Gaston, Arthur George "A.G."
1892-1996 · Contribution: 1923-1992
Built a $30-40 million Birmingham, Alabama business empire spanning insurance, banking, funeral homes, and real estate, then used it to quietly bankroll the civil rights movement, including bailing Martin Luther King Jr. out of jail during the 1963 Birmingham campaign
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Impact on the world
Gaston proved that Black economic independence and the civil-rights struggle were inseparable, using a self-made fortune to fund the movement even as he favored negotiation, drawing criticism from more militant activists.
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Encyclopedia of Alabama
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