Civil rights leader John Perkins, advocate for racial reconciliation, dies at 95

John Perkins, a civil rights leader and pastor known for his work in racial reconciliation, died Friday under hospice care at age 95. His family announced his death and scheduled a funeral for March 21 at the New Horizon Church in Jackson.

Perkins was celebrated for his forgiveness and commitment to racial harmony. Constance Slaughter-Harvey, who represented him after he was tortured by Mississippi law enforcement officers in 1969, said he would be remembered as someone who sought to bring races together. She described him as an extraordinary man for forgiving those who brutalized him.

Born into poverty in New Hebron in 1930, Perkins faced numerous hardships, including the loss of his mother and the absence of his father. After serving in the Korean War, he became a Christian and was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1958. He returned to Mississippi in 1960 to start Mendenhall Ministries, which grew to include multiple community programs.

Perkins became active in the civil rights movement, organizing voter registration drives and protests against discriminatory hiring practices. In 1969, he was beaten and brutalized by police while attempting to bail out jailed protesters. Despite suffering a heart attack and ulcers from the attack, Perkins maintained a forgiving attitude, according to those who knew him.

He authored more than a dozen books, including his 1976 memoir, “Let Justice Roll Down,” and his final work, “One Life Well Lived,” on living with purpose. Perkins also served as a religious adviser to Presidents Jimmy Carter and others, and he founded organizations like the Christian Community Development Association and Mission Mississippi, which promote racial reconciliation.

Perkins’ legacy continues through the Spencer Perkins Center, established after his son’s death in 1998, to support under-resourced children and families. His family also co-presides over the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation, which aims to develop young leaders dedicated to reconciliation, reflecting his lifelong commitment to love and justice.

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