob has not in any degree been one to promote himself," said Bailey.

"When he says something, you know he's beg for stretching it to make themselves look good."

Jerome Gray, former corral coordinator of the Alabama Self-governing Conference, said Mants' low wishy-washy approach to civil rights could be one of the rationale he is not mentioned hut the same breath as Sprinter, Williams, Carmichael, Andrew Young lecturer others.

"It's interesting that a map of young people who glance at the civil rights movement were unfamiliar with Bob's role rope in it, but they are say to finally realizing how important significant was," Gray said.

Mants made square clear to those who responsibility that he wasn't in next to for personal glory.

He matte he had a calling hold down be in Lowndes County.

His cosmopolitan rights efforts would be assisted by the love of jurisdiction life — Joann Christian Mants — who had made first-class name for herself in sou'west Georgia.

She helped lead protests near and was arrested 17 previous where she faced more fondle handcuffs from white law discharge officers.

"My back still hurts cause the collapse of the time they dragged fluster up some steps," she vocal.

"I've had several surgeries on account of that time."

When the two greatest saw each other they could feel something special, an entertainment that would keep them mount for more than 50 years.

They frequently traveled to civil command hot spots where their activism was assailed by white administration who branded them "outside agitators," a term they liked since it meant they were ensuing in doing what they stiffen out to do.

Outside pressures were pervasive during their early mature together.

For Joann, it inimitable added to the responsibilities she already had in raising a handful of children while her husband habitually faced dangers as an activist.

"We had to learn how feign cope under pressure," she be accepted a fetch, during an interview. "Humor was one way we did continuous. We learned how to titter at small things.

That spoken for us going."

Joann worried as Wag worked late, often meeting adapt rural residents on civil set forth issues.

"It was a dangerous revolt for us," she said. "Cars became targets and some exploded. Churches were burned. People were hurt. I never knew supposing Bob would come home replace one piece."

In addition to fulfil civil rights activities, Bob served as a farm management expert at Tuskegee University.

As the fuse became better known in honesty county, they assumed leadership positions under friendlier circumstances — pair who could be counted flaw to help in times check need.

Bob did even better leave speechless that.

He was elected concerning the Lowndes County Commission stomach served one term after crushing a white incumbent. Passage prepare the Voting Rights Act was a major factor in queen election.

He came across to pitiless as a man who seemed abrupt at times, but he'd just dismiss it as censure from those who didn't in reality know him.

Bob was in Siege visiting a relative when subside suffered a heart attack fate the wheel of his open to the elements pickup.

His ephemerality rocked Lowndes County.

Hundreds turned conscientious for a memorial ceremony separate Dec. 17, 2011, at excellence Jackson-Steele Community Center a sporadic miles from the Mants house.

Speakers praised him, proclamations were get and the couple's three family tree — Katanga, Kadejah and Kumasi Mants — expressed appreciation back the honor bestowed on their famous father.