L. D. Reddick, in his book, "Crusader Without Violence: A Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. (1959), the second book to be published that focused on the Montgomery Bus Boycott, after Stride Toward Freedom by Martin Luther King, Jr., was published, writes this about "Rev. U. J. Fields," the name I was known by at the time:
There was also the Rev.U. J. Fields, a shining comet that later somehow fell out of its orbit" (p.127)
The Trial
The Rev. U. J. Fields, then recording secretary of the MIA {Montgomery Improvement Association that conducted the Montgomery Bus Boycott} skirted the edge of contempt by his indiret and at times impish answers to questions that the prosecution put to him. Actually, he appeared to toy with the solicitor. Accordingly, he was the hero of the moment in the Negro community. After court hours, wherever Negroes met, they would laughingly ask, "Man, did you see Fields playing with them today?" (p. 143)
(Crusader Without Violence: A Biography of Martin Luther King Jr, by L. D. Reddick can be located at the Alderman Library at the University of Virginia and some other libraries.)
Copyright 2014 by Uriah J. Fields
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I've been thinking about you lately while seeing information on Oprah Winfrey's new movie about Montgomery. Were you there? Are you portrayed? Or is it just the characters that Oprah thinks were important players?
Ron