December 1 marked the 70th anniversary of Rosa Parks' courageous refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, an act that helped ignite the modern civil rights movement. Behind the scenes, one lawyer played a pivotal role in turning her arrest into a legal victory: Fred Gray .

Gray recently stated that he believes America is 'going backwards' in its current political climate, noting the "problems" didn't stay in the 1940s. "We still have... most of the problems that we had when I started practicing, in some shape or form," Gray said.

Who is Fred Gray, and why does his work continue to resonate decades later? Here's what to know about the pioneering civil rights attorney who helped shape history.

Who is Fred Gray?

Born in 1930 in Montgomery, Ala., Gray became a trailblazer in

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