General Larry Platt: True American Idol

You may recognize the screaming young man in the picture above: that's General Larry Platt, famous for appearing on American Idol with his song, Pants On the Ground.

Platt got his nickname General from Reverend Hosea Williams, who granted him the title for his work on the civil rights movement. This valuable work included organizing sit-ins with the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Georgia, and was even beaten during the Bloody Sunday march, which ran from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Georgia.

He's also worked under Dr. Martin Luther King, stating of the above photo that he and fellow marchers had come by bus in 1963 to a church in Savannah, Georgia, to plan a march a march to desegregate the city. Rev. Hoseo Williams and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were out leaders. That particular planned march was cancelled and we were singing to raise our spirits before retuning home.

Thankfully, he's had recognition for his honorable work. In Atlanta, September 4th has been Larry Platt Day since 2001, when the Georgia General Assembly dedicated it to him, stating the day is dedicated for his "great energy and commitment to equality and the protection of the innocent and for his outstanding service to the Atlanta community and the citizens of Georgia."

Hopefully this exposure will further civil rights in the U.S.A, as well as the world.