Official Statement: Passing of Reverend Dr. Bernard Lafayett

https://www.nbcpalmsprings.com/2026/03/05/civil-rights-leader-bernard-lafayette-key-selma-voting-rights-organizer-dies-at-85" rel="noopener" target="_blank">When Giants Fall, Who Will Rise?
Remembering Dr. Bernard Lafayette

Today, March 5, 2026, the nation lost one of the quiet giants of the Civil Rights Movement — Dr. Bernard Lafayette, a strategist, organizer, teacher, and unwavering servant of justice.

Only days after the passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson, another pillar of the movement has transitioned from labor to rest. The timing itself is sobering. Two men whose lives were devoted to expanding freedom for Black Americans now rest from their work, leaving behind a generation that must decide whether their sacrifices will merely be remembered — or continued.

Dr. Lafayette was not driven by spotlight or applause. His work was rooted in discipline, sacrifice, and an unselfish commitment to justice. As a key organizer of the Selma Voting Rights Movement and a lifelong practitioner of nonviolent social change, he helped shape one of the most consequential chapters in American history. Because of leaders like him, millions of Black Americans gained the right to vote and a voice in the democratic process.

His legacy is also personal for me.

While pursuing my second undergraduate degree at American Baptist College in Nashville, I had the privilege of studying under President Bernard Lafayette. During that time, I was also in school alongside his son, Bernard Lafayette III. I witnessed firsthand the steady leadership, intellectual rigor, and moral conviction that Dr. Lafayette brought to the classroom and to the institution.

He did not simply teach civil rights history — he embodied it.

Dr. Lafayette represented a generation that believed justice required more than words. It required courage. It required discipline. It required action.

And now, as our nation again wrestles with questions of equity, voting rights, social justice, and the dignity of Black lives, his passing raises a profound question for our time:

Who will answer the call now?

The lives of Reverend Jesse Jackson and Dr. Bernard Lafayette remind us that progress never happens automatically. It happens because ordinary people decide to do extraordinary work.

Their generation marched.
They organized.
They sacrificed.
They believed that America could become more just than it was.

Now that responsibility rests with us.

As we mourn the passing of Dr. Bernard Lafayette, we must also honor his life by hearing the clarion call his work represents — to step up, step out, and continue the pursuit of equitable progress for Black Americans and all who seek justice.

Rest well, Dr. Lafayette.

Your work did not end today.

It continues in the hands of those who have the courage to carry it forward.

— Roderick J. Glatt Ministries

Roderick J. Glatt Ministries joins the nation and the global faith community in mourning the passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson.

Thank you, Reverend Jesse Jackson.

You taught us dedication, devotion, and the courage to stand when standing was costly. You demonstrated that conviction must be louder than fear and that service must be greater than self.

You showed us how faith must walk hand in hand with justice and service — that the Gospel is not merely proclaimed in sanctuaries but lived out in the streets, in policy rooms, in communities, and in the hearts of those who dare to believe that change is possible.

Because of your life, generations learned how to fight, pray, lead, and persevere. You reminded us that hope is not passive — it is active, disciplined, and determined.

Your voice challenged systems.
Your faith steadied movements.
Your perseverance strengthened a people.

Though you now rest from your labor, your legacy remains alive in every leader who chooses courage over comfort, in every believer who joins prayer with action, and in every young person who dares to dream beyond imposed limits.

As Revelation 14:13 declares:
“Blessed are those who die in the Lord… they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Rest well, servant of God — your work continues through us.