FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Victoria Christgau, Executive Director
Connecticut Center for Nonviolence
Phone: 860-567-3441 Email: victoria@ctnonviolence.org
Date: March 10, 2026
Bernard LaFayette Jr., Civil Rights Leader Who Helped Establish Connecticut Center for Nonviolence, Dies at 85
Hartford, Connecticut — The Connecticut Center for Nonviolence (CTCN) mourns the passing of Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr., renowned civil rights leader, educator, minister and one of the foremost authorities on Kingian Nonviolence. Dr. LaFayette, Honorary Board
Chair of CTCN, died on March 5, 2026, at the age of 85 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Dr. LaFayette was a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement. As a young organizer, he helped lead the Freedom Rides, played a central role in the Nashville student movement, was co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and initiated the historic Voting Rights campaign in Selma, Alabama—laying critical groundwork for the Selma to Montgomery marches and the passage of the Voting Rights
Act of 1965.
At Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s request, LaFayette served as national coordinator of the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign. He was in Memphis on the day of Dr. King’s assassination and carried forward King’s final directive to him, to institutionalize and
internationalize nonviolence—work that became the defining mission of his life.
In Connecticut, Dr. LaFayette’s legacy lives on through the Connecticut Center for Nonviolence. He asked his local senior trainer and artist-activist, Victoria Christgau to establish the Center and worked closely with her and the founding board to develop
Kingian Nonviolence training projects for communities across the state. Since its founding in 2007, CTCN has trained and certified law enforcement officers, educators, youth leaders, and community members in Kingian Nonviolence, equipping them with practical tools to transform conflict, build trust, and strengthen communities throughout Connecticut and beyond. Dr. LaFayette has made numerous visits to CT since then, leading training and certifying trainers and giving public lectures at various venues
and universities such as the University of Hartford, Quinnipiac, SCSU and CCSU.
“Dr. LaFayette’s vision is woven into the very fabric of the Connecticut Center for Nonviolence,” said Christgau, Executive Director. “His mentorship and teachings shaped the trainings we offer. His courageous leadership, exemplified that nonviolence is not
simply strategic, but it’s a way of life.”.
“The Connecticut Center for Nonviolence stands as one living embodiment of Dr. LaFayette’s promise to Dr. King,” Christgau added. “We invite leaders and community members across Connecticut to honor his legacy by deepening our shared commitment to
nonviolence in policy, practice, and everyday life.”
In 2023, The State of Connecticut Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission presented
Dr. LaFayette and Victoria Christgau with awards.
The Connecticut Center for Nonviolence, encourages local, state, and federal leaders— including the Office of the Governor, Connecticut’s Congressional delegation, and municipal officials—to recognize Dr. LaFayette’s extraordinary contributions.
A memorial service organized by the LaFayette-Bulls family will take place at Tuskegee University on Sunday, March 22 at 1:30 p.m. in Tuskegee, Alabama.
The Connecticut Center for Nonviolence will also host a public memorial service in Connecticut at a later date, providing an opportunity for civic leaders, educators, and community members to celebrate Dr. LaFayette’s life and renew their commitment to the
principles he championed.
For more information or to submit statements of tribute, please contact:
Victoria Christgau
Executive Director
Connecticut Center for Nonviolence
Email: Victoria@ctnonviolence.org
Office Mobil: 860.567.3441
