Biographies

Medgar Evers: http://www.africawithin.com/bios/medgar_evers.htm

Field secretary for the NAACP whose death prompted Kennedy to ask Congress for a comprehensive civil rights bill.
Lugenia Burns Hope: http://www.gawomen.org/honorees/long/hopel_long.htm

A social reformer of the South and helped build the groundwork that led to the civil rights movement.
Baynard Rustin: http://www.rustin.org/biography.html

An activist in the struggle for human rights and economic justice.
Ralph David Abernathy: http://search.eb.com/blackhistory/micro/1/43.html

Martin Luther King's chief aide and closest associate.
Stokely Carmichael: http://courses.washington.edu/spcmu/carmichael/

A leader in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Black Panthers and coined the phrase "black power."

A. Philip Randolph: http://www.georgemeany.org/archives/apr.html

Biography of this civil rights activist, trade union leader and crusader for justice.
A. Philip Randolph: http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/oralhistory.hom/
RandolpA/randolp.asp

Read the transcript of this interview with Randolph in 1968 in PDF format.

Bobby Seale: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/13/interviews/seale/

CNN presents the transcript and streaming video of an interview with Bobby Seale.
Robert George Seale: http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/bhm/bio/seale_r.htm

This activist is co-founder of the Black Panther Party for Peace and Freedom.

Booker T. Washington: http://www.ushistory.net/toc/washington.html

Biography of his childhood and adulthood.
Up From Slavery: http://www.nps.gov/bowa/btwbio.html

The National Park Service provides this short biography.
The Booker T. Washington Era: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart6.html

This site explains Washington's life in context with the era in which he lived.

Coretta Scott King: http://www.thekingcenter.org/csk/index.html

Biography of one of the leaders in the civil rights movement and continuing civil rights and social justices.

The Murder of Emmett Till: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/till/

Till's death is often considered the impetus for the modern civil rights movement. This PBS site follows the events and accounts of his death and beyond.
Remembering Emmett Till: http://www.usatoday.com/news/gallery/2004/03-09-till/flash.htm

USA Today presents a slideshow history of the Emmett Till murder.
Confessions of the Murders of Emmett Till: http://www.nathanielturner.com/emmetttill.htm

This site presents the confessions of the men involved in Emmett's death. Even though these confessions existed, no one was ever convicted of his death.
The Death of Emmett Till: http://www.bobdylanroots.com/till.html

Historic background of Emmett Till's murder.

Huey Newton: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0800612.html

A short biography of Newton.
A Huey P. Newton Story: http://www.pbs.org/hueypnewton/

This PBS site presents a biography of Newton and explains his role in the Black Panther party.
Free Huey!: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG01/barillari/pantherchap2.html

When Huey Newton was arrested for the death of an Oakland police officer, he became a symbol to the Black Panther party and black power movement.

Breaking the Barriers: http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/sports/special/barriers/index.html

The Houston Chronicle highlights the significance of Robinson's breaking the color barrier in sports.
Jackie Robinson: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/jrhtml/jrhome.html

The Library of Congress help students understand the important role Robinson played in the civil rights movement.

James Weldon Johnson: http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/amlit/johnson/johnson.html

A biography of this poet and the words to his famous poem, later made into a song, "Lift Every Voice and Sing."
James Weldon Johnson: http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/johnson/johnson.htm

This site provides an essay about Johnson and some excerpts from his writing.

Biography: http://www.jesseowens.com/jobio2.html

Owens biography from his official Web site.
Who Is Jesse Owens: http://www.jesse-owens.org/about1.html

Owens biography from the Jesse Owens Foundation.

The Official websiteof Malcolm X: http://www.cmgww.com/historic/malcolm/home.php

The Malcolm X Estate presents his biography, chronology, achievements, photos, quotes, fast facts, eulogy and more.
Malcolm X: A Research Site: http://www.brothermalcolm.net/

This site provides a timeline of his life, a biography, a look at his family, speeches and photographs, his legacy and a study guide.
The Malcolm X Files: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/malcolmx/malcolmx.html

The Smoking Gun presents evidence and documents surrounding his being shot and killed.

The Seattle Times: Martin Luther King Jr.: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/mlk/

Seattle Times' online information about Martin Luther King, Jr.
Citizen King: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/mlk/

PBS presents the transcripts for its public television program of the same name. It also includes primary resources, a map of the civil rights hot spots and a teacher's guide.
The Dr. King Timeline Page: http://www.pps.k12.or.us/district/depts/itss/buckman/timeline/kingframe.html

Buckman Elementary in Portland, Oregon created this site.
Martin Luther King Day: http://www.holidays.net/mlk/speech.htm

The full text of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech.
Nobel Peace Prize 1964: http://www.nobel.se/peace/laureates/1964/

King's biography, prize lecture and acceptance speech.
MLK Jr: The First Attempt: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mlk/mlk.html

The Smoking Gun presents police and other documents involved in the stabbing of King in 1958.

Integrating Central High: http://teacher.scholastic.com/barrier/hwyf/mpbstory/index.htm

Scholastic presents this website that highlights Pattillo's role in integration and civil rights as one of the Little Rock Nine.

Rosa Parks: How I Fought for Civil Rights: http://teacher.scholastic.com/rosa/index.htm

Scholastic presents an in-depth look into the life and events of Rosa Parks and her role in civil rights.
Rosa Parks: Pioneer of Civil Rights: http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/par0pro-1

This site presents a biography and interview with Parks.

Ruby Bridges: http://www.africanaonline.com/ruby_bridges.htm

This site explains what role Ruby Bridges' actions played in the civil rights movement.
Class of One: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/race_relations/jan-june97/bridges_2-18.html

Read or listen to the audio of this PBS interview of Ruby Bridges Hall in 1997.

Thurgood Marshall: http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/122/hill/marshall.htm
001.thurgood_marshall.html

A biography of Marshall and timeline of significant events in his life.

Biographical Sketch of W.E.B. du Bois: http://www.duboislc.org/man.html

An in-depth biography of this civil rights activist and founding member of the NAACP.
W.E.B. du Bois: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/dubois

A brief biography of this founding member of the NAACP.