Years ago, Africans were brought to America from colonized lands as free labor for various businesses. This became known as slavery, it lasted 246 years. Segregation and Jim Crow lasted for 99 years, from 1865 to 1964. Then from the end of Jim crow through today, there has been a history of police brutality, Mass Incarceration, and continued stereotypes, another 52 years. This makes for a total of 400 years of oppression.
Civil rights began around 1954, amidst Jim Crow and it continues to this day. Many believe that the famous leaders of Civil Rights are far removed from our current era. Most often you can see pictures of marches, protests, and speeches in black and white. This is done to make us feel removed from the time period, however, there were, and are color photos. You will see some of those photos here if accessible.
In this post, we will be exploring many of the great leaders of the past and some of the present. There will be some background on who they were as well as book listings for more information about their story (for children and older readers).
I would like to note that while I cannot list everyone's name here, there will be many other names in other posts that also fall into this category. Activism is inherent to Black history and Black art. Especially, during the era of civil rights, it was almost impossible to have any occupation, be black, and not be an activist. It is ingrained in many.
Harriet Tubman (1820-1913)
Tubman’s exact birth date is unknown, but it is estimated to be around 1820. Tubman was born to slaves and grew up a slave. At around the age of 12, she was hit with a two-pound weight while trying to stop her master from hurting a runaway slave. This injury left her with serious injuries for the rest of her life. However, these injuries did not stop her from helping others. The underground railroad was built by black and white abolitionists before Tubman's own escape. Once she had made it to freedom, she used that same railroad to return and help others to freedom too.
Book (adult): "Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom"
Book (children): "The Story of Harriet Tubman: A Biography Book for New Readers"
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929- 1968)
Martin Luther King, Jr. , the son of a pastor and a schoolteacher was a social activist and Baptist minister. He played a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his death in 1968. King sought equality and human rights for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged, and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest. King is most well known for the boycotts and marches he led, some of which even landed him in jail. His "I Have A Dream" speech, given before his death, lives on today. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and is remembered each year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a U.S. federal holiday since 1986.
Book (adult): "The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr."
Book (children): "The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.: A Biography Book for New Readers"
Michelle Alexander (1967-)
A law professor at Ohio state university, Michelle alexander is an advocate for racial oppression. Her specialty and book, "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness," calls for reform to replace the current system of legislation and incarceration. Alexander believes prisons are filled disproportionately with black men.
Book (children): "I Know My Rights: A Children's Guide to the Bill of Rights and Individual Liberty"
Rosa Parks (1913 – 2005)
Rosa Parks is seen as one of the many spearheads of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Her refusal to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man sparked the boycott of busses in Montgomery, Alabama. Many other leaders were inspired by these actions and led subsequent boycotts and protests. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the many inspired by Park's bravery. The boycott lasted more than a year and only ended once it was ruled unconstitutional to dictate segregation on public busses.
Book (adult): "Rosa Parks: My Story"
Book (children): "So Other People Would Be Also Free: The Real Story of Rosa Parks for Kids"
Malcohlm X (1925 – 1965)
Malcolm X, original name Malcolm Little, was a Black Muslim minister and Activist. He became an African American leader and prominent figure in the Nation of Islam who articulated concepts of race pride and Black nationalism in the early 1960s. In contrast to King’s strategy of nonviolence, civil disobedience, and redemptive suffering, Malcolm urged his followers to defend themselves “by any means necessary." He believed the most important issues were Black identity, integrity, and independence. After his assassination, the widespread distribution of his life story transformed him into an ideological hero among Black youth.
Book (adult): "The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley"
Book (children): "Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X "
Frederick Douglas (unknown- 1895)
Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave who became a prominent activist, author, and public speaker. He became a leader in the abolitionist movement, which sought to end the practice of slavery, before and during the Civil War. One of the many families that owned him taught him how to read and write. While enslaved, Douglas helped other slaves learn how to read and write using the bible. Douglas escaped slavery with the help of other abolitionists at a slave house (a house that helped slaves). After the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862, he continued to push for equality and human rights until his death in 1895.
Book (children): "Who Was Frederick Douglass?"
Laverne Cox (1972-)
Laverne Cox is a three-time nominated actress, most recognized for her starring role in "Orange Is the New Black" a Netflix original series. While in prison for theft, her character must face the challenges of being openly transgender. In the real world, Cox has also become one of the many faces of the transgender movement, making appearances in many magazines, and speaking on many live television outlets. She has been frank about her struggles of being bullied as a male child in Alabama and her mental struggles. She has overcome those obstacles to forge a successful acting career while advocating for other black transgender women and men as well.
Book (adult) "Laverne Cox (Transgender Pioneers)"
Book (magazine): "Out Magazine (February/March, 2020) The Culture Issue Starring Laverne Cox"
Angela Davis (1944-)
Angela Davis is an educator and activist. She became known for her role in a politically charged murder case around the 1970s. Her segregated upbringing had a lot of influence on hor viewpoint, and her draw to the activist lifestyle. Davis joined the Black Panthers y as a young woman. Later, she became a professor at UCLA, but fell out of favor with the administration due to her advocacy ties. In a turn of events, Davis was charged with aiding the failed escape attempt of imprisoned Black radical George Jackson. She served 18 months in jail before her acquittal in 1972. Since her imprisonment, Davis has returned to the classroom as a professor and authored several books.
