Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993)
Thurgood Marshall was born on July 2, 1908. He went to college at Howard University Law School where he studied to become a lawyer. Marshall had his first major court case in 1933 when he defended Donald Gaines Murray, a
young African American Amherst University graduate. He successfully sued the University of Maryland to admit Donald. This was ironically the same school that denied him because he was black. Later in New York, Marshall became Chief Counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Marshall was responsible for the landmark case, Brown v. Board. After this ruling, JFK appointed Marshall to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Later, LBJ put him on the Supreme Court, making Thurgood Marshall the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court.
young African American Amherst University graduate. He successfully sued the University of Maryland to admit Donald. This was ironically the same school that denied him because he was black. Later in New York, Marshall became Chief Counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Marshall was responsible for the landmark case, Brown v. Board. After this ruling, JFK appointed Marshall to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Later, LBJ put him on the Supreme Court, making Thurgood Marshall the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court.
Jo Ann Gibson Robinson (1912-1992)
Jo Ann Gibson was a Civil Rights activist and educator. Around 1949, Robinson was humiliated by a Montgomery Line bus driver who was racist. She then decided to seek out the Woman's Political Council .to target racial seating practices on Montgomery buses. In May 1954, briefly after the U.S. Supreme Court case Brown vs. The Board of Education, Robinson wrote to her mayor, threatening a black bus boycott if the racist abuse was not halted immediately. Also, Jo Ann Gibson Robinson played a large effort and role in the Protest of Rosa Park's arrest. Jo Ann was remembered and honored for these works in 1989 with a publication price given by the Southern Association for Women Historians.
Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
Rosa Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement"
One day, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white man. Rosa was arrested and fined for violating a city ordinance. Parks had also worked with the NAACP on many occasions. Rosa's acts of bravery on the bus that day led the formation of the Montgomery Improvement Association. This was led by Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. This group then called for the boycott of the city-owned bus company. The boycott lasted a total of 382 days. The Supreme Court decided to strike down the Montgomery ordinance in under which Mrs.Parks had been fined. Finally, they also outlawed racial segregation on all public transportation.
One day, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white man. Rosa was arrested and fined for violating a city ordinance. Parks had also worked with the NAACP on many occasions. Rosa's acts of bravery on the bus that day led the formation of the Montgomery Improvement Association. This was led by Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. This group then called for the boycott of the city-owned bus company. The boycott lasted a total of 382 days. The Supreme Court decided to strike down the Montgomery ordinance in under which Mrs.Parks had been fined. Finally, they also outlawed racial segregation on all public transportation.
Malcolm (Little) X (1925-1965)
Malcolm Little was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. Intrigued by his brother, Malcolm began to look into the Nation of Islam. The NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, taught that whites worked to make sure African Americans did not empower themselves and become successful One of the goals of the NOI was for African Americans to achieve a state of their own, separate from the whites. By 1952, Malcolm was a devoted follower of the religious organization. He even changed his last name from Little to X because he felt that Little was a slave name. Malcolm was appointed a minister and was in charge of attracting more members to the NOI. He is credited with gaining 29,500 members in 11 years. After a trip to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Malcolm quits the NOI. He was assassinated on February 21, 1965 by members of NOI.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
Born on January 15, 1929 in Georgia, King was the son of a pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. While attending Boston University, he met his wife Coretta. By the time he became the pastor of an Alabama church, he was already an executive member of the NAACP. His first major act as a civil rights leader was being in charge of a 382-day long bus boycott. About a year or so later, after enduring bombings and being arrested, Martin was named the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Besides winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in he civil rights movement, King is also credited with writing the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", as well as giving the "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington. At a motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. King was assassinated.
Daisy Bates (1914-1999)
Daisy Bates was born on November 11, 1914 in Huttig, Arkansas. Many regard her as an underappreciated hero of the Civil Rights Movement. Besides being a reporter for her husband's newspaper, Daisy was also the president of the Arkansas chapter of the NAACP. She is best known for working with the NAACP to challenge the Little Rock, Arkansas school board. Mrs. Batees is the woman responsible for recruiting the nine black students that would eventually make up the Little Rock Nine. At this time in the late 1950's, it was rare for women to be among the most notable of civil rights leaders. The Little Rock Nine used her house as the base for their "operations". Although not all of the members of the group were fond of Daisy, she was still a major factor in getting rid of segregation in schools.