Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. is known as one of the most influential civil rights activists of all time. He was born in 1926 in Atlanta, Georgia. Despite growing up in a racist society, he furthered himself to get an education and eventually obtained a PhD in theology from Boston University. After a while, he met Coretta Scott King; they got married and had children together. King's achievements, however, include much more than the obtainment of his education. During his life time, he became a member of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). MLKJ was selected to be the leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, during which he got arrested in 1955. King was arrested several other times during his protests; during one of his sessions in jail, he wrote an inspiring letter called "Letter from Birmingham Jail; the letter is classified as an influential piece and a great example of nonviolent protest. One of the most special things about MLKJ was that he believed in non-violent protests; he did not believe in the use of violence in protesting equal rights. Eventually, he became the president of the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference). The group focused on the obtainment of civil rights, and King often followed the mind-set of Gandhi in his role as leader. Not only this, but King conducted marches and made speeches that also had a big impact on people. During the time he was conducting the peaceful March on Washington, he delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech; the speech called for an end to racism and can be classified as one of the most influential speeches in American history. King was named TIME magazine's "Man of the Year" and also received a Nobel Peace Prize at 35 years old (youngest man to do so). His life came to an end when he was assassinated on April 4th , 1968.
Malcolm X
Malcolm Little was born in 1925 in Nebraska. Growing up, Malcolm didn't have a very easy life; his father died when he was very young, and Malcolm lost interest in school very early on. He dropped out of school and at one point began committing crimes in New York and Boston. Soon after, he was sentenced to several years in prison. There, he took time to think about things; this was the time where he took interest in the Nation of Islam (NOI/ the Black Muslims); the group focused on black nationalism. Also in jail, he changed his name to Malcolm X (he did not want to associate the name "Little" as a part of his identity because it was given to his ancestors by their slave masters). After he got out of jail, he became an active leader of the NOI. He served as a spokesperson, and was very influential with the power of his words; he asserted his beliefs for the equality of African-Americans and soon became a symbol of "black power." After, he broke away from the NOI and took a trip to Saudi Arabia, where he realized something important; he realized that integration was possible and that blacks and whites could work together in a healthy society. Despite his moral views, Malcolm had enemies; on February 21st, 1965, Malcolm was assassinated by 3 members of the NOI.
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1908. In his early years, he focused on furthering his education. After attending law school, he became Chief Counsel of the NAACP. He served the biggest role in the Brown v. Board of Education case, in which he served as the lawyer and argued against the "separate-but-equal" doctrine. Marshall argued that segregation was unconstitutional because it violated the 14th amendment rights. Largely due to his contribution, the case overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson case. Later in his life, he was appointed circuit judge, became U.S. solicitor, and also became the first African American justice to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. He died of a heart attack in 1993.
Rosa Parks
One of the most influential women of the Civil Rights Movement goes by the name of Rosa Parks; she was an African-American born in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1913. Living in Alabama as a colored woman in this time period was tough. Growing up, she faced unfair circumstances. She finally decided to take serious action against segregation on December 1st 1955, marking one of the most important moments in history. While boarding a bus in Montgomery, she was asked to get up and give her seat to a white man. Rather than obeying the unfair circumstances, Rosa Parks simply refused to get up. "I felt I had a right to stay where I was," she said. "I wanted this particular driver to know that we were being treated unfairly as individuals and as a people." She was arrested for a time, but then was released. It may seem like a minor protest, but her defiance triggered something much larger and much more important. After this incident, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was launched, and a new era that focused on the search for freedom and equality came into the picture. At some point in her life, she even joined the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP. During her life time, she received several awards and was recognized for what she has done. She passed away on October 24th, 2005.
Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou was born in Mississippi in 1917 to a financially struggling African-American family. For a long time, she struggled just to get by in life. However, she realized she made a life-changing decision after attending a protest and meeting civil rights leaders. After her encounter with these people, she became dedicated to fighting for voter registration rights. She began working for the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee). By being in this group, she helped fight segregation. In 1964, she helped found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Not only this, but she also helped the poor and needy in Mississippi. She died of cancer in 1977. Nevertheless, she and her actions will always be remembered.
Ella Baker
Ella was born in 1903 in Virginia. Even from early on in life, she developed a "sense of social justice." After graduating college, she moved to NYC where she joined social activist organizations. For example, she joined the Young Negroes Cooperative League. Additionally, she became involved with the NAACP, where she eventually served as director. Not only this, but she also helped organize MLK's SCLC organization. One of her most important achievements, however, involved the establishment of the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee). Ella Baker was the one who urged students to create their own organization; she told them they had "the right to direct their own affairs and even make their own mistakes." She believed voting was the key to freedom. Ms. Ella Baker passed away in 1986.