The Rev. James L. Netters Sr., civil rights advocate, dies

The Rev. James L. Netters Sr., a civil rights advocate who was one of the first Black members of the Memphis City Council, has died. He was 93.

Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Memphis announced Netters’ death on its website Sunday. Netters served as the church’s pastor for more than 60 years.

“Our prayers are with the friends and family of Rev. Dr. James Netters,” the City Council said in a statement on Twitter. “He was one of the first African American Memphis City Council members and his legacy will never be forgotten.”

The cause of death was not immediately known. A message to the church was not returned Sunday evening.

Netters helped lead sit-ins, marches and other protests as he and the Rev. Billy Kyles worked to integrate Memphis’ public buses in 1964. Kyles died in 2016.