The death of Annie Lee Cooper Wednesday was another alarming reminder for many surviving foot soldiers to pass along their story to the younger generations.

As a surviving foot soldier, Annie Pearl Avery said it is important for everyone to reach out to the surviving members of the struggle to learn about the past to prepare for the future.

In the last month, Avery said two foot soldiers were lost.

“It’s really touching when you begin to lose people like Mrs. Cooper and others,” she said. “By me being one of the original foot soldiers it is touching that we lost Tommy (Wren) four weeks ago and now we lost Mrs. Cooper.”

Cooper’s struggles, Avery said, were part of a fight that continues today.

“She dedicated the best part of her life to the civil rights movement and voter registration,” she said. “And that is a continuation of all of our efforts to keep the Voting Rights Act in place. We don’t want to go back, we want to try to go forward.”

Annie Lee Cooper, a civil rights hero, died Wednesday afternoon at Vaughan Regional Medical Center at 100 years old. Cooper became known worldwide in 1965 for a confrontation with Sheriff James G. Clark.

Spending time with people like Cooper before they pass, Avery said, can be a very educational experience.

“We have to spend time with these people because every time we do, we learn something different,” she said. “Just being in their presence is rejuvenating. A lot of these people were fighting before I was even born. It’s touching to see where we’ve come, where at one point Mrs. Cooper wasn’t even able to register to vote.”

It’s also important, Avery said, because the struggle has never truly ended.

“It’s important that we carry the torch for these people for freedom, justice and equality,” she said. “To me, being 67 years old, it’s especially important.”