Image Ownership: Public Domain California pioneer, expressman, and civil rights worker William Robison was born a slave in Gloucester County, Virginia on August 28, 1821. He may have gained his freedom by fighting in the Seminole War in 1836. He would have been 15 at … Read MoreWilliam Robison (1821-1899)
Blockbusting refers to the practice of introducing African American homeowners into previously all white neighborhoods in order to spark rapid white flight and housing price decline. Real estate speculators have historically used this technique to profit from prejudice-driven market instability. After intentionally placing an African … Read MoreBlockbusting
Redlining refers to a discriminatory pattern of disinvestment and obstructive lending practices that act as an impediment to home ownership among African Americans and other people of color. Banks used the concept to deny loans to homeowners and would-be homeowners who lived in these neighborhoods. … Read MoreRedlining (1937- )
Rodolphe Lucien Desdunes was a prominent editor, author, and civil rights activist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is best known for his work in Plessy v. Ferguson, the most important civil rights case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 19th Century, and a … Read MoreRodolphe Lucien Desdunes (1849-1928)
Civil rights activist Edwin C. “Bill” Berry was affiliated with the Urban League for over 30 years and served as executive director of the Chicago Urban League from 1956 to 1970. When he arrived in Chicago he denounced the city’s segregationist practices and drove anti-discrimination … Read MoreEdwin C. “Bill” Berry (1910-1987)
James v. Marinship was a California Supreme Court decision that ruled that jobs requiring labor union membership could not exclude blacks or other racial groups. The Marinship Corporation operated various shipyards and was involved in the building of various ships and vessels during the wartime … Read MoreJames v. Marinship (1944)
The Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) was created on December 4, 1967, by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to address the issues of unemployment, housing shortages for the poor, and the impact of poverty on the lives of millions of Americans. Unlike earlier efforts directed … Read MorePoor People’s Campaign (December 4, 1967 – June 19, 1968)
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was created on January 10-11, 1957, when sixty black ministers and civil rights leaders met in Atlanta, Georgia in an effort to replicate the successful strategy and tactics of the recently concluded Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott. Rev. Martin Luther … Read MoreSouthern Christian Leadership Conference (1957- )
The Seattle Civic Unity Committee was formed by Seattle Mayor William F. Devin in 1944 in response to rising racial tension in the city. During World War II Seattle, like other west coast cities, received an influx of African Americans raising its black population from … Read MoreSeattle Civic Unity Committee
Arthur D. Shores, attorney and civil rights activist, was born in Birmingham, Alabama on September 23, 1903. He completed his primary and secondary education in that same city. In 1927 he earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Talladega College in Alabama and then a … Read MoreArthur D. Shores (1903-1996)
