L. Francis Griffin
Rev. Leslie Francis Griffin (September 15, 1917 – January 18, 1980) was an American civil rights advocate, and minister.[1][2] He was nicknamed the "fighting preacher," because of his activism,[1] and served as the pastor at First Baptist Church.[3]
Biography
He was born on September 15, 1917, in Norfolk, Virginia.[1] During World War II (from 1941 until May 1945), Griffin served in the 758th tank battalion in the United States Army.[2][4] Griffin attended Shaw University's bachelor of divinity program in Raleigh, North Carolina.[2][4]
He moved to Farmville, Virginia, in 1927, to take a job role.
Griffin had two daughters who were denied access to
He died on January 18, 1980, in Farmville.[4] Starting in 1982, Griffin Boulevard in Farmville, Virginia, is named for him.[4] In 2008, the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial was created on the grounds of Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia which features a sculpture of him.[4] In 2015, the L. Francis Griffin Sr. Gymnasium was dedicated to him at the Prince Edward County Middle School in Farmville.[4]
References
- ^ a b c Stallsmith, Pamela (February 1, 2000). "The Rev. L. Francis Griffin". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
- ^ Moton Museum. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- ^ a b c Hollingsworth, Emily (September 25, 2018). "Rev. L. Francis Griffin honored". The Farmville Herald.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Lee, Brian E.; Daugherity, Brian J. "Leslie Francis Griffin (1919–1980)". Encyclopedia Virginia.
- ^ "Daughters Remember Rev. L. Francis Griffin". The Farmville Herald. May 22, 2014.