Theodore Judson Jemison

Theodore Judson Jemison was also known as Rev T. J. Jemison was born on August 1, 1918, the youngest of six in Selma, Alabama and later he resided in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was recognized as a civil rights leader who foreshadowed Rosa Parks bus boycott in Montgomery Alabama. (Vitello, P, 2013).
Rev. Jemison was the pastor of the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Staunton, Virginia before accepting the call to pastor at the Mount Zion First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he served for 54 years before retiring in 2003. (Park and Church. 2013). Subsequently, he was elected President of the Louisiana Missionary Baptist State Convention, while also serving as President of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. from 1982-1994. Previously, he served as Secretary of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. for years, and Vice President of the Baptist World Alliance. (Park and Church. 2013). In addition, he was also a founding member of Southern Christian Leadership Conference together with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, and Rev. Fred.L. Shuttlesworth.

When bus drivers went on strike to protest the change, Rev Jemison led an eight-day boycott. (Vitello, P, 2013). At that time, African Americans made up 80 percent of the city bus rider’s ship and they were tired of standing buses while "white" seats remained empty, particularly after the company had raised fares from ten to fifteen cents in January 1953. Rev. Jemison stated in an interview in 1993 that “We were not necessarily interested at that time in segregation, we were after the seats.” This resulted in only the two front rows of seats on the public buses were reserved for the whites. (Vitello, P,