1. malcolm x
was a militant leader of the nation of islam, a black muslim organization, in the 1950s and
early 1960s. in contrast to other black religious leaders of that time who espoused pacifism,
he called for achieving equality “by any means necessary.” malcolm x created a secular black
nationalist group known as the organization of afro-american unity. despite threats on his
life, he continued to preach this “new religion” until his assassination in 1965
KweisiMfume
KweisiMfume of Maryland gained national attention from 1992 to 1994 as a leader of the
Congressional Black Caucus, a group of African American members of the U.S. Congress that
focus on legislation relevant to blacks. In 1996 Mfume resigned from the House of
Representatives to become president and chief executive officer of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the oldest and most influential civil rights
organization in the United States.
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan became head of the Nation of Islam, a black religious organization, in 1978.
Farrakhan's anti-Semitic remarks and his message of black separatism have been controversial.
However, many people have also supported his calls for economic independence and moral
responsibility in the black community.
Charles Waddell Chesnutt
One of the first black American novelists, Charles Waddell Chesnutt often wrote about the plight
of black Americans in the South. The son of free émigrés, Chesnutt was very light-skinned, and
his writing focused especially upon the experiences of blacks of mixed racial ancestry. In this
reading from The Marrow of Tradition (1901), customary social positions as portrayed in the
novel are reversed when a proud white woman must seek the help of a black woman whom she
had earlier scorned.
Michael Jordan
With his explosive scoring ability and inspired defensive play, American professional basketball
player Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six National Basketball Association (NBA)
championships (1991-1993, 1996-1998). He was also named NBA most valuable player in 1988,
1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998. Jordan retired from basketball in 1993, but after playing
professional baseball for one year, he returned to the Bulls in 1995. Here, Jordan dunks the ball
during a 1995 NBA playoff game against the Orlando Magic.
Jesse Jackson
By the 1960s Baptist minister Jesse Jackson had set himself at the forefront of the struggle for
civil rights. In 1971 he founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) to work for
the economic advancement of poor people. In 1984 and 1988 he campaigned for the Democratic
presidential nomination. A gifted orator, Jackson electrified delegates at the 1988 Democratic
National Convention with this speech.