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Abraham Lincoln Davis Jr. (1914 – June 24, 1978) was an American minister and leader in the civil rights movement. He led voting drives and advocated for desegregation in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1975, Davis became the first African American member of the New Orleans City Council since the Reconstruction era.

Early life

Davis was from Bayou Goula, Louisiana. His father was a Baptist minister. He moved to New Orleans and graduated from McDonogh 35 High School. He was ordained as the minister at the New Zion Baptist Church in New Orleans in 1935. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Leland College in 1949 and earned an honorary Doctor of Divinity from the Union Baptist Theological Seminary.

Civil rights movement

Davis became involved in the civil rights movement. In January 1957, he cofounded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) with Martin Luther King Jr. and others in his church. King served as the president of the SCLC, while Davis was vice president. The Louisiana Leadership Conference, a satellite organization of the SCLC, was formed in March 1957, with Davis and T. J. Jemison elected as its co-chairs. Associated with the SCLC, they conducted voting registration drives for African Americans.

Davis became involved in progressive politics; he supported DeLesseps Story Morrison, the mayor of New Orleans, Governor Robert F. Kennon, and Congressman Hale Boggs. He opposed Earl Long, leading a faction of anti-Long Democrats. In 1961, Morrison named Davis the first director of race relations for the city. Governor John McKeithen appointed Davis to a committee on race relations.

Morrison's successor, Victor H. Schiro, resisted desegregation, and Davis led a march of 7,000 to 10,000 on city hall on September 30, 1963. Later that week, he presented a list of demands to the New Orleans City Council. He and Reverend Avery Alexander were arrested at a sit-in at city hall in November and he continued to organize a sit-in in city hall's cafeteria and outside the mayor's office, with people getting arrested daily. The campaign was halted after 47 were arrested, including members of the Congress of Racial Equality, before Davis and Alexander got to meet with Schiro. Ultimately, the group was able to win some progress on their demands, but not on all of them.

Political career

Davis ran for the Louisiana House of Representatives in the 1967 elections. He lost the December runoff election against incumbent Eugene O'Brien, receiving 4,324 votes to O'Brien's 4,442 votes.

In 1975, Davis and Jim Singleton were put forward as replacement candidates to represent District B on the New Orleans City Council, following the resignation of Eddie Sapir to serve as a city judge. Davis won the appointment by a 6–1 vote. He became the first African American to serve on the New Orleans City Council since the Reconstruction era. Davis won a special election for the remainder of Sapir's term in October 1976, but lost the 1977 election for a new term to Singleton.

Personal life

Davis had a daughter. He died on June 24, 1978.

References

1. "Davis, A.L. (Abraham Lincoln) (1914–1978)". Amistad Research Center. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
2. ^ Rousseau, John E. (February 7, 1959). "Four-Way Split: Too Many Factions Negate Louisiana Race Vote Power". The Pittsburgh Courier. p. 4. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "N.O. Cleric Ardent Fighter: Pastor Battles Dixie Evils". The Pittsburgh Courier. May 18, 1963. p. 8. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
4. "Let's Elect A. L. Davis, Jr". The Louisiana Weekly. September 25, 1976. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "Rev. A. L. Davis; Founded Rights Unit With Dr. King in'57". The New York Times. June 26, 1978. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
6. "Negroes Launch Drive to Register 10,000 Voters". Daily World. Opelousas, Louisiana. United Press. March 17, 1957. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Rev. Davis Jr. Appointed To New Orleans Race Post". The Pittsburgh Courier. July 8, 1961. p. 4. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "Rev. A. L. Davis Jr., cofounder of black rights group SCLC". St. Petersburg Times. June 26, 1978. p. 11B. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "U.S. Sends 2 Legal Aides to Shreveport". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. United Press International. October 2, 1963. p. 36. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Negroes March For 'Freedom' In New Orleans". The York Dispatch. United Press International. October 1, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "N.O. Council Hears Negroes' Demands". The Town Talk. United Press International. October 4, 1963. p. 7. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "N.O. Negroes Plan Rally To Protest City's Inaction". The Town Talk. United Press International. November 4, 1963. p. 4. Retrieved September 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "City Hall Integration Drive Conducted by N.O. Negroes". The Town Talk. United Press International. November 6, 1963. p. 25. Retrieved September 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "'Direct Action' Leaders To Meet With Mayor Schiro". The Louisiana Weekly. November 16, 1963. p. 1. Retrieved September 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "7 Negro Leaders Meet With Schiro". The Town Talk. United Press International. November 15, 1963. p. 30. Retrieved September 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
16. Rousseau, John E. (October 3, 1964). "Freedom Marchers Gain 3 Out of 5 Objectives". The Louisiana Weekly. p. 1. Retrieved September 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "Legislative Runoff Has 2 Negroes". The Daily Advertiser. Associated Press. November 5, 1967. p. 8. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
18. "Loses Bid For House Seat By Scant Margin". The Louisiana Weekly. December 23, 1967. p. 1. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
19. "N.O. Gets First Black Councilman". Daily World. Associated Press. January 17, 1975. p. 12. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
20. Young, Ben (October 9, 1976). "Councilman A.L. Davis Is Convincing Winner: Tucker and Cates come up short". The Louisiana Weekly. p. 1. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
21. "Singleton Ousts Davis in Race". Daily World. United Press International. November 13, 1977. p. 8. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

