His participation in the sit-in is linked to the landmark federal court case Dixon v. Alabama, which ruled that public institutions of higher education cannot discipline students without due process.
[6] Reed was appointed by then-chair of the Alabama Democratic Party (ADP) Robert Smith Vance as vice-chair of minority affairs in 1972, a position which he held until 2019.
His behavior was cited as a reason for several dissenting African-American politicians to form a rival to the ADC, the Alabama New South Coalition, in 1986.
[7] In the 2018 election for ADP chair, Reed backed Nancy Worley for re-election over Montgomery attorney Peck Fox, who was supported by Sen. Doug Jones.
Reed and his role in the controversial election and preceding events were the subject of a three-part series entitled "The Real Enemy,"[9][10][11] produced by Emmanuel Dzotsi for the podcast Reply All.