Why is AG Gaston famous?

Why is AG Gaston famous?

Arthur George (A.G.) Gaston played a little-noticed role in history. An African-American man born in a log cabin in Demopolis, Ala., in 1892, he defied the social climate of the times to become a business leader, and later, a behind-the-scenes political leader at a critical time in civil rights history.

Who was AG Gaston of Birmingham Alabama?

Gaston, Arthur George. Millionaire entrepreneur A. G. Gaston acted as an intermediary between white moderates and civil rights leaders in Birmingham, Alabama, during the 1960s.

How old was AG Gaston when he died?

103 years (1892–1996)
A. G. Gaston/Age at death

Where was AG Gaston from?

Demopolis, AL
A. G. Gaston/Place of birth

How did Arthur G Gaston break barriers in the financial world?

In 1957, he created Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association to loan money to blacks who were turned down by the white banks.

What did Arthur G Gaston accomplish in his professional career?

Founding the Booker T. Washington Insurance Company led him to a partnership in the Smith and Gaston Funeral Home. These accomplishments later led to the creation of Booker T. Washington Business College, an institution for training youths for employment in the economic realm.

How did AG Gaston influence politics?

Gaston was probably the richest black man in America. He was the leading employer of blacks in Alabama and directly and indirectly gave substantial aid and comfort to the civil rights movement. In the decade after the Montgomery bus boycott, Martin Luther King Jr.

How did AG Gaston influence politics for black Americans?

He was the leading employer of blacks in Alabama and directly and indirectly gave substantial aid and comfort to the civil rights movement. In the decade after the Montgomery bus boycott, Martin Luther King Jr. and his allies used the A. G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham, Alabama, as a safe refuge to plan their activities.