Woodrum, Robert H.United States, Alabama, Jefferson County, Birmingham, 33.52066, -86.80249United States, Georgia, Fulton County, 33.79025, -84.46702United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798Orange, James (Civil rights worker)2003-07-15The Reverend James Orange was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1942. As a young man, Orange was active in the civil rights movement, especially with the movement to integrate the schools and bus boycotts in Birmingham. Through his involvement in Birmingham, Selma and with the Poor People’s Campaign, he became closely associated with Martin Luther King; he was present at King’s assassination in Memphis in 1968. Orange became involved with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in the early 1960s, remaining active until 1977, when he began to work for the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union on the J. P. Stevens organizing campaign. Since that time, he has served numerous national and international labor and civil rights organizations, notably as state chair of the People’s Agenda for Voter Empowerment, working in voter education and registration drives throughout Georgia.After briefly referring to his later labor work, Rev. Orange discusses his civil rights activities in Birmingham, particularly his work to integrate the Birmingham schools, and he discusses a trip to Texas with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to assist the migrant workers. Rev. Orange talks about his friendship with Martin Luther King, King’s final days, and his presence with King at King’s assassination in Memphis. The conversation turns to Orange’s participation in the Selma march, the march on Montgomery, and voter registration drives. Rev. Orange reflects on his spiritual side, speaking especially about the labor movement in the context of religion, and the dominant presence of African-Americans and other minorities in labor. After briefly mentioning Governor George Wallace, Orange talks about his work for the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers beginning in 1977; especially his involvement with the J. P. Stevens campaign. Orange also discusses his more recent activities as state chair of the Georgia People’s Agenda for Voter Empowerment, his anti-apartheid work, the International Olympic Committee, and the Ambassador program in Atlanta. At the conclusion of the interview Orange briefly reflects on the future of the coalition between labor and the civil rights movement.audio/mpegengAtlanta, Ga. : Georgia State University Libraryhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Voices of Labor Oral History Projecthttp://research.library.gsu.edu/VoicesofLaborSouthern Labor ArchivesCivil rights workersCivil rights demonstrationsPoor People’s CampaignLabor unions--OrganizingAmalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers UnionSouthern Christian Leadership ConferenceJames Orange oral history interview, 2003-07-15Sound