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The Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson -
Harriet Tubman
After escaping slavery, Harriet Tubman became a worker on the Underground Railroad. She alone freed over 70 enslaved people. After this, she accomplished many things like being a general, a nurse, a cook, and a celebrated orator. -
What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?
Frederick Douglass -
Second Inaugural Address
Abraham Lincoln -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was the first Civil Rights Act to be passed. It stated that all citizens are equally protected by law, and this includes any race or gender. Overall though, this failed to protect people and even today isn't fully enacted on. -
Zoot Suit Riots
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The Zoot Suit Riots took place over a 5-day stretch in 1943 in Los Angeles. It was a series of racist riots, injuring many but thankfully not killing anyone. The Zoot Suits were a common outfit for Mexican Americans, so they became a target. -
Redlining
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Redlining is a term used for racial discrimination in housing. Primarily in the mid-1950s, there were drawings in maps for construction people for which groups of people would be allowed to live in which areas. They looked like the image shown. -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist. She is most commonly known for refusing to give up her bus seat on a segregated bus. She is titled "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement" (although she didn't actually begin them. -
Browder v. Gayle
Browder v. Gayle was a hearing in 1956 regarding segregated buses in Montgomery. The result was a declaration that segregating these buses was unconstitutional. Surprisingly, this rule was followed and buses were no longer segregated. -
A Letter to my Nephew
James Baldwin -
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential leaders of the civil rights movement and probably the most well-known. He led peaceful protests all over the country promoting equality to all races. In his most famous speech, "I Have a Dream," over 200,000 people were there in Washington DC listening to him speak. Tragically, he was assassinated 5 years after that speech. -
March On Washington FJAF
The March On Washington for Jobs and Freedom was one of the biggest gatherings for civil rights in history with over 250,000 people. It was made to pressure the president into initiating a federal civil rights bill. This is also where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. -
Malcolm X
Malcolm X was a very controversial member of the civil rights movement. He believed that black people were God's chosen people and white people were "white devils," and that black people should be able to defend themselves from white violence. In his time, he was very influential and his name is still well known now. -
John Lewis
Lewis was a very important member of the civil rights movement for what he accomplished. He helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) as education was one of his big goals, and he even became a congressman. One of the main keynotes of his career, however, was a large march he did in Alabama that ended up causing him brain damage from state troopers. From all the violence of that day, it was named "Bloody Sunday." -
Between the World and Me
Ta-Nehisi Coates