POLITICAL ACTIVISM
HONORING A HERO
A NEW BOOK FOR AN OLD STORY
After more than twenty years with CORE, Farmer chose to resign in 1965. He then taught at many different universities before being appointed Assistant Secretary of Health, Education< and Welfare to President Nixon beginning in 1969. Farmer continued to support the Civil Rights Movement though was never truly directly involved again.
On January 15 1998, President William Clinton Awarded James Farmer Jr the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work during the Civil Rights Movement.
James Farmer published his autobiography, Lay Bare the Heart, in 1989. In his book he detailed his experiences with the Freedom Rides, and the time he spent in jail as a result as well as many stories of the CORE and its founding. The story of Farmer’s time on the Wiley College Debate Team has also been immortalized in movie form. Farmer died on July 9, 1999, and was never able to see this movie, The Great Debaters, which was released in 2007.
James Farmer’s life and ideals will live on in all people who wish to stop the injustices around them. His experiences as a youth help to form him into the powerful, and world changing man he became in the 1940’s.
“James Farmer is one of the giants and a true American hero. He taught us that it's possible to work toward and achieve meaningful progress through commitment, education, fierce determination and strong faith. As Americans we are better off as a people and as a nation thanks to James Farmer.
--U.S. Rep. Max Sandlin