v t e Civil rights movement (1954–1968)
Events (timeline)	Prior to 1954 Journey of Reconciliation Executive Order 9981 Murders of Harry and Harriette Moore Sweatt v. Painter (1950) McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents (1950) Baton Rouge bus boycott 1954–1959 Brown v. Board of Education Bolling v. Sharpe Briggs v. Elliott Davis v. Prince Edward County Gebhart v. Belton Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company Emmett Till Montgomery bus boycott Browder v. Gayle Tallahassee bus boycott Mansfield school desegregation 1957 Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom "Give Us the Ballot" Royal Ice Cream sit-in Little Rock Nine Cooper v. Aaron Civil Rights Act of 1957 Ministers' Manifesto Katz Drug Store sit-in Kissing Case Biloxi wade-ins 1960–1963 New Year's Day March Sit-in movement Greensboro sit-ins Nashville sit-ins Sibley Commission Atlanta sit-ins Savannah Protest Movement Greenville Eight Civil Rights Act of 1960 Ax Handle Saturday Gomillion v. Lightfoot Boynton v. Virginia University of Georgia desegregation riot Rock Hill sit-ins Robert F. Kennedy's Law Day Address Freedom Rides Anniston bombing Birmingham attack Garner v. Louisiana Albany Movement Cambridge movement University of Chicago sit-ins "Second Emancipation Proclamation" Meredith enrollment, Ole Miss riot Atlanta's Berlin Wall "Segregation now, segregation forever" Stand in the Schoolhouse Door 1963 Birmingham campaign Letter from Birmingham Jail Children's Crusade Birmingham riot 16th Street Baptist Church bombing John F. Kennedy's speech to the nation on Civil Rights Detroit Walk to Freedom March on Washington "I Have a Dream" Big Six St. Augustine movement 1964–1968 Twenty-fourth Amendment Chester school protests Bloody Tuesday 1964 Monson Motor Lodge protests Freedom Summer workers' murders Civil Rights Act of 1964 Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States Katzenbach v. McClung 1964–1965 Scripto strike 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches "How Long, Not Long" Voting Rights Act of 1965 Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections March Against Fear White House Conference on Civil Rights Chicago Freedom Movement/Chicago open housing movement Loving v. Virginia Memphis sanitation strike King assassination funeral riots Civil Rights Act of 1968 Poor People's Campaign Green v. County School Board of New Kent County Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co. 1968 Olympics Black Power salute
Activist groups	Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights Atlanta Negro Voters League Atlanta Student Movement Black Panther Party Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Committee for Freedom Now Committee on Appeal for Human Rights An Appeal for Human Rights Council for United Civil Rights Leadership Council of Federated Organizations Dallas County Voters League Deacons for Defense and Justice Georgia Council on Human Relations Highlander Folk School Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Lowndes County Freedom Organization Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party Montgomery Improvement Association NAACP Youth Council Nashville Student Movement Nation of Islam Northern Student Movement National Council of Negro Women National Urban League Operation Breadbasket Regional Council of Negro Leadership Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Southern Regional Council Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) The Freedom Singers United Auto Workers (UAW) Wednesdays in Mississippi Women's Political Council
Activists	Ralph Abernathy Victoria Gray Adams Zev Aelony Mathew Ahmann Muhammad Ali William G. Anderson Gwendolyn Armstrong Arnold Aronson Ella Baker James Baldwin Marion Barry Daisy Bates Harry Belafonte James Bevel Claude Black Gloria Blackwell Randolph Blackwell Unita Blackwell Ezell Blair Jr. Joanne Bland Julian Bond Joseph E. Boone William Holmes Borders Amelia Boynton Bruce Boynton Raylawni Branch Stanley Branche Ruby Bridges Aurelia Browder H. Rap Brown Ralph Bunche John H. Calhoun Guy Carawan Stokely Carmichael Johnnie Carr James Chaney J. L. Chestnut Shirley Chisholm Colia Lafayette Clark Ramsey Clark Septima Clark Xernona Clayton Eldridge Cleaver Kathleen Cleaver Josephine Dobbs Clement Charles E. Cobb Jr. Annie Lee Cooper Dorothy Cotton Claudette Colvin Vernon Dahmer Jonathan Daniels Abraham Lincoln Davis Angela Davis Joseph DeLaine Dave Dennis Annie Bell Robinson Devine John Wesley Dobbs Patricia Stephens Due Joseph Ellwanger Charles Evers Medgar