Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was involved in the Civil Rights Movement. She was born in Febraury 4, 1913. She grew up in small town of Pine Level near Mongomery. Her father and mother both were African American. In 1932, she married with Raymond Parks, who was member of National Association for the Advance of Colored People (NAACP). In 1943, Rosa Park joined NAACP, and was elected to be the volunteer secretary by the president of the association, Edgar D. Nixon. "Colored people" had their own section to sit in public buses. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat at the front of the "colored section" of the bus to a white passenger therefore, she was arrested. Many people protested to earn the fairness and justice the deserve. At age 92 Rosa Parks died (October 24, 2005).
Martin Luther King Jr.
An inspirational speech that brought many people's attention, even mine was, "So I say to you, my friends, that even though we must face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream that one day this nation will be rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed-we hold these truths to be self-confident, that all men are created equal."Martin Luther King Jr. is a great influence to all the people who wanted their rights to be equal. This African American man blew everyone's mind away. He was always a strong worker for civil rights for members of his race.
Malcolm X
Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. Malcolm was a smart, focused student and graduated from junior high at the top of his class. However, when a favorite teacher to Malcolm his dream of becoming a lawyer was "no realistic goal for a nigger," Malcolm lost interest in school. He dropped out, spent some time in Boston, Massachusetts working various jobs, and then traveled to Harlem, New York where he committed petty crimes. By 1942 Malcolm was coordinating various narcotic, prostitution and gambling rings. "When a person places the proper value on freedom, there is nothing under the son that he will not do to acquire that freedom. Whenever you hear a man saying he wants freedom, but in the next breath he is going to tell you what he won't do to get it, or what he doesn't believe in doing in order to get it, he doesn't believe in freedom. A man who believes in freedom will do anything under the sun to acquire . . . or preserve his freedom." This speech influences many African American to believing in their freedom. I always believed he had a great ability to solve on go through the root if his problems. Malcolm had a huge concern for the problems we face as a race.
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was a courageous civil rights lawyer during a period when racial segregation was the law of the land. At a time when a large portion of American society refused to extend equality to black people, Marshall astutely realized that one of the best ways to bring about change was through the legal system. Between 1938 and 1961, he presented more than 30 civil rights cases before the Supreme Court. He won 29 of them.
His most important case was (1954), which ended segregation in public schools. By law, black and white students had to attend separate public schools. As long as schools were "separate but equal"—providing equal education for all races—segregation was considered fair. In reality, segregated schools were shamefully unequal: white schools were far more privileged than black schools, which were largely poor and overcrowded. Marshall challenged the doctrine, pointing out that "separate but equal" was just a myth disguising racism. He argued that if all students were indeed equal, then why was it necessary to separate them? The Supreme Court agreed, ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." Marshall went on to become the first African-American Supreme Court Justice in American history.
His most important case was (1954), which ended segregation in public schools. By law, black and white students had to attend separate public schools. As long as schools were "separate but equal"—providing equal education for all races—segregation was considered fair. In reality, segregated schools were shamefully unequal: white schools were far more privileged than black schools, which were largely poor and overcrowded. Marshall challenged the doctrine, pointing out that "separate but equal" was just a myth disguising racism. He argued that if all students were indeed equal, then why was it necessary to separate them? The Supreme Court agreed, ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." Marshall went on to become the first African-American Supreme Court Justice in American history.
