Actions of ‘quiet-spoken man’ spoke loudly
ATLANTA – The late civil rights leader C.T. Vivian was remembered Thursday morning at a private funeral in Providence Missionary Baptist Church.
The service was closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic. Vivian died July 17 in his home of natural causes. He was 95.
Vivian's six grandsons served as pallbearers, and his friends and sons spoke at the service. Fifty family members and friends were allowed to attend.
Vivian was an active member of Providence Missionary Baptist. The church passed out masks and did temperature checks for those who attended. Mourners respected social distancing guidelines, leaving entire rows of pews empty or leaving ample space between them.
Outside the church, about a dozen supporters stood near the entrance, some holding signs and photos of Vivian. A police motorcade lined the street.
Edna Davis and her 9-year-old granddaughter carried a cardboard sign that read, “Thank you Rev. C.T. Vivian.”
Davis, a deaconess at the church, said she got to know Vivian when her daughter interviewed him for a Black History Month assignment at his house. Vivian talked about his struggles during the civil rights movement.
“We love Dr. C.T. Vivian, he was very warm and friendly and gracious,” said Davis, 65. “He did not meet a stranger, and he was very approachable.”
Davis said she was happy that Vivian’s contributions were recognized because he was a “quiet-spoken man” who was often overlooked.
Thomas Wall, 75, said he met Vivian years ago during his visits to Providence Missionary Baptist. He stood outside, wearing a shirt that read, “Vote or Die.”
Vivian’s death “hit us hard because icons are just passing,” Wall said, noting the passing of John Lewis and Charles Evers. “That’s the old guard, those are the ones who brought us through and paved the way. Now we gotta get ready for these younger people to step up and follow C.T. Vivian and John Lewis.”
Video tributes by presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, Oprah Winfrey and baseball star Hank Aaron were broadcast on screens inside the church.
“A soldier who refused to raise his fists, a preacher whose voice helped electrify a movement, a leader who inspired generations to join him in the ceaseless march to progress,” Biden said in the tribute. “C.T. didn’t waste a single one of the days God granted him, and we all know that C.T.’s spirit is going to continue to inspire us to fulfill his mission, a mission that remains unfinished.”