Details Revealed: A Secret Civil Rights Champions Story! Charles Wayne Sullivan. You have probably never heard his name. He is okay with that. Humble beyond all comprehension, he has never sought accolades for his deeds. The sacrifices and risks on the part of this man in the name of civil rights, however, deserve to be known. A quick history: Wayne (as he prefers to be called) was born to a farming family in Oklahoma in 1928. He was the youngest of 7. The Sullivans moved to Texas when he was 4, where he spent the remainder of his childhood. His upbringing was the furthest thing from white privilege you can imagine. Young Wayne turned out to be a terrifically handsome man. Despite this, he never developed an attitude of superiority. After serving the United States Army during the Korean War, he married a young woman named Lucille. The two moved to Tampa, Florida where Wayne attended what is now Florida College. He majored in Biblical Studies and started a career as a Church of Christ preacher. The public civil rights battle begins: While a preacher at a congregation in Georgia in the early 1960s, Wayne received a phone call. A family was traveling through the area and looking for a place to worship that Sunday. He gave the man on the phone the location of the church building and the meeting time. The man then told Wayne that one of the reasons he was calling was to make sure that is was okay for his family to attend service. As it turned out, they were black. Completely unaffected by the familys race, Sullivan assured the man they were welcome. Sunday morning came and brought torrential rain with it. When the family arrived, the elders of the congregation stood and bodily blocked the door to keep them from entering. The elders missed taking the Lords Supper to ensure the family did not get in. Shocked and saddened that anyone calling themselves a Christian would behave in such a manner, Wayne made a split second decision. He ditched the sermon he had planned. Instead, he gave a lesson on racism. He informed the members that the sermon was part 1. Part 2, he said, would be delivered at evening service. After the service ended, the elders informed Sullivan that if he preached part 2 he would be fired. He, his wife, and their children went home and packed. Part 2 was preached, and Wayne was left without a job. The fight goes global: Wayne didnt stop with Georgia. In 1965, he took his belief in equality to another continent. While the civil rights situation in the US was bad, in South Africa, it was worse. The country was still under apartheid. Despite conditions there, the Sullivan family, which now numbered five, collected S H Green Stamps to raise the money for passage. Sullivan accepted a job as a preacher at the Church of Christ in Port Elizabeth. Laws prohibited Wayne from educating black citizens, even in biblical matters. It was a crime to have the black preacher into his home. The penalty for violation was imprisonment. Believing it was more important to obey the laws of God than those of man, he did both. His daughter Cindi recounts one visit. I remember having to hide the preacher in the backseat floorboards with our coats over him. After we snuck him in the house, we had to close all the blinds and eat by candlelight. For three years, Wayne preached to the people, regardless of color, in Port Elizabeth. He continued to treat the black preacher as his equal. He taught his children to do the same. The war wages on: After returning to the US, Sullivan continued to preach. As always, he taught that the color of your skin has nothing to do with the condition of your soul. (As always, he also continued to quote all the verses in sermons from memory. Not relevant, just impressive.) He unwaveringly fought for and defended the rights of all races. Now 87, Wayne still preaches every Sunday. Time has bent his back, but not his will. There have been others like him. Many people have fought tirelessly, out of the public eye, to make a difference. The events recorded here are just highlights of his actions. Wayne Sullivan serves as the perfect example of just what a true civil rights champion is. It is not someone who divides. It is someone who unites. It is not someone who puts themselves in the occasional spotlight. It is someone who lives each day in a way that demonstrates their belief in equality. It is not someone screaming with a poster in the air. It is someone teaching with a bible in their hands. 2016 Vianna Vaughan 