NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Saturday, the Nashville community remembered a local Freedom Rider who helped pave the way for civil rights in Tennessee and beyond.

King Hollands passed away peacefully in mid-December at the age of 82. Two months later, hundreds gathered at the Fisk Chapel to celebrate his life.

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Back in 1960, Hollands helped lead the downtown Nashville Woolworth lunch counter sit-ins while attending Fisk University.

News 2 spoke with longtime friend Frankie Henry, who organized the sit-ins with Hollands. He recalled getting arrested alongside Hollands. Years later, the group arrested would visit local schools and talk about the two weeks they spent in jail.

“When he was confronted with a lot of adverse confrontation with different folk, he never raised his voice. He was so mild-mannered, he was a gentleman, he was very brilliant, and he loved his family,” Henry explained.

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Hollands’ eldest daughter, Kisha Turner, emphasized the love her father shared with his neighbors, and encouraged others to help pave the way for those coming behind them.

“He was courageous in finding solutions to any matter that he had. He was well-loved and loved all in his area and in his neighborhood,” Turner said.

Hollands was also one of the first 14 African American students to attend Father Ryan High School in the 1950s.

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