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Civil rights attorney honored

WVAS | By Melanie Hogan

Published April 28, 2025 at 1:14 PM EDT

Civil rights icon Fred Gray, the legal giant behind legends like Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was honored Thursday with a new sculpture at the Alabama State Bar in Montgomery.

Gray, still sharp at 93, said simply, “I have practiced law for 70 years here in my hometown. That means something to me.” The statue by Steven Whyte captures Gray’s “welcoming and serious,” disposition.

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Melanie Hogan

Melanie began her career as a work study student, working in the areas of news reporting, anchoring and news-gathering. After graduating from Alabama State University, she worked as a production assistant at the local NBC affiliate, WSFA-TV. As a News Director at WVAS-FM, Melanie leads her team to produce award- winning newscasts and talk shows. Her professional achievements includes News Reporter of the Year for a number of years and awards for talk show producer, by the Alabama Broadcasters Association and the Associated Press. She is an active member of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. Her goals are to expand the reach of WVAS FM into more homes locally, regionally and nationally.

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