Civil rights attorney Fred Gray receives the nation’s highest honor

| July 8, 2022 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2022/07/Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-scaled.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:7:{s:5:"width";i:2560;s:6:"height";i:1706;s:4:"file";s:40:"2022/07/Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-scaled.jpg";s:8:"filesize";i:356085;s:5:"sizes";a:13:{s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:22545;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-771x514.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:514;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:54143;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:14804;}s:12:"medium_large";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-768x512.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:512;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:53491;}s:9:"1536x1536";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-1536x1024.jpg";s:5:"width";i:1536;s:6:"height";i:1024;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:142267;}s:9:"2048x2048";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:35:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-2048x1365.jpg";s:5:"width";i:2048;s:6:"height";i:1365;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:230700;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:31:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:11985;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-800x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:800;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:51150;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:54099;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-467x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:467;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:30719;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-398x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:398;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:26363;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:14015;}s:13:"crp_thumbnail";a:5:{s:4:"file";s:33:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom-150x150.jpg";s:5:"width";i:150;s:6:"height";i:150;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";s:8:"filesize";i:15302;}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"4";s:6:"credit";s:12:"Getty Images";s:6:"camera";s:12:"Canon EOS R3";s:7:"caption";s:589:"WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 7: U.S. President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Fred Gray, one of the first Black members of the Alabama state legislate since Reconstruction, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House July 7, 2022 in Washington, DC. President Biden awarded the nation's highest civilian honor to 17 recipients. The award honors individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:10:"1657206011";s:9:"copyright";s:17:"2022 Getty Images";s:12:"focal_length";s:3:"280";s:3:"iso";s:4:"4000";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:5:"0.004";s:5:"title";s:73:"President Biden Awards The Presidential Medal Of Freedom To 17 Recipients";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"1";s:8:"keywords";a:2:{i:0;s:10:"washington";i:1;s:11:"white house";}}s:14:"original_image";s:25:"Gray_Medal_of_Freedom.jpg";}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"sizes";a:14:{s:4:"full";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:356085;s:14:"optimized_size";i:87543;s:7:"percent";d:75.42;}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:120:"The size medium is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}s:5:"large";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:119:"The size large is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:14804;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3426;s:7:"percent";d:76.86;}s:12:"medium_large";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:126:"The size medium_large is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}s:9:"1536x1536";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:123:"The size 1536x1536 is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}s:9:"2048x2048";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:123:"The size 2048x2048 is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:11985;s:14:"optimized_size";i:1752;s:7:"percent";d:85.38;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:51150;s:14:"optimized_size";i:21550;s:7:"percent";d:57.87;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:54099;s:14:"optimized_size";i:23012;s:7:"percent";d:57.46;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:132:"The size wbhm-featured-home is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:136:"The size wbhm-featured-carousel is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:14015;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3158;s:7:"percent";d:77.47;}s:13:"crp_thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:127:"The size crp_thumbnail is not authorized to be optimized. Update your Imagify settings if you want to optimize it.";}}s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:502138;s:14:"optimized_size";i:140441;s:7:"percent";d:72.03;}}
        )

    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1657316625:26
        )

    [_wp_attachment_image_alt] => Array
        (
            [0] => President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to civil rights attorney Fred Gray
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Alex Wong
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => Getty Images
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_edit_last] => Array
        (
            [0] => 26
        )

)
1680731674 
1657298947

Fred Gray, an attorney behind major legal cases of the civil rights era, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Thursday, the nation’s highest civilian award. 

“From the very beginning, I’ve known that there is no one more deserving of our nation’s highest civilian honor than Attorney Gray whose trailblazing work helped end segregation and advance a more equitable future,” said Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell. 

Sewell has been advocating for Gray to receive the award. 

Fred Gray was born in Montgomery and dedicated his life to seeking justice for Black people in the courtroom. He’s most known for representing Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, NAACP and victims of the Tuskegee Syphilis study. 

At age 91, Gray is still practicing law.

Among the 16 other recipients of the medal was civil rights activist Diane Nash. Nash was born in Chicago and is most known for co-founding the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Through her leadership in SNCC, she helped lead the Freedom Rides, Selma Voting Rights Movement and lunch counter sit-ins. 

King described her as “the driving spirit in the nonviolent assault on segregation at lunch counters.” 

“Unshakeable courage and leadership, Diane Nash, shapes some of the most important civil rights efforts in American history,” said President Biden during the ceremony. 

It wasn’t until years after the civil rights era that Nash received recognition for her work. 

Nash continues to be an advocate for nonviolent movements.

 

Crew of fatal US military crash included Alabama father recently deployed

The six U.S. service members who died in the crash of a U.S. military refueling aircraft included an Alabama father who had just been promoted and deployed. The U.S. government released the identities of the deceased service members Saturday.

Alabama poised to drastically overhaul utility regulation. Will it lower electric bills?

The Alabama Senate unanimously voted to expand the public service commission, and create a Secretary of Energy to address rising electricity prices. A bill in the House would go even further, requiring rate case hearings and limiting utility profits.

Musher from Alabama is going for back-to-back Iditarod wins

Riches and paid appearances haven’t followed Jessie Holmes since he won the world’s most famous sled dog race, the Iditarod, last year. He doesn't mind.

Bill would move Alabama to closed primaries

Right now, any Alabama voter can participate in a primary election. Lawmakers in Montgomery took up a bill this week that would change that system.

Auburn football player uses NIL funds to open a community hub in Birmingham

Jourdin Crawford, a freshman defensive lineman at Auburn, used earnings from a Name, Image, and Likeness deal to give back to his hometown.

Ivey commutes death sentence of inmate whose accomplice fired fatal shot

Charles “Sonny” Burton was sentenced to death for the killing of Doug Battle during a 1991 robbery. However, another man shot Battle when Burton had left the building.

More Front Page Coverage