Posted July 7, 2008 to GDN Headlines | Section Home | Print

Louisville Civil Rights Activist and Pastor Dies Unexpectedly

By Patrice Muhammad

LOUISVILLE, Ken. - After spending a great Fourth of July shopping and relaxing with his wife Etta, Rev. Louis Coleman, among Kentucky's most vocal and passionate civil rights leaders, died unexpectedly on July 5th after suffering several seizures. He was 64.

Rev. Coleman was known for his persistency as much as his passion and was a member of the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame. Among his civil rights activities:

- He founded the Justice Resource Center to fill the void that other so-called civil rights agencies left open.

- In his most recent commentary to The Key Newsjournal (June 9), he criticized the lack of action by the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights and the what he described as insulting actions of the Georgetown NAACP chapter.

- He worked for 20 years with Dupont employees who filed a class action discrimination suit against the company. It resulted in a $14 million dollar settlement. Most recent, he had been working with Joyce Bell Murphy for more than a year to get answers about her son's death on the campus of Georgetown College in Georgetown, KY.

- He also golfed and had lunch at Idle Hour Country Club in Lexington to draw attention to their lack of Black members.

- Rev. Coleman won a lawsuit that challenged the number of Black high school coaches in Kentucky and met with The University of Kentucky Athletic Director about the poor treatment of, then, UK Head Basketball Coach Tubby Smith.

- Coleman complained about the number of Black and female contractors working on Lexington Bluegrass Airport projects.

- He also helped Richmond, Ken. residents organize weekly protests in response to excessive police monitoring and excessive police force used in their community.

Mrs. Coleman said that after returning from a short trip to Chicago for the Rainbow Push Convention last week, Rev. Coleman looked tired and complained about the long walk through the airport.

The Coleman's spent the Fourth of July preparing for a trip later this month to New Orleans to attend the National Black Chamber of Commerce Convention.

According to Mrs. Coleman, on Saturday morning as her husband was preparing to make a trip downtown, he fell at home and by the time he reached North Suburban hospital in Louisville, he had experienced about four seizures.

Coleman's wife said that to her knowledge he had only had a seizure on one other occasion about four years ago. Mrs. Coleman said her husband had been stabilized at the hospital and felt really good around noon and was ready to return to their home.

She said, "We talked about a few things while we were there. He said that he talked with the ambulance driver all the way to the hospital and his name was Caleb and he was really nice. He told me to send him a thank you card."

Mrs. Coleman said that in the process of being discharged he passed away.

She said she had stepped into the hall and when Rev. Coleman took too long to come out, she went back in and he was not responsive. "The hospital staff worked on him for about thirty minutes," Mrs. Coleman says. "I don't have any complaints with them. I know that they did all that they could. It was just time."

Raised in Louisville, as a youth, Coleman ran track with Cassius Clay who later became known as Muhammad Ali. Coleman also excelled in baseball and was recruited to the Pittsburgh Pirates farm team. He also coached football and track at Kentucky State.

On Sunday, Rev. Coleman's congregation at First Congregational Methodist Church in Louisville had their regular service including communion. With tears and praise the members got through Sunday service less than 24 hours after his passing.

With a flower wreath at the door and Rev. Coleman's pastoral robe on his chair in the pulpit the service went on as scheduled. A special prayer meeting is scheduled for the members as they work their way through the difficult transition.

Also on Sunday, the entire hour of Key Conversations Radio was dedicated to Rev. Coleman's life and legacy. The entire show will be on www.lextown.info by Monday afternoon.

As of this posting, the following services have been planned.

Tuesday - Ceremony at the corner of 28th Street and Broadway in Louisville, where Rev. Coleman held many rallies.

Wednesday - Memorial service at Clay Street Baptist Church 1940 Midland Trails in Shelbyville, KY from 4-8 p.m.

Thursday - Wake from noon - 6 p.m. at First Congregational Methodist Church, 39th and Garland Avenue in Louisville. The wake is followed by a memorial service from 7-9 p.m. where several Justice Resource Center branch representatives and local activists are scheduled to speak.

Friday - 11a.m. Funeral service at Canaan Christian Church, 2840 Hikes Lane in Louisville. Civil Rights activists Rev. James Tennyson and Dick Gregory will officiate.

Rev. Coleman will be buried at Calvary Cemetery in Shelbyville and Webb Funeral Home in Shelbyville is handling all arrangements.