Ezell Blair Jr.

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Ezell Blair Jr.
Born
Ezell Alexander Blair Jr.

(1941-10-18) October 18, 1941 (age 82)
Civil Rights Movement
SpouseLorraine France George
Children3

Jibreel Khazan (born Ezell Alexander Blair Jr.; October 18, 1941) is a

Civil Rights Movement.[1][2]

Early life and education

See also: Greensboro sit-ins

Khazan was born Ezell Alexander Blair Jr. on October 18, 1941, in Greensboro, North Carolina. Khazan received his early education from Dudley High School, where his father taught.[3] His father was a member of the NAACP and very vocal on the subject of racial injustices and "things naturally rubbed off on me", described Khazan in a 1974 interview.[4] It was said that when he experienced unjust treatment based on color, he "stood up."[5] Khazan also recalls an American Civics teacher, Mrs. McCullough, who told her class “We’re preparing you for the day when you will have equal rights.”[1]

He was also influenced by

nonviolent protests to end segregated accommodation. King's words had made a huge impact with Khazan, so much so that he later remarked that "he could feel his heart palpitating" and that the words of King "brought tears to his eyes."[5]

In 1959, Khazan graduated from James B. Dudley High School, and entered the

Mohandas Gandhi's use of "passive insistence" that had inspired him to act. Each of the participants in the sit-in had different catalysts, but it is clear that the four men had a close friendship that mutually reinforced their desire to act.[5] His 1964 interview describes the Greensboro sit-ins in Chapter 5 of Who Speaks for the Negro?[6]

The sit-in demonstrations were just the beginning of Khazan's community involvement. He joined

Massachusetts University and later at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied voice.[8]

Later life

As he had been labeled a "troublemaker" for his role in the

Greensboro Sit-Ins, life in Greensboro became difficult for Khazan. In 1965, he moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he worked as a teacher and counselor for the developmentally challenged. In 1968, he joined the Islamic Center of New England and changed his name to Jibreel Khazan.[3][9] Today Khazan is an oral historian, oracle,[citation needed] Mass-Star Story[clarification needed
] teller and lecturer.

Legacy

In 1991, Khazan received an

honorary doctorate of humanities degree from North Carolina A&T State University.[8] In 2002, North Carolina A&T commissioned a statue to be sculpted honoring Khazan, along with the three other members of the A&T four: Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond. In addition, the four men each have residence halls named for them on the university campus.[10] In 2010, Khazan was the recipient of the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal from the Smithsonian Institution.[11] On October 12, 2021, Khazan was honored with the renaming of a city park in the west end of New Bedford, MA.[12]

Personal life

Khazan is married to the former Lorraine France George of New Bedford. Together they have three children.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Civil Rights Greensboro: Jibreel Khazan". University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Archived from the original on 2014-01-15. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
  2. ISBN 0-393-04592-7
    .
  3. ^ a b c "Jibreel Khazan (Formerly Ezell Blair Jr.)". Video Dialog Inc. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
  4. ^ "Oral History Interview with Jibreel Khazan by William Chafe :: Civil Rights Greensboro". libcdm1.uncg.edu. Retrieved 2020-01-05.
  5. ^
    ISBN 0-19-502625-X
    . Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  6. ^ "Ezell Blair, Stokely Carmichael, Lucy Thornton and Jean Wheeler | Who Speaks for the Negro?". whospeaks.library.vanderbilt.edu. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  7. ^ https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6227923dd7da1058393d02ff/t/65805f4dd1b23606b9ee9fdb/1702911822773/J.+Khazan+transcript+formatted.pdf
  8. ^
    North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Retrieved 20 August 2014.[permanent dead link
    ]
  9. ^ "FebruaryOne: The Story of the Greensboro Four". PBS. 2008-01-21.
  10. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Archived from the original
    on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  11. ^ Trescott, Jacqueline (5 February 2010). "50 years later, Greensboro Four get Smithsonian award for civil rights actions". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  12. ^ Paleologos, Phil (18 October 2021). "New Bedford Must Lift Up Celebration of Dr. Jibreel Khazan With a Statue". wbsm.com. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Different paths for sit-in leaders". Greensboro News & Record. 14 January 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ezell_Blair_Jr.&oldid=1217840881"