BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

Bishop Calvin Woods, a preacher and activist who was a steadfast voice for justice in Birmingham's civil rights movement, has died at 91. For over six decades, Woods was a fixture on the front lines of Birmingham's civil rights struggle, marching alongside leaders like the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and Martin Luther King Jr., risking his life to secure voting rights and equal treatment.

"People were brutalized and beaten. I've seen it, but just trying to register to vote...were killed," Woods said, reflecting on the harsh realities faced by those fighting for civil rights.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 'The world was transformed:' Bishop Calvin Woods Sr.'s son reflects on his life and legacy

Born in 1933, Woods grew up in a segregated South where voting rights were restricted

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