Prominent Black Leaders in History
The prominent black leaders in history have given a voice to millions of people from all backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures, through their tireless and inspirational commitment to not only black civil rights but to human rights and human dignity. While this list of prominent black leaders is far from complete, it highlights select people who have committed their lives and work towards the advancement of civil rights.
Other People Are Reading
-
Frederick Douglass
-
Born 1817 into slavery, Douglass taught himself to read and write having only limited exposure to the alphabet. Gaining access to underground abolitionist papers, Douglass began to understand the need to not only escape his captors but to use the power of language to help others trapped in slavery. Douglass escaped slavery in 1838. He began lecturing with the Anti-Slavery Society and published his own abolitionist paper, The North Star. Douglass was also an outspoken leader of women's rights and suffrage. During the Civil War, Douglass served as an adviser to President Lincoln. His life and accomplishments are captured in his most famous work, The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass. Douglass died in 1895 (Teacher Vision 2009).
Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth
-
Both women, Truth (1797-1883) and Tubman (1820-1913), figured prominently in the abolitionist and women's suffrage movement.
Sojourner Truth, a self-chosen name that means to "travel and spread the word," spent the latter part of her life doing just this when freed from slavery at the age of 40. Truth's most famous speech, delivered at a rally for women's suffrage, was aptly titled "Ain't I a Woman?"
Tubman, born into slavery, escaped through the Underground Railroad. She continued to make the deadly trip South, leading over 300 slaves to freedom. She acted as a spy for the Union Army during the Civil War (Teacher Vision 2009).
-
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
-
Considered the most influential leader of the civil rights movement, Dr. King's (1929-1968) philosophy of non-violent protest transcends the era of civil rights.
In 1955, King helped to organize the infamous Montgomery Bus Boycott, which also gained Rosa Parks a permanent place in history for her brave refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger. The boycott lasted 382 days, during which time King received several threats on his life.
Inspired by both his Christian religion and famous peace leader, Ghandi, Dr. King continued to spread his message of peace and freedom through peaceful protests, including a march from Selma to Birmingham that landed him in jail, where he penned the famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail," a manifesto for civil disobedience. During the period of 1957 to 1963, King "traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action" (Nobel Lectures 1972). In 1963, King organized the March on Washington, where he delivered the infamous "I Have a Dream" speech. He served as an adviser to President John F. Kennedy and helped President Johnson compose the Civil Rights Act of 1965.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., dedicated his life to the cause of human rights and died as a martyr for that cause. King was gunned down in Memphis, Tennessee, April 4, 1968.
Thurgood Marshall
-
Born in 1908, Thurgood was the grandson of a slave; his family history inspired in him a passion for civil liberties. He suffered injustice when he applied to the law school at the University of Maryland and was denied because he was black. This rejection was "to haunt him and direct his future professional life" (Thurgood Marshall College). He was accepted to Howard University Law School that same year and became committed to overturning the discriminatory law of Plessy v. Ferguson, "separate but equal," education.
After graduation he was appointed chief counsel of the NAACP. During his appointment, Thurgood achieved several successful challenges to Supreme Court rulings, including the infamous Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which brought an end to the "separate but equal" ruling. With this victory, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Judge Marshall to U.S. Solicitor General, leading to his appointment to the United States Supreme Court in 1967. Thurgood Marshall became known as an instrument for the "voiceless." He died on January 24, 1993.
Shirley Chisholm
-
Shirley Chisolm (1924-2005) was the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress and was an advocate for women, children and minority rights. Her election also marked a milestone in the women's equal rights movement. As an educator in New York City, Shirley saw the needs of the poor and uneducated daily, which shaped her political aspirations. She was elected to Congress in 1968 (Women's Hall of Fame). She became a voice for the disenfranchised and supported the formation of education, child support and poverty initiatives. She was vocal against the military draft laws and advocated for reducing military spending. In 1972, she entered the Democratic National Primaries, receiving 151 delegate votes for a presidential nomination. She served in Congress until 1982.
Jesse Jackson
-
The Contemporary Black Biographies (2001) notes, "Jesse Jackson has firmly established himself as one of the most dynamic forces for social and political action in both the national and international arenas." Since his days as a foot soldier during the 1960's Civil Rights Movement, Jackson has been a fighter against humanitarian violations. Jackson's message is accessible to both black and white supporters--the "Rainbow Coalition" (Henderson 2001). Jackson marched alongside Dr. King, organized local ministries for the Chicago Freedom Movement and served as national director for Operation Bread Basket, an organization that encouraged white business owners to stock more black products and hire more black workers. Jackson launched an unsuccessful but widely publicized bid for President in 1984. Although he did not win the Democratic nomination, his efforts acquired him a much-deserved political prowess in Washington.
Jackson continues to be a prominent and controversial leader, never resting when discrimination and personal liberties are at stake. In the words of Jackson himself, "If you go along and get along, you're a coward. Only by principled engagement can you be a force for change and hope" (Henderson 2001).
-
Resources
- Photo Credit image can be found at http://www.tubmanmuseum.com
