S.S. Seay
Encyclopedia
Solomon Snowden Seay, Sr. (1899-1988) was an American activist, religious leader, and memoir
ist.
He was born 25 January 1899, in Macon County, Alabama
, and studied at Alabama State and Talladega College
s. He preached in the South
at various AME Zion
churches, from 1916 until undertaking the pastorship of Mount Zion AME Zion Church in Montgomery, Alabama
, in 1947.
His unsuccessful efforts in 1949 on behalf of a black teenage girl who claimed rape by two white police officers marked him as a pioneering Montgomery activist; Martin Luther King, Jr.
is said to have counted him among very few such.
He was indicted for his participation in the Montgomery bus boycott
, and arraigned on February 24, 1956, along with 88 other boycott supporters.
On March 23, 1960, the "Committee to Defend Martin Luther King and the Struggle for Freedom in the South" published a full page advertisement in the New York Times seeking to defend the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and support the Civil Rights Movement. The ad ran in the March 29, 1960 edition of the Times with the title "Heed Their Rising Voices".
He was listed as one of the ad's supporters and was consequently included along with three other black ministers, as the defendants in a libel suit. The claims of the same Montgomery city commissioner who brought that suit also led to the New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
case that established the public figure
principle in U.S. defamation law.
From 1972, he served his denomination
above the congregational level in the Greenville, Alabama
area until retiring in 1982.
He died in 1988, and in 1990 his autobiography I Was There by the Grace of God was published.
attorney. During his stellar legal career across the entire state of Alabama, Seay focused primarily on the acquisition of civil rights and the vindication of civil wrongs, and he associated frequently as counsel with the Legal Defense Fund of the NAACP. He is most well known for his work in the desegregation
lawsuit Lee v. Macon, which was effective throughout Georgia
, and author of Jim Crow and Me: Stories From My Life As a Civil Rights Lawyer.
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
ist.
He was born 25 January 1899, in Macon County, Alabama
Macon County, Alabama
Macon County is a county in the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Nathaniel Macon, a member of the United States Senate from North Carolina. Developed for cotton plantation agriculture in the nineteenth century, it is one of the counties in Alabama within the Black Belt of the South.As...
, and studied at Alabama State and Talladega College
Talladega College
- External Links :* -- Official web site*...
s. He preached in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
at various AME Zion
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, or AME Zion Church, is a historically African-American Christian denomination. It was officially formed in 1821, but operated for a number of years before then....
churches, from 1916 until undertaking the pastorship of Mount Zion AME Zion Church in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, in 1947.
His unsuccessful efforts in 1949 on behalf of a black teenage girl who claimed rape by two white police officers marked him as a pioneering Montgomery activist; Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
is said to have counted him among very few such.
He was indicted for his participation in the Montgomery bus boycott
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign that started in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, intended to oppose the city's policy of racial segregation on its public transit system. Many important figures in the civil rights movement were involved in the boycott,...
, and arraigned on February 24, 1956, along with 88 other boycott supporters.
On March 23, 1960, the "Committee to Defend Martin Luther King and the Struggle for Freedom in the South" published a full page advertisement in the New York Times seeking to defend the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and support the Civil Rights Movement. The ad ran in the March 29, 1960 edition of the Times with the title "Heed Their Rising Voices".
He was listed as one of the ad's supporters and was consequently included along with three other black ministers, as the defendants in a libel suit. The claims of the same Montgomery city commissioner who brought that suit also led to the New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 , was a United States Supreme Court case which established the actual malice standard which has to be met before press reports about public officials or public figures can be considered to be defamation and libel; and hence allowed free reporting of the...
case that established the public figure
Public figure
Public figure is a legal term applied in the context of defamation actions as well as invasion of privacy. A public figure cannot base a lawsuit on incorrect harmful statements unless there is proof that the writer or publisher acted with actual malice...
principle in U.S. defamation law.
From 1972, he served his denomination
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
above the congregational level in the Greenville, Alabama
Greenville, Alabama
Greenville is a city in Butler County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census, the population was 7,228. The city is the county seat of Butler County and is known as the Camellia City. The movement to change the Official Alabama State Flower from the goldenrod to the camellia originated in...
area until retiring in 1982.
He died in 1988, and in 1990 his autobiography I Was There by the Grace of God was published.
Solomon S. Seay, Jr.
His son Solomon (born 1931) is a civil rightsCivil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
attorney. During his stellar legal career across the entire state of Alabama, Seay focused primarily on the acquisition of civil rights and the vindication of civil wrongs, and he associated frequently as counsel with the Legal Defense Fund of the NAACP. He is most well known for his work in the desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
lawsuit Lee v. Macon, which was effective throughout Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and author of Jim Crow and Me: Stories From My Life As a Civil Rights Lawyer.