The passing of Lucy Durr Hackney was shared with me by her dear friend Charlayne Hunter-Gault. I imagine that among other things their friendship was cemented by their keen intelligence and their love of all things Vineyard, by the importance of women advancing in the world and much more. Friends bond on a variety of axis points, some not so obvious.

What I do know is that they shared significant points in the evolution of the civil rights movement. I do know that both of them and their families put their lives at significant risks fighting for racial justice in the deep South.

Lucy was born to Clifford and Virginia Durr in Montgomery, Alabama. Clifford Judkins Durr represented many Black residents of Montgomery and lost a lot of white business clients as a result. Lucy’s mother was active in the Southern Conference Education Fund and the Southern Conference for Human welfare. Clifford Durr would eventually represent Rosa Parks when she was arrested for not moving to the back of the bus and sparked the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, which lasted over 365 days.

Lucy would take up the family cause for the human rights by working at the Children’s Defense Fund, the Juvenile Law Center and by founding the Pennsylvania Partnership for Children and the Association for the Advancement of the Mentally Handicapped.

Lucy Durr Hackney lived a full life that was committed to her family and to the importance of civil and human rights. She had the benefit of seeing much progress in both of these areas. So many women and people of color advance in politics, business and community service can thank Virginia Durr, Lucy Durr Hackney and Charlayne Hunter-Gault.

Note: My grandparents were educators in Montgomery, Alabama during the civil rights movement and were very active in Dexter avenue Baptist Church. Granddaddy was the treasurer of Dexter during the King days. As a consequence of this involvement, they were close to the Durrs. I had the occasion to be introduced to Mr. Durr by my grandfather at his family farm during my second year at Harvard Law School. Our common touch point is that he was elected a Rhodes Scholar from the University of Alabama and that I was elected a Rhodes Scholar from Boston University. Clifford Judkins Durr lived and risked his life to fulfill the noble aims of the Cecil Rhodes creed of taking on “the world’s fight”.

Paradise on earth is the Vineyard experience. Enjoy it as life is fleeting!

Oak Bluffs town news can be sent to rtaylor@mvgazette.com.