Stokely Carmichael’s Black Power Speech (1966)

On the night of June 16, 1966, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Chair Stokely Carmichael (Later Kwame Ture) proclaimed to the crowd, “We been saying freedom for six years and we ain’t got nothin’. What we got to start saying now is Black Power! We … Read MoreStokely Carmichael’s Black Power Speech (1966)

New Year’s Day March, Greenville, South Carolina (1960)

The New Year’s Day March, the first major civil rights demonstration in South Carolina, was a 1,000-person march that protested segregated facilities at the Greenville, South Carolina Municipal Airport (Now Greenville Downtown Airport) on January 1, 1960. The march was prompted by Jackie Robinson and … Read MoreNew Year’s Day March, Greenville, South Carolina (1960)

On the Origins of Non-Violence in the Civil Rights Movement: Howard Thurman in South Asia, 1935-1936

In the article below, historian Amy Sommers describes the February 1936 meeting of Howard Thurman in India with Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of that nation’s non-violence campaign for political independence from Great Britain. She argues that the meeting influenced Thurman’s views on the subject and … Read MoreOn the Origins of Non-Violence in the Civil Rights Movement: Howard Thurman in South Asia, 1935-1936

James Meredith’s March Against Fear (1966)

The “March Against Fear” began on June 5, 1966, and was initiated by civil rights activist James Meredith. Four years earlier he had become the first African American student to integrate the University of Mississippi by enrolling there in 1962. Meredith decided to protest the … Read MoreJames Meredith’s March Against Fear (1966)

Ples Sterling Stuckey, Jr. (1932-2018)

Ples Sterling Stuckey, Jr. was a professor of history best known for his impact on shifting slavery studies from examinations ancillary to enslaved African American lives to the study of their history, culture, and sociopolitical expression as central to the understanding of African American and … Read MorePles Sterling Stuckey, Jr. (1932-2018)

Abbey Lincoln (1930-2010)

Born Anna Marie Wooldridge in Chicago, Illinois on August 6, 1930, and raised on a farm in Calvin Center, Cass County, Michigan, Abbey Lincoln (stage name) was an African-American jazz singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. The tenth out of twelve children, she began her singing career at a young … Read MoreAbbey Lincoln (1930-2010)

Hartford, Connecticut Riot (1969)

Hartford, Connecticut in the late 1960’s was a city immersed in racial unrest, class disputes, and activism. The city was a dichotomy between the ghetto, predominantly black or Puerto Rican and impoverished, in the North End and the South End, white and middle or working class. The black population had … Read MoreHartford, Connecticut Riot (1969)

Paterson, New Jersey Uprising (1964)

The 1964 Paterson, New Jersey uprising lasted from August 11 to 14.   The uprising occurred simultaneously with a separate uprising in nearby Elizabeth, New Jersey and both, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), were the consequence of the larger uprisings in New York City (July 18-23), Rochester, New … Read MorePaterson, New Jersey Uprising (1964)