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The Death of Rosa Parks
Civil Rights pioneer, Rosa Parks born in Alabama February 4, 1913 dies at age 92. News stations from around the world reported that on October 25th 2005, the woman who…
Muhammad Ali: Career
Ali’s professional debut as a heavyweight came in October 1960 with a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker. Ali won his next 18 fights, 15 by knockouts. On February 25, 1964,…
Muhammad Ali: Cultural Hero
Ali’s skills as a fighter included lightning-quick hands, a razor-sharp jab, agile footwork, and especially in the later part of his career, the ability to absorb punches from bigger and…
Muhammad Ali: Triumphs & Tribulations
Since Ali retired from the ring, much of the attention focused on him has centered on his physical condition. He suffers from Parkinson’s disease, a neurological disorder that causes tremors,…
Bobby Seale
Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, cofounded the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California, in 1966. Seale, Bobby (b. October 22, 1936, Dallas, Tex.), political and social activist in the 1960s,…
Cleaver, Eldridge Leroy
Cleaver, Eldridge Leroy, (1935-1998), African American writer, political activist, and former minister of information for the Black Panther Party. Cleaver was born in Wabbaseka, Arkansas. After growing up in Wabbaseka…
Huey P. Newton
Newton, Huey P. (b. February 17, 1942, New Orleans, La.; d. August 22, 1989, Oakland, Calif.), cofounder of the American black nationalist organization, the Black Panther Party. Huey Newton grew…
Bob Dylan: The Death of Emmett Till
"The Death of Emmett Till" is a song written by Bob Dylan about the murder of African American Emmett Till that occurred on August 28, 1955. One bootlegged performance, which…
Robinson, JoAnn Gibson
Robinson, JoAnn Gibson (1912-1992), African American civil rights activist who was a leader in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Robinson was born in Culloden, Georgia. She attended Fort Valley State College…
Malcolm X: Impact on Black Politics
Ironically, Malcolm X made a bigger impact on black politics and culture dead than alive. The Watts Rebellion occurred and the Black Power Movement emerged just months after his death,…
Malcolm X: A Story with a Twist
Malcolm X was a powerful and influential speaker. This excerpt, from a speech in April 1964, clearly and directly expresses his views about the status of black people in American…
Martin Luther King: Early Life
Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, the eldest son of Martin Luther Martin Luther King Sr., a Baptist minister, and Alberta Williams Martin Luther…
James Earl Ray: Life, Prison & Death
James Earl Ray, the accused assassin of Dr. Martin Luther Martin Luther King, Jr., is knocMartin Luther King on death’s door with an appeal for justice. Ray, who is suffering…
Martin Luther King: Montgomery Bus Boycott
Montgomery’s black community had long-standing grievances about the mistreatment of blacks on city buses. Many white bus drivers treated blacks rudely, often cursing them and humiliating them by enforcing the…
Martin Luther King: Motel Lorraine
Local newspapers mocked Martin Luther King when he announced he was coming back to Memphis for a second round. Among other snipes and barbs, the local press criticized him for…
Martin Luther King: James Earl Ray
As soon as Martin Luther King fell, an aide, believed to be Marrell McCullough, pointed to the bathroom window of Bessie Brewer’s boarding house. The fingers of others followed him,…
Ruby Bridges Interview 1997
In 1960, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges Hall became the first African American child to desegregate an elementary school. In honor of National Black History Month, Hall discusses her memories of the…
Ruby Bridges: Overview
On the morning of her first day at William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Ruby Bridges’ mother told her: "Now I want you to behave yourself today, Ruby, and…
