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Mary McLeod Bethune, an American educator, activist, and champion of civil rights, played a pivotal role in shaping the course of African American history in the United States. As a dedicated advocate for education and social equality, she founded the renowned Bethune-Cookman College. She established the National Council of Negro Women, becoming a prominent figure …
Throughout Black American history, many individuals have contributed to developing entertainment culture and social justice movements. Joyce Bryant, an African American singer, dancer, and activist, stands out as one such individual. Bryant’s exceptional ability to captivate audiences, combined with her tireless dedication to the fight for civil rights, established her as a groundbreaking performer and trailblazing …
Carolyn Bryant Donham died on 25 April 2023, aged 88, in Westlake, Louisiana. Her death marked the end of a life inextricably linked to one of the darkest chapters in America’s racial history. With her passing, the full truth of what happened that fateful day in August 1955 may never be known. The case of …
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi, was the leader of India’s non-violent independence movement against British rule. Gandhi is often referred to as Mahatma, which is a Sanskrit term meaning “Great Soul.” The title was bestowed upon him for his unwavering commitment to non-violent resistance, civil rights, and social justice. Gandhi’s early life …
The Bristol Bus Boycott landmark event in Black British history. It helped to raise awareness of racial discrimination in Britain and influenced the passing of the Race Relations Act 1965, which made “racial discrimination in public places” unlawful. Background: The Windrush Generation After the Second World War, Britain experienced a labour shortage, so Caribbean colonists …
An organisation dedicated to advancing justice and equity for Black people has been launched in the UK. Some of Britain’s most influential Black figures from business, law, the arts, and social justice founded the Black Equity Organisation (BEO), including David Lammy MP, David Olusoga, Karen Blackett, Dame Vivian Hunt, and Kwame Kwei-Armah. The hope is …
You’ve heard of Rosa Parks, but what do you know of Claudette Colvin? Nine months before Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, 15-year-old Claudette did the exact same thing. Early life Claudette Austin was born in Birmingham, Jefferson County, to Mary Jane Gadson and C P Austin …
The Selma to Montgomery march was part of a series of civil rights protests that occurred in 1965 in Alabama, a Southern state with deeply entrenched racist policies. Death and discrimination Even after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination in voting based on race, efforts by civil rights organisations such as the Student …
John Lewis, born on 21 February 1940 in rural Alabama, was a prominent civil rights leader and politician known for his tireless activism, dedication to social justice, and unwavering commitment to nonviolent protest. As the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and a leader of the historic Selma March, John Lewis left an …
The British Black Panther Movement (BBP) emerged in the late 1960s as a response to growing racial tensions and discrimination faced by the black community in the United Kingdom. Drawing inspiration from the American Black Panther Party, the BBP sought to address issues of racial inequality, police brutality, and social injustice in Britain. This comprehensive …
This post in is honour of Colin Kaepernick and the people who are currently participating in civil rights activities to highlight the injustices around the world. Whilst Black History Month is a great time to remember civil rights leaders of the past who fought for equality and justice, we cannot forget that racism and inequality …
The Mangrove Nine Trial stands as a pivotal event in the history of Britain’s Black Power movement. This landmark trial exposed the racial discrimination and police harassment faced by the black community in Notting Hill, London. In this article, we delve deep into the background of the case, the key players involved, the events leading …
Darcus Howe, a Trinidad-born activist, writer, and broadcaster, played a significant role in the fight for racial equality in Britain. With his roots in the Black Power movement, Howe used his journalism, broadcasting, and political activism expertise to challenge racism and promote multiculturalism in the UK. His work with prominent publications like Race Today and …
The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case, decided on 17 May 1954, was a seminal moment in the American Civil Rights Movement. This landmark Supreme Court decision declared the “separate but equal” doctrine unconstitutional, overturning the infamous Plessy v. Ferguson ruling of 1896 and paving the way for the desegregation of public schools …
Originally written as a poem “Bitter Fruit” by Abel Meeropol became a song performed famously by Billie Holiday. Meeropol, a white, Jewish high school teacher from the Bronx and a member of the Communist Party wrote it as a protest against lynchings. His inspiration came from the photograph by Lawrence Beitler of the 1930 lynching …
Civil rights leader Rosa Parks was honoured with a commemorative statue in the US Capitol building in Washington DC, on Wednesday, 27 February 2013. Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on a segregated Alabama bus for a white passenger in 1955 sparked a boycott that galvanised the movement for equal rights for Black people …
Ida B Wells was born into slavery on July 16, 1862, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Her father, James, was a carpenter, and her mother, Elizabeth, was a famous cook. Both parents were literate and taught Ida how to read at a young age. She was surrounded by political activists and grew up with a sense …
On 16 October 1968, American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos took a stand that would see them banished from the Olympic games. In 1968, the United States already had a lot on its plate. This was a country enmeshed in civil rights and anti-war protests. Civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr had been …
Rodney Glen King, born on 2 April 1965 in Sacramento, California, became an unintentional symbol of racial tension and police brutality in the United States after his violent arrest in 1991. The brutal incident set off a chain of events culminating in the 1992 Los Angeles riots. On 3 March 1991, King was driving while …
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a pivotal event in the American Civil Rights Movement that lasted from 5 December 1955 to 20 December 1956. The boycott was a mass protest against the racially segregated bus system in Montgomery, Alabama, which was declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. This 381-day boycott brought the issue of …
The assassination of Medgar Evers, a prominent African American civil rights leader, marked a significant turning point in the fight against racism and sparked renewed efforts towards achieving racial equality in the United States. Early life and the path to civil rights activism Medgar Evers was born in Jackson, Mississippi, on 2 July 1925. He …
The American Civil Rights movement of the 1960s remains a monumental period in American history, as it brought about significant changes in legislation and social attitudes towards racial inequality. From the late 1950s to the end of the 1960s, civil rights leaders led a revolution that pushed back against systemic racism, discrimination, and segregation. This …
The Jim Crow laws were an umbrella term for state and local laws which legalised racial segregation. African Americans were to be marginalised by these laws – which existed for about 100 years, from the post-Civil War era until 1968 – by denying them the right to vote, hold jobs, get an education and other …
Malcolm X was a prominent civil rights leader, Black nationalist, and minister who served as a spokesman for the Nation of Islam during the 1950s and 1960s. As an influential figure in both the Nation of Islam and the civil rights movement, he played a significant role in shaping the political and social landscape of …
