Last updated: September 24, 2024
Place
Mt. Gillard Missionary Baptist Church
NPS Photo by BrittanyAnn Robinson
Quick Facts
Location:
8376 Highway 80 West, Tyler, AL 36785
Significance:
The oldest Black church in Lowndes County, AL, and local center for the Civil Rights Movement
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
Established near 1820, Mt. Gillard Missionary Baptist Church is one of Lowndes County’s oldest Black churches and served as a hub for civil rights activities during the 1960s. In 1965, the church became the home of the Lowndes County Christian Movement for Human Rights (LCCMHR), an organization formed to unify African Americans in their struggle for voting rights and social justice.
Under the leadership of Pastor Theodore Roosevelt “R.V.” Harrison (who offered Mt. Gillard as a meeting place) the LCCMHR played an important part in the local protest movement. The formation of LCCMHR provided the Black community with a structured platform to organize against systemic racism and voter suppression, shifting away from individual registration attempts to a more cohesive, community-driven approach. This organization helped fire up African Americans throughout the county, offering them a collective voice in the fight for civil rights.
The church’s involvement with the movement brought increased scrutiny and danger. The inaugural mass meeting of LCCMHR took place on March 28th, 1965, following the murder of civil rights activist Viola Liuzzo on March 25th, 1965. Nearly 100 Black residents gathered at Mt. Gillard for the meeting as well as to protest Viola Liuzzo’s murder. LCCMHR grew in membership, with the group establishing a regular meeting every Wednesday, organizing a structured decision-making process, and holding neighborhood and county-wide gatherings to keep the community informed and involved.
The second mass meeting was held as a call to action for voter registration, and saw an attendance of 500 people, demonstrating the powerful impact of the church’s efforts. The following day, dozens of volunteers showed up at the Lowndes County jail to register to vote, illustrating the growing momentum of the movement.
Under the leadership of Pastor Theodore Roosevelt “R.V.” Harrison (who offered Mt. Gillard as a meeting place) the LCCMHR played an important part in the local protest movement. The formation of LCCMHR provided the Black community with a structured platform to organize against systemic racism and voter suppression, shifting away from individual registration attempts to a more cohesive, community-driven approach. This organization helped fire up African Americans throughout the county, offering them a collective voice in the fight for civil rights.
The church’s involvement with the movement brought increased scrutiny and danger. The inaugural mass meeting of LCCMHR took place on March 28th, 1965, following the murder of civil rights activist Viola Liuzzo on March 25th, 1965. Nearly 100 Black residents gathered at Mt. Gillard for the meeting as well as to protest Viola Liuzzo’s murder. LCCMHR grew in membership, with the group establishing a regular meeting every Wednesday, organizing a structured decision-making process, and holding neighborhood and county-wide gatherings to keep the community informed and involved.
The second mass meeting was held as a call to action for voter registration, and saw an attendance of 500 people, demonstrating the powerful impact of the church’s efforts. The following day, dozens of volunteers showed up at the Lowndes County jail to register to vote, illustrating the growing momentum of the movement.