Evers Myrlie Evers-Williams Chuck Fager James Farmer Walter Fauntroy James Forman Marie Foster Golden Frinks Andrew Goodman Robert Graetz Fred Gray Jack Greenberg Dick Gregory Lawrence Guyot Prathia Hall Fannie Lou Hamer Fred Hampton William E. Harbour Vincent Harding Dorothy Height Audrey Faye Hendricks Lola Hendricks Aaron Henry Oliver Hill Donald L. Hollowell James Hood Myles Horton Zilphia Horton T. R. M. Howard Ruby Hurley Cecil Ivory Jesse Jackson Jimmie Lee Jackson Richie Jean Jackson T. J. Jemison Esau Jenkins Barbara Rose Johns Vernon Johns Frank Minis Johnson Clarence Jones J. Charles Jones Matthew Jones Vernon Jordan Tom Kahn Clyde Kennard A. D. King C.B. King Coretta Scott King Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Sr. Bernard Lafayette James Lawson Bernard Lee Sanford R. Leigh Jim Letherer Stanley Levison John Lewis Viola Liuzzo Z. Alexander Looby Joseph Lowery Clara Luper Danny Lyon Malcolm X Mae Mallory Vivian Malone Bob Mants Thurgood Marshall Benjamin Mays Franklin McCain Charles McDew Ralph McGill Floyd McKissick Joseph McNeil James Meredith William Ming Jack Minnis Amzie Moore Cecil B. Moore Douglas E. Moore Harriette Moore Harry T. Moore Queen Mother Moore William Lewis Moore Irene Morgan Bob Moses William Moyer Elijah Muhammad Diane Nash Charles Neblett Huey P. Newton Edgar Nixon Jack O'Dell James Orange Rosa Parks James Peck Charles Person Homer Plessy Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Fay Bellamy Powell Rodney N. Powell Al Raby Lincoln Ragsdale A. Philip Randolph George Raymond George Raymond Jr. Bernice Johnson Reagon Cordell Reagon James Reeb Frederick D. Reese Walter Reuther Gloria Richardson David Richmond Bernice Robinson Jo Ann Robinson Angela Russell Bayard Rustin Bernie Sanders Michael Schwerner Bobby Seale Pete Seeger Cleveland Sellers Charles Sherrod Alexander D. Shimkin Fred Shuttlesworth Modjeska Monteith Simkins Glenn E. Smiley A. Maceo Smith Kelly Miller Smith Mary Louise Smith Maxine Smith Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson Charles Kenzie Steele Hank Thomas Dorothy Tillman A. P. Tureaud Hartman Turnbow Albert Turner C. T. Vivian A. T. Walden Wyatt Tee Walker Hollis Watkins Walter Francis White Roy Wilkins Hosea Williams Kale Williams Robert F. Williams Q. V. Williamson Andrew Young Whitney Young Sammy Younge Jr. Bob Zellner James Zwerg
By region	Omaha, Nebraska South Carolina
Movement songs	"Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round" "If You Miss Me at the Back of the Bus" "Kumbaya" "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize" "Oh, Freedom" "This Little Light of Mine" "We Shall Not Be Moved" "We Shall Overcome" "Woke Up This Morning (With My Mind Stayed On Freedom)"
Influences	Nonviolence Padayatra Sermon on the Mount Mahatma Gandhi Ahimsa Satyagraha The Kingdom of God Is Within You Frederick Douglass W. E. B. Du Bois Mary McLeod Bethune
Related	Jim Crow laws Lynching in the United States Plessy v. Ferguson Separate but equal Buchanan v. Warley Hocutt v. Wilson Sweatt v. Painter Hernandez v. Texas Loving v. Virginia African-American women in the movement Jews in the civil rights movement Fifth Circuit Four 16th Street Baptist Church Kelly Ingram Park A.G. Gaston Motel Bethel Baptist Church Brown Chapel Dexter Avenue Baptist Church Holt Street Baptist Church Edmund Pettus Bridge March on Washington Movement African-American churches attacked List of lynching victims in the United States Freedom Schools Freedom songs Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" Voter Education Project 1960s counterculture African American founding fathers of the United States Eyes on the Prize
Legacy	In popular culture Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument Civil Rights Memorial Civil Rights Movement Archive Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument Freedom Rides Museum Freedom Riders National Monument King Center for Nonviolent Social Change Martin Luther King Jr. Day Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial other King memorials Mississippi Civil Rights Museum National Civil Rights Museum National Voting Rights Museum St. Augustine Foot Soldiers Monument Olympic Black Power Statue
Noted historians	Taylor Branch Clayborne Carson John Dittmer Michael Eric Dyson Chuck Fager Adam Fairclough David Garrow David Halberstam Vincent Harding Steven F. Lawson Doug McAdam Diane McWhorter Charles M. Payne Thomas E. Ricks Timothy Tyson Akinyele Umoja Movement photographers
Civil rights movement portal

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