ATLANTA – The City of Atlanta lost a legend. Civil rights activist Rev. Fred D. Taylor has died, according to the Atlanta City Council.

Rev. Taylor was born in Prattville, Alabama in 1942. He became integrated into the Civil Rights Movement under the guidance of Pastor Ralph David Abernathy, who was a close friend and mentor to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1969, Taylor graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from the Interdemoninational Theological Center in Atlanta and began working for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

Over the years, he rose through the ranks and rubbed elbows with local leaders throughout the states. In 1996, he was invited to be a torch-bearer at the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta.

When remembering Taylor, the Atlanta City Council highlighted his unique approach to leading protests. They said he would sing spiritual hymns and freedom songs into a megaphone in order to keep the marches in sync.

“Rev. Taylor was a fearless crusader for justice and equality whose example is one of pure self-sacrifice for the upliftment of others,” Atlanta City Councilman Michael Julian Bond said in a statement. “My personal journey with him was a blessing. From being inspired by his example, to being guided by his wisdom as a mentor, and finally, to cherishing his friendship, I am forever grateful. I had the honor of recognizing his contributions at the City Council a few years ago. I extend my deepest condolences to his family, affiliations, and the community that loves him dearly.”

Councilman Michael Julian Bond and Rev. Fred D. Taylor (Credit: Atlanta City Council)

Learn more about Rev. Fred D. Taylor’s life and legacy here.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Although June 19 was on Wednesday, the Juneteenth Atlanta Black History Parade stepped off on Saturday!

The parade is part of the 12th annual Juneteenth Atlanta Parade and Music Festival. It started near the King Center on Auburn Ave NE and ends at Piedmont Park, where the festival awaits.

The parade featured floats, flyover jets, dance troops, marching bands, dignitaries from every city in Georgia and more, according to organizers. Meanwhile, the festival has food vendors, musical performances, several pageants and cultural activities.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Juneteenth Atlanta Parade and Music Festival weekend begins

Brad Lewis, one of the organizers, said the event is focused on the youth paving the way for an inclusive future.

“I think it’s going to be an excellent opportunity for Atlanta’s biggest melting pot,” he said. “This even appeals to everyone because it’s about freedom.”

If you can’t make it out, Atlanta News First has you covered. The parade will be broadcast on PeachtreeTV at noon.

WATCH THE PARADE

PeachtreeTV is channel 17.1 over the air. If you are on the Dish Network or DirecTV, tune into channel 17. If you have Xfinity or Spectrum, find us on channel 7.

You can also stream the parade live on ANF+. Just search “Atlanta News First” on Roku, FireTV, Apple TV or YouTubeTV. ANF+ will stream the parade twice — live at noon and a re-run at 8 p.m.

See the parade route:

June 19, commonly called Juneteenth, is a celebration of the end of slavery in the U.S. President Joe Biden established it as a federal holiday in 2021.

On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declared that enslaved people in the rebellious states were free. But in some areas, that order wouldn’t be a reality until years later.

On June 19, 1865, Union troops came to Galveston Bay, Texas, to spread the good news — more than 250,000 people in the state were free. Today, that date is known as Juneteenth.

Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.

Associated Press

Atlanta Braves (42-31, second in the NL East) vs. New York Yankees (51-27, first in the AL East)

New York; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Braves: Charlie Morton (4-3, 3.91 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 76 strikeouts); Yankees: Marcus Stroman (6-3, 3.19 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 61 strikeouts)

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Yankees -141, Braves +120; over/under is 9 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The New York Yankees look to stop their three-game home skid with a victory against the Atlanta Braves.

New York is 51-27 overall and 23-13 at home. The Yankees have the ninth-best team batting average in MLB play at .250.

Atlanta has an 18-18 record on the road and a 42-31 record overall. Braves hitters have a collective .412 slugging percentage to rank third in the NL.

The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Aaron Judge has 22 doubles, a triple and 27 home runs while hitting .301 for the Yankees. Giancarlo Stanton is 13-for-39 with three home runs over the last 10 games.

Matt Olson has 19 doubles, a triple, 12 home runs and 40 RBI for the Braves. Austin Riley is 13-for-35 with four doubles and four home runs over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Yankees: 4-6, .218 batting average, 5.61 ERA, outscored by seven runs

Braves: 7-3, .267 batting average, 2.76 ERA, outscored opponents by 22 runs

INJURIES: Yankees: Gleyber Torres: day-to-day (groin), Anthony Rizzo: 60-Day IL (wrist), Clarke Schmidt: 60-Day IL (lat), Cody Poteet: 15-Day IL (tricep), Ian Hamilton: 15-Day IL (lat), Jon Berti: 60-Day IL (calf), Nick Burdi: 15-Day IL (hip), Jonathan Loaisiga: 60-Day IL (elbow), JT Brubaker: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lou Trivino: 60-Day IL (elbow), Scott Effross: 60-Day IL (back)

Braves: AJ Smith-Shawver: 15-Day IL (oblique), Spencer Strider: 60-Day IL (elbow), Hurston Waldrep: 15-Day IL (elbow), Huascar Ynoa: 60-Day IL (elbow), Michael Harris II: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Ronald Acuna Jr.: 60-Day IL (knee), Jimmy Herget: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Tyler Matzek: 60-Day IL (elbow), Alex Jordan Minter: 15-Day IL (hip), Angel Perdomo: 60-Day IL (elbow)

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.