Buffalo State Remembers Civil Rights Leader Julian Bond

Julian Bond, former chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)—the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization—passed away Saturday at the age of 75.

"It was with a sad heart that I experienced the news of Julian Bond's passing," said Buffalo State President Katherine Conway-Turner. "He was a legendary and faithful fighter for equal rights and social justice for all members of our country." 

As an activist, educator, and spokesperson, Bond served the causes of equality and social change for more than half a century. Bond delivered his final speech at Buffalo State, “Civil Rights: In the Day, Today, and Tomorrow,” in April 2009.

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“We know one man climbing to the mountaintop does not mean that the climb is over for everyone else,” Bond told the capacity audience. “We need to keep our feet on the ground even as our heads are in the clouds.”

In the early 1960s, Bond was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and led student protests against segregation in public facilities in the South.

He was president of the Southern Poverty Law Center from 1971 to 1979 and remained on its board of directors. He served four terms as a Democratic member in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1965 to 1975, and was elected to six terms in the Georgia Senate from 1975 to 1986.

"I first met Julian when I was a student at the University of Kansas," said Conway-Turner. "Even in those days he was a passionate orator who burned with a light of clarity. He challenged us to wake up and be a part of the solution to injustices in this world—he was an early mentor. Years later, when I invited him to give a keynote presentation at SUNY Geneseo, I again experienced his deep knowledge and amazing oratorical style."

Bond continued his illustrious career as a distinguished professor at American University and as a professor of history at the University of Virginia.

As a fixture of the national lecture circuit and a popular television commentator, Bond continued to champion the principles of dignity, peace, and freedom.

"About 18 months ago, I heard him speak in Washington, DC, at a program commemorating the passing of the Civil Rights Act," said Conway-Turner. "I join thousands of his students who learned from this generous, thoughtful, and courageous man. Julian Bond, I will not forget how you touched the world."

Top: Bond at the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall, April 2, 2009.
Courtesy: Eileen Merberg, executive director, Alpha Lambda Delta, National Honor Society for First-Year Students.

Inset: Poster for Bond’s November 1978 Buffalo State appearance.
Courtesy: USG Press Services.