Book (adult): "Angela Davis: An Autobiography"
Book(children): "Rad American Women A-Z: Rebels, Trailblazers, and Visionaries who Shaped Our History . . . and Our Future! "
Septima Clark (1898-1987)
Septima Clark was the daughter of a laundrywoman and a former slave. Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, Clark was sent on a path for a good education at an early age. Along the way, she discovered her own passion for teaching. Clark graduated from secondary school in 1916 and, after passing her teacher’s exam, taught at a black school on Johns Island, just outside of Charleston. For more than 30 years, Septima Clark was called the “Mother of the Movement," using education as a way to fight for human rights.
Book (adult): "Freedom's Teacher: The Life of Septima Clark"
Book (children): "What will I be?: There are no limits on the greatness we can achieve! A positive & powerful picture book showing Black girls planning for their futures. "
Anna Julia Cooper (1858 – 1964)
Anna Julia Haywood Cooper (1858-1964) was a writer, teacher, and activist who championed for the education of African Americans and women. Cooper was born into bondage in 1858 in Raleigh, North Carolina, eventually becoming free and marrying a teacher of theology. After her husband's death, Cooper decided to pursue a college degree. She believed that educated Black women were necessary for uplifting the entire race. Along the way, her education came to a standstill twice following the events of her life. She returned to school in 1924 at the University of Paris in France. In 1925, at the age of 67, Cooper became the fourth African American woman to obtain a doctorate of philosophy.
Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)
Truth was a slave that would become a free woman and an advocate for the abolitionist cause. Tired of her life of servitude, she ran away with her infant daughter to a nearby abolitionist's home who helped buy her freedom. The same family would also help Truth sue for the return of her five-year-old-son Peter. In 1851, Truth began a lecture tour that included a women’s rights conference in Akron, Ohio, where she delivered her famous “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech. Her work during the civil war earned her an invitation to meet President Abraham Lincoln around 1864.
Book (children): "My Name Is Truth: The Life of Sojourner Truth"
Book (adult): "Narrative of Sojourner Truth"
Mamie Till Mobley (1921- 2003)
In 1955, a boy named Emmett Till was kidnapped and brutally murdered. Falsely accused of harassing a white man's wife, the young boy was taken from his home in the middle of the night and never seen alive again. His mother, Mamie Till, began her advocacy when she determined to have an open-casket funeral for the whole state of Mississippi to see what had happened to her son. After this, she started the long road to seeking justice for this horrific crime. While the men were acquitted for their crimes, Mamie continued to advocate for others who were subjected to racial violence.
Book (children): "A Wreath for Emmett Till"
Tarana Burke (1973-)
Tarana Burke has become a prominent figure in the past few years. She is the founder of the Me Too and the subsequent Me Too movement which helps survivors of sexual assault and violence. The movement brought attention to the frequent silence and gaslighting of these victims and moved to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions regardless of their status. Millions of men and women all of the world have used the movement's hashtag to spread the word and share their stories.
Book (children) : "Consent (for Kids!): Boundaries, Respect, and Being in Charge of YOU"
Sources
Byrnes, Hristina, and John Harrington. “From Esmeralda Simmons to Laverne Cox, Here Are 19 of the Most Influential Civil Rights Leaders of Today.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 7 June 2020, www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/06/07/19-of-the-most-influential-civil-rights-leaders-of-the-21st-century/111907158/.
“Clark, Septima Poinsette.” The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute, 4 Aug. 2020, kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/clark-septima-poinsette.
Columbia University. “Anna Julia Cooper.” Columbia Celebrates Black History and Culture, blackhistory.news.columbia.edu/people/anna-julia-cooper.
History.com Editors. “Angela Davis.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/angela-davis.
History.com Editors. “Frederick Douglass.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 27 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/frederick-douglass.
History.com Editors. “Martin Luther King, Jr.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr.
History.com Editors. “Rosa Parks.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/rosa-parks.
“Mamie Till Mobley.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/emmett-biography-mamie-till-mobley/.
Mamiya, Lawrence. “Malcolm X.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2005, www.britannica.com/biography/Malcolm-X.
Michals, Debra. “Harriet Tubman.” National Women's History Museum, 2015, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/harriet-tubman.
Michals, Debra. “Sojourner Truth.” National Women's History Museum, 2015, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sojourner-truth.
Image Sources:
Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images. "Mammie Till Mobley." Entertainment Tonight, 2020. January 2021.
AP. "Angela Davis, 1974." Encyclopædia Britannica, 1999. Janury 29 2021.
Applewhite, Denise. "Laverne Cox, an Emmy-nominated actress and advocate for the transgender community, gives the talk “Ain’t I a Woman: My Journey to Womanhood." Princeton University, 2015. January 29, 2021.
"Carte de visite of Sojourner Truth, who once lived at 74 Canal Street. Image courtesy the NYPL." Tenement Museum. January 29, 2021.
"Frederick Douglas on book cover." Library of America, 2018. January 29, 2021.
Hapak, Peter. "Tarana Burke." Time Magazine, 2018. January 29, 2021.
"Harriet Tubman." National Women's History Museum, 2015. January 29, 2021.
Heinz Awards. "Michelle Alexander." Bloomberg City Labs, 2016. January 29, 2021.
"Malcolm X." History.com. January 29, 2021.
“Martin Luther King, Jr.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009. January 29, 2021
Scurlock Studios. "Anna Julia Cooper was the fourth African-American woman in the U.S. to earn a doctoral degree." Smithsonian Museum. January 29, 2021.
"Septima Clark." Bob Fitch photography archive, © Stanford University Libraries. January 29, 2021.
NOTE: All the links lead to the book sourced on Amazon. Of course, you can take the name and author of each book and search through other retailers if you wish. In the future, I will make a blog post about some great discount stores to buy books from.
Disclaimer: All images in this post are credited to the owners/ authors. Cherished Chapters owns and claims nothing.