Bob Mants
Bob Mants once guarded the signs for civil rights protestors in Atlanta, Georgia. He was considered too young by participants in the Atlanta Student Movement to protest himself. This video interview was conducted as part of the "Eyes on the Prize" documentary aired decades ago. Born in Atlanta, he ultimately landed in Lowndes County, Alabama (a bastion of racism, despite blacks forming a majority of the population), working under the aegis of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. The logo for this local effort was a black panther, an image later adopted by The Black Panther Party.
Bob Mants died after a heart attack on December 7, 2011, while revisiting Atlanta. A memorial service was held in Lowndes County on December 17, 2011, where several speakers praised him and his three children (Kadejah, Kumasi, and Katanga) expressed their appreciation for the honors bestowed to him. In addition to his three children, Mants is survived his wife, Joann Christian (also a noted civil rights activist) and seven grandchildren. Mants is also survived by three sisters Dorothy (Sister/Elder Mants), Roberta (Hubert) and Otelia.