Reuther was a powerful and visible ally of the Civil Rights Movement, marching with Martin Luther King Jr. and helping to fund the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Coretta Scott King later eulogized him, stating, “He was there in person when the storm clouds were thick.” /6
As a liberal Democrat, Reuther was an influential advisor to JFK and LBJ. He helped advocate for landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Peace Corps. A lifelong environmentalist, Reuther and the UAW were crucial in funding and organizing the first Earth Day in 1970. /7
On May 9, 1970, Reuther, his wife and four others were killed when their chartered jet crashed on approach to a small airport in Michigan. The official cause was an instrument malfunction, but some speculate foul play. Reuther was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995. /end
Further reading on the "Battle of the Overpass" in 1937. bsky.app/profile/bamb...
Ah, yes, Ford...the company of Nazis.