James L. Bevel, 72, an Adviser to Dr. King, Is Dead
The Rev. James L. Bevel, an adviser to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. whose influence spurred a pivotal event of the civil rights movement, the “children’s crusade” in Birmingham, Ala., but whose reputation was later marred by fringe political associations and a criminal conviction this year on incest charges involving a teenage daughter, died Friday in Springfield, Va. He was 72.
Another daughter, Sherilynn Bevel, confirmed the death, The Washington Post reported. Mr. Bevel had been released from prison in November because he had pancreatic cancer.
Charismatic and eloquently quick-witted in a vernacular style, Mr. Bevel was known as a man of passion and peculiarity. He often wore overalls over a shirt and tie; he shaved his head and sometimes covered it with a yarmulke in honor of Old Testament prophets.
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Another daughter, Sherilynn Bevel, confirmed the death, The Washington Post reported. Mr. Bevel had been released from prison in November because he had pancreatic cancer.
Charismatic and eloquently quick-witted in a vernacular style, Mr. Bevel was known as a man of passion and peculiarity. He often wore overalls over a shirt and tie; he shaved his head and sometimes covered it with a yarmulke in honor of Old Testament prophets.