Rosa Parks. Martin Luther King jr. Nelson Mandela. These are just a few of the figures involved in our history for the abolishment of racism and undoubtedly figures that continue to inspire us today. However, our textbooks only feature a paragraph or less about their honorable commitments. How can we raise more awareness of them?
Throughout our history, we have had a countless number of civil rights activists that are truly a boon for world development, but in society, we fail to recognize their efforts completely. Just recognizing their efforts and getting inspired by their amazing contributions and actions, can be a huge step in our voice against racial discrimination. So today, in the initiative of the WHY I CARE blog month, I will be dedicating my post to five of the most important people involved in the abolishment of racism in our world today, and how they truly matter in the world’s history.
DOROTHY HEIGHT (1912-2010)
“Godmother of the Civil Rights Movement”
Dorothy Height is one of the most important and well-known activists who was involved in the civil rights movement. She was one of the few women in leadership roles in the civil rights movement during that era and served as both the president of the National Council of Negro Women and as an important member in the planning and strategy of many anti-racism initiatives across America. Even though she faced much bitter and often violent opposition from segregationists and racists, her life’s work is honored by many prestigious awards including the presidential medal of freedom by President Clinton, and the Congressional gold medal, among many more. She was also well recognized by many other figures and received the opportunity of standing alongside Martin Luther King in 1963 when he delivered his famous “I have a dream” speech and siting on the presidential platform when Barack Obama was inaugurated. One of Height’s famous sayings was,
”If the time is not ripe, we have to ripen the time.”
ROSA PARKS (1913-2005)
“The Mother of the Freedom Movement”
Rosa Parks was an American Civil Rights Activist, that is best known for her voice against the segregation of public facilities. She invigorated the civil rights movement when she refused to give up her bus seat for a white man in Alabama. Even though this act eventually led her to be jailed, Rosa Park’s Act ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott which was a famous boycott that lasted for more than a year, in which participants composing about 70% of the Montgomery public transit system walked or carpooled, but never took the bus, demanding for the revolution of segregation laws. This boycott severely cost the municipal transit system, and victory was led on November 13, 1956, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Alabama state and Montgomery city bus segregation laws as violating the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. Rosa Park’s historical act of civil disobedience was one that has now inspired many more in the non-violent civil rights movement. Her legacy continues to live on today, as many remember her famous quote,
“ You must never be fearful about what you’re doing when it’s right.”
NELSON MANDELA (1918-2013)
Nelson Mandela was a social rights activist, politician, and philanthropist involved in my anti-racism initiatives around the world. He eventually became South Africa’s first Colored president from 1994 to 1999. After becoming involved in the anti-apartheid movement in his 20s, Mandela joined the African National Congress Political Party. For most of his lifetime, he worked on directing a campaign of peaceful, nonviolent defiance against the South African government and its racist policies. Unfortunately, Mandela had to spend 27 years in prison for political offenses but emerged back victorious. Mandela and South African President F.W. de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to dismantle the country’s apartheid system. For generations to come, Mandela continues to be a source of inspiration for civil rights activists worldwide. One of his famous quotes includes:
“ It always seems impossible until it is done.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR (1929-1968)
Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American Minister and a voice against racial discrimination. He dreamt that all inhabitants of the United States would be judged by their personal qualities and not by the color of their skin. Martin Luther King jr. adhered to Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolence, and never promoted or used violence, while protesting for righteous causes. For most of his life, he began trying to persuade the US Government to declare the policy of racial discrimination in the southern states unlawful. In 1955, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was directed by Martin Luther King jr. and after the successful answers to the demands, he emerged as one of the leaders in the fight for civil rights. One of his most famous initiatives was when Martin Luther King jr. gave his famous “I have a dream” speech, where 250,000 demonstrators marched to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington so they can hear the inspiring Martin Luther jr. You can access the full “I have a dream speech” at this link: .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs. In recognition of Martin Luther’s efforts, the following year, President Johnson got a law passed prohibiting all racial discrimination. Before his assaination ( allegedly US government conspiracy) in 1993, he had received the Peace Prize for his nonviolent campaign against racism. In honor of his efforts, Martin Luther King Jr. owns a national holiday in his name, known as Martin Luther King jr, day or MLK day in the United States of America. An excerpt of his sayings during “I have a dream” speech includes,
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal. … I have a dream today.”
DESMOND TUTU (1931)
Desmond Tutu is one of South Africa’s most well-known human rights activists. He took numerous actions and put lots of effort to fight the apartheid in South Africa. Known as the voice of the voiceless Black South Africans, he was an outspoken critic of apartheid. Desmond Tutu showed continued to support many anti-racism initiatives like the economic boycott of South Africa, while constantly encouraging reconciliation between various factions associated with apartheid. When Nelson Mandela was elected as South Africa’s first Black president—Tutu was appointed as the chairperson of the Truth & Reconciliation CommissionAfrica. Tutu formulated his objective as “a democratic and just society without racial divisions,” and set forth demands for equal rights, including a common system of education, equal civil rights, etc. In addition to the Nobel Prize, Tutu has been awarded numerous awards, for his contributions to humanity. With continued lively spirits, Desmond Tutu continues to travel, and works to champion human rights and the equality of all people, in both South Africa and internationally. A quote by Desmond Tutu includes,
“ My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”
These figures are just a glimpse of the multiple people involved in the fight against racial discrimination. They are true inspirations to humanity and will continue to be so, in the future decades. By recongizing their contributions to us, we can truly continue to follow their paths, for a discrimination-free future. After all, “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”- Martin Luther King Jr.