Political and social activist Cynthia DeLores Tucker, 78, died last Wednesday (Oct. 12, 2005) of an undisclosed cause at the Suburban Woods Health and Rehabilitation Center in Norristown, Pa., leaving behind a legacy of firsts and intrepid advocacy.
The Pennsylvania native spent her lifetime in dogged pursuit of civil rights, often lending an elegant presence to many protests. But her well-turned heels, impeccable suits and matching turbans belied Tucker’s ability to deliver scorching speeches in booming tones reminiscent of her father, the Rev. Whitfield Nottage of the old Ebenezer Community Tabernacle in North Philadelphia.
Tucker first lent her voice to the Civil Rights Movement at age 16 when she protested outside the old Bellevue Stratford Hotel because of their failure to admit Black athletes. By 1965, she was marching arm-in-arm with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during a civil rights protest in Selma, Ala.