Charley Patton was perhaps the most influential Delta bluesmen. His music was truly reflective of the early country blues.
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks changed history forever when she refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus. Take a look at the life and accomplishments of the woman who became known as "the mother of the civil rights movement."
Bayard Rustin, most noted for his behind-the-scenes work with Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement, was more than an activist for racial equality. He was committed to economic justice, labor rights, and humanitarian causes.
Image courtesy of the Library of Congress
In 1963, Birmingham was a hotbed of racial tension. Consequently, when Martin Luther King decided to challenge segregation it became an intense battle. Out of this protest came King’s famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and the appalling images of dog bitten and fire hosed teenage protestors. The remembrance of the struggle in Birmingham is a powerful reminder of the kind of violence that civil rights activists often faced. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints & Photos Division, NYWT&S Collection
Satchel Paige was considered one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the Negro leagues. He could draw a crowd and pitch a no hitter. He was entertaining, talented, and always on the move to the team that offered the most money. Despite his unreliability, he was a highly desirable player and teams were willing to take the chance of his departure just to have him on the team. 
A. Philip Randolph, a black labor movement leader and the founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, believed that the key to black progress rested in the black working class. Beyond this, however, Randolph later found that defeating segregation was also an important cause. Although he was much older by this time, it failed to stop him from implementing his idea for one of the most memorable events during the civil rights movement—the March on Washington.
Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.
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