Arthur M. Brazier (July 22, 1921 – October 22, 2010) was an American activist, author and pastor of the Apostolic Church of God in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. Brazier served as pastor of the Universal Church of Christ, before merging with ACOG. He was also a

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

, prominent civic leader and founder of The Woodlawn Organization, which was influential in Chicago's

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

movement in the 1960s.

Career

Brazier was a preacher and real estate developer. He also marched alongside

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

to protest racial segregation. Among his activities was campaigning for the demolition of the

Chicago "L" The Chicago "L" (short for "elevated railway, elevated") is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs in the U.S. state of Illinois. Operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), it is the four ...

East 63rd branch east of the Cottage Grove station, claiming the portion of the line contributed to urban blight.

Retirement and death

On October 22, 2010, Brazier died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, after a five-year battle with prostate cancer.Activist, preacher Arthur Brazier dead at 89
. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 2010-10-22

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brazier, Arthur M. Antioch College alumni American Christian religious leaders 1921 births 2010 deaths Writers from Chicago