Introduction to Social Activists for a research project.

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.