Civil Rights activist, WSFA Director, Arlam Carr, Jr. dies

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - Arlam Carr, Jr., long time employee of WSFA 12 News and son of the late Civil Rights icon, Johnnie Carr, died early Thursday morning.

Carr was most famous for his role in the desegration of public schools in Montgomery. He was the named plaintiff in the 1964 lawsuit that desegregated Montgomery schools and became one of the first African-American graduates of Sidney Lanier High School.

When Arlam's mother enrolled him at the all white Lanier High School, her lawsuit against the Montgomery County Board of Education became a landmark case eventually decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Carr was only 13 years old at the time.

He later attended the University of Texas at El Paso before beginning his career in broadcasting.

Carr worked his way up in the Production Department at WSFA, beginning as a Stage Hand, then as a Master Control Operator, then as a Director of Newscasts. He directed the 6:00 and 10:00 O'Clock Reports for years before helping launch Today In Alabama, as Director of that newscast.

He was the longest tenured member of the WSFA 12 News Team and will be missed by everyone here at WSFA.

Carr had been suffering from throat cancer and was 62 years old.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.