Ruby Doris Smith Robinson (1942-1967)

Ruby Doris Smith Robinson, born in Atlanta, Georgia on April 25, 1942, was a civil rights leader.  Robinson, the second oldest of seven children born to Alice and John T. Smith, was raised in Atlanta’s black middleclass neighborhood of Summerhill.  She graduated from Price High … Read MoreRuby Doris Smith Robinson (1942-1967)

Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR)

On June 1, 1956, all NAACP offices in Alabama were forced to close, as a result of Attorney General John Patterson’s nine-year injunction against the civil rights organization. This left a void in local civil rights leadership and a desperate need for a new group … Read MoreAlabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR)

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918-2013)

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the first president of post-Apartheid South Africa, was born on July 18, 1918 in Qunu in the Transkei. His father was a counselor to the paramount chief of Thembuland, and young Nelson seemed destined to inherit the counselorship. But he had his … Read MoreNelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918-2013)

Cordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian (1924-2020)

The life of the Reverend Cordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian is in many ways the story of the modern black freedom struggle.  Vivian actively participated in the Nashville desegregation movement, Freedom Rides, Birmingham, Selma, Chicago, and other chapters of the fight for equal rights. Born Boonville, … Read MoreCordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian (1924-2020)

Septima Poinsette Clark (1898-1987)

Septima Poinsette Clark is perhaps the only woman to play a significant role in educating African Americans for full citizenship rights without gaining sufficient recognition.  Clark was born the second of eight children in Charleston, South Carolina, to Peter Poinsette, a former slave, and his … Read MoreSeptima Poinsette Clark (1898-1987)

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (August 28, 1963)

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, held on August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C., was a landmark event for the early civil rights movement and is partly credited with winning the passage of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Over 250,000 demonstrators … Read MoreMarch on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (August 28, 1963)

Bloody Sunday Protest March, Selma, Alabama, March 7, 1965

Between 1961 and 1964, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had led a voting registration campaign in Selma, the seat of Dallas County, Alabama, a small town with a record of consistent resistance to black voting. When SNCC’s efforts were frustrated by stiff resistance from … Read MoreBloody Sunday Protest March, Selma, Alabama, March 7, 1965

Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. (1941- )

Long before he became a minister, head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Operation Breadbasket, Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity), and founder of the Rainbow Coalition, Jesse Louis Jackson impressed his family and close friends as a person destined for greatness.  Born Jesse … Read MoreJesse Louis Jackson Sr. (1941- )