​His hard-earned credibility as a civil and human rights leader is un-paralleled in his generation.  CNN has called him “one of the most important voices in today’s fight for civil rights.”  Elder, iconic black leaders highly regard him.  He has emerged in Atlanta, cradle of the American civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's, as a leading figure amidst the most celebrated icons of that era. The Reverend Markel Hutchins is a consummate community leader, political activist, and social justice advocate carrying forth the spirit and tradition of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to whom he has been compared since childhood.

 

From coast-to-coast, Hutchins has led issue-oriented public campaigns and given voice to issues impacting millions of lives. He has led dozens of protests, marches and rallies. Rev. Markel has been arrested numerous times for engaging in civil disobedience to call attention to issues such as homelessness, police brutality, unfair labor practices, criminal justice system abuses, and discrimination against immigrants. The mission of his work is to protect, defend and advance civil and human rights by widely trumpeting the call for personal responsibility while working to eradicate economic, educational and social inequities and promoting peace and justice.

 

Among his notable efforts as a civil & human rights leader over the past two decades are:

 

• Leading his first march, as a high school student, against the proliferation of drugs in the neighborhood surrounding his high school

• Leading the successful effort to defeat the City of Atlanta’s former “urban camping ordinance"

• Leading a march of hundreds of college students to fight against the dismantling of Georgia’s affirmative action programs

• Founding the National Youth Connection, a young adult –led civil rights group at age 20

• Leading a series of demonstrations in Georgia and in Washington, DC demanding the resignation of then embattled U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich

• Leading a major campaign in Union, South Carolina around the police killing of an unarmed paraplegic

• Leading a major campaign in South Bend, Indiana around a police-involved shooting of an unarmed black male

• Serving as one of the principal organizers and keynote speakers at the 40th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington

• Leading a protracted advocacy campaign around the case of 18-year-old Corey Ward who was shot and killed by a troubled Atlanta police officer

• Leading the national campaign to bring forth truth and justice in the case of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston who was killed by Atlanta police officers

• Challenging an iconic member of the U.S. House of Representatives in a symbolic bid for Congress that forced the incumbent to abandon political loyalism and follow the will his constituents by supporting then presidential candidate Barack Obama

• Organizing and leading a series of rallies and other activities that drew thousands of participants around the shooting death of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman

 

The above are but a few of the many efforts that Rev. Markel Hutchins has engaged in to advance civil and human causes. To inquire with the office of the Reverend Markel Hutchins about a social justice matter, please write to info@movementforward.org.