This document profiles several influential leaders and activists of the American Civil Rights Movement, including Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, John Lewis, Harvey Milk, Cesar Chavez, Bernice Johnson Reagon, A. Philip Randolph, Myles Horton, Mendez v. Westminster, Dick Gregory, and Harry Belafonte. It summarizes their contributions to advancing equality and justice through nonviolent protest, political organizing, grassroots education efforts, and using their public platforms to advocate for civil and human rights.

2. • “Mother of the Civil
Rights Movement”
• Refused to give up her
seat to a white person
on a city bus and was
arrested.
• Resulted in a 381 day
bus boycott.

3. • Sang with the Freedom
Singers.
• Later formed the group
Sweet Honey in the
Rock which sings about
equality, the
environment and
peace.
• Works at the
Smithsonian to preserve
Black culture.

4. • Subject of the film
Mississippi Burning.
• Worked in Mississippi to
teach local Blacks how to
register to vote and pass
the voter registration
exam.
• Organized Freedom
Schools in Mississippi as
part of the Freedom
Summer Program

5. • “I am sick and tired of
being sick and tired”
• Tired of racism and
poverty, Hamer risked her
life by registering to vote.
• Traveled to the
Democratic National
Convention in 1964 as a
representative of the
Mississippi Freedom
Democratic Party.

6. • Left New York City to
travel to South to take
part in the Civil Rights
Movement.
• Organized activists to
teach Southerners to how
to read and write and
learn about their rights.
• Started the “Algebra
Project” to teach all
students the basic math
skills required for college.

7. • Inspired and guided the
emerging leaders of the
Civil Right Movement.
• Ran a voter registration
campaign called Crusade
for Citizenship.
• Helped form the SNCC to
organize student activists
and worked to encourage
new, young activists.

8. • “Grandmother of the Civil
Rights Movement”
• Founded the “Citizenship
Schools” and pioneered
teaching adult literacy.
• Worked with Martin
Luther King Jr. as director
of education for the
Southern Christian
Leadership Conference.

9. • Attempted to purchase
a bus ticket at the
“White’s Only” counter.
• After being arrested,
expulsed from school,
and exiled from
Mississippi, she led a
march on City Hall. Over
100 students an SNCC
workers were arrested.

10. • Volunteered for the
Freedom Riders in 1961
to challenge segregation
at bus terminals.
• Spent time as chairman of
SNCC and led marchers
across Pettus Bridge,
resulting in “Bloody
Sunday”.
• Currently serving his
seventh term in Congress.

11. • Featured in the film The
Time of Harvey Milk.
• One of the first openly
gay elected officials in the
USA.
• Dreamed of a society
where everyone shared
equal rights, regardless of
gender, race, sexual
preference, disability, and
age.

12. • Fought for farmworker
rights in the USA and the
leader of the United
Farmworkers of America.
• Fought for better wages
and working conditions
for farmworkers,
especially on keeping
toxic pesticides off crops.

13. • Organized the first
Woolworth’s sit-in in
Mississippi.
• Became well known for
his singing, or “Freedom
Songs”, which he used
to rise spirits in the
darkest times.

14. • Orchestrated the March
on Washington where
Martin Luther King Jr.
gave his “I have a
dream” speech.
• Taught Martin Luther
King Jr. the non-violent
ways of Gandhi.

15. • Created the Highlander
Folk School in 1032 which
ignored segregation lines
and taught leadership
skills to blacks and
whites.
• Also worked with labor
unions, antipoverty
organizations, and civil
rights leaders, seeking to
end social injustice.

16. • Attempted to enroll his
children in school and
was denied due to his
Mexican heritage.
• Sued the school and
won a landmark case
desegregating all
schools in the city.

17. • Used his stand-up
comedy acts to satire
racial prejudice in the
US.
• Gave a comedic voice to
the Civil Rights
Movement.
• Worked with the SNCC
in Mississippi.

18. • A major financer of the Civil
Rights Movement,
supporting the Freedom
Riders, Martin Luther King
Jr., and SNCC.
• Organized the We Are the
World project, which raised
millions of dollars for
famine victims in Africa.
• Honored by UNICEF for his
social and humanitarian
activism.