The Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth may not be as big of a household name as Steve Jobs but his life’s work also helped changed a nation, inspiring it to reach for higher moral ground.
As a pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement, Shuttlesworth, who died this week at age 89, was at the brutal forefront of the fight against racial injustice in Birmingham, Ala. in the 1950s and ’60s. He endured bombings, beatings and arrests but never ceased in his efforts to integrate a city where he lived and preached that had come to be known as “Bomingham,” because of several racially motivated bombings.
When I think about the Civil Rights Movement, some of the most graphic and indelible images that come to mind are those of young, nonviolent demonstrators in Birmingham who were attacked by police with tear gas, dogs and water hoses as they marched for equal rights. Shuttlesworth led those protests that galvanized the country and ultimately lead to desegregation of public places in Birmingham and to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
What Shuttlesworth had on his side besides faith is “The Law of The Big Mo,” which author John Maxwell talks about in his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.
“Mo” is short for momentum. Says Maxwell: “It takes a leader to create momentum. Followers catch it … But creating it requires someone who can motivate others, not who needs to be motivated. Harry Truman once said, ‘If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.’ But for leaders, that statement should be changed to read, ‘If you can’t make some heat, get out of the kitchen.’”
Through his fiery style and dogged determination, Shuttlesworth was destined to bring the heat and produce everlasting change. He was often noted for his courage but Shuttlesworth’s guiding principle as a leader was: Live for what you can give, not for what you can get. He gave a whole lot during his lifetime, so that many of us can get in ours.