Bernard Lafayette Jr., 85, Dies; Civil Rights Leader Helped Plan Selma March NYT > U.S. News Von: Clay Risen 09. März 2026 um 17:06 A close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, he was involved in many of the key moments of the Black freedom struggle in the 1960s. © Lee Lockwood/WSPI, via Getty ImagesBernard Lafayette Jr. during a planning session in Montgomery, Ala., in 1961. Dr. Lafayette played a key role in some of the central events of the civil rights movement.