Photo Galleries (6)
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Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.(16 Photos)
16 Photos
See pictures from the life of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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March on Washington
March on Washington(9 Photos)
9 Photos
See pictures from the famous March on Washington.
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Black Women in Politics
Black Women in Politics(10 Photos)
10 Photos
View images of famous female African American politicians and activists.
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Black Women Athletes
Black Women Athletes(16 Photos)
16 Photos
View images of famous female African American athletes.
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Black Women Authors
Black Women Authors(11 Photos)
11 Photos
View images of famous female African American authors.
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Black Women Musicians
Black Women Musicians(20 Photos)
20 Photos
View images of famous female African American singers and musicians.
Videos (23)
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Separate But Not Equal
Separate But Not EqualVideo Clip (2:21)
Video Clip (2:21)
In 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously strikes down segregation in public schools, sparking the Civil Rights movement.
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Jackie Robinson Breaks Barriers
Jackie Robinson Breaks BarriersVideo Clip (3:06)
Video Clip (3:06)
Jackie Robinson's accomplishments on and off the field opens doors for all African Americans.
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King Leads the March on Washington
King Leads the March on WashingtonVideo Clip (3:10)
Video Clip (3:10)
On August 28, 1963, a quarter million people gather to support civil rights, and share Dr. King's "dream" of equality.
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Little Rock Nine
Little Rock NineVideo Clip (2:28)
Video Clip (2:28)
Led by civil rights pioneer Daisy Bates, these nine brave Arkansas teenagers broke through racial barriers to become the first black students to attend Little Rock High School.
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Malcolm X
Malcolm XVideo Clip (1:42)
Video Clip (1:42)
Malcolm X speaks to reporters about the Black Nationalist Movement and the need to establish Black Rifle Clubs.
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Blacks in the Military
Blacks in the MilitaryVideo Clip (3:12)
Video Clip (3:12)
Learn how blacks serving in WWII helped forward the Civil Rights Movement.
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Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964Video Clip (2:57)
Video Clip (2:57)
After years of struggle and setbacks, advocates for equality celebrate the passage of sweeping legislation that prohibits racial discrimination.
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Freedom March
Freedom MarchVideo Clip (1:38)
Video Clip (1:38)
Newsreel footage of the freedom march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, led by Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Little Rock Nine
Little Rock NineVideo Clip (1:51)
Video Clip (1:51)
Silent footage of members of the 101st U.S. Airborne Division escorting the Little Rock Nine into Central High School on September 25, 1957.
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Integration at Ole Miss
Integration at Ole MissVideo Clip (2:03)
Video Clip (2:03)
Newsreel footage of President Kennedy's address to the American people after the University of Alabama riots in 1962.
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Jesse Jackson: Aftermath of King Assassination
Jesse Jackson: Aftermath of King AssassinationVideo Clip (1:38)
Video Clip (1:38)
In this History Channel video clip, we see an interview with Jesse Jackson. See how emotional it still is for Jackson, to sit down and talk about Martin Luther King and how he was killed right next to him some years ago.
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Stokely Carmichael
Stokely CarmichaelVideo Clip (1:14)
Video Clip (1:14)
Stokely Carmichael, leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, spoke to a crowd in Greenwood, Mississippi in 1964.
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Condoleeza Rice Remembers MLK
Condoleeza Rice Remembers MLKVideo Clip (1:42)
Video Clip (1:42)
Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice recalls her memories of Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Martin Luther King III on his Father
Martin Luther King III on his FatherVideo Clip (1:26)
Video Clip (1:26)
Martin Luther King III remembers his father's love of all people and transformative effects on the world.
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Forest Whitaker: Growing Up with Dr. King
Forest Whitaker: Growing Up with Dr. KingVideo Clip (1:12)
Video Clip (1:12)
Actor Forest Whitaker reflects on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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BB King: Growing Up in Mississippi
BB King: Growing Up in MississippiVideo Clip (2:30)
Video Clip (2:30)
In this American History video, brought to you by the History Channel, musician BB King talks about growing up in a poor and segregated Mississippi. He then goes on to talk about how much the state has changed.
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Origins of Black History Month
Origins of Black History MonthVideo Clip (2:20)
Video Clip (2:20)
A brief look at the history of African Americans and Black History Month.
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Ask Steve: George Wallace
Ask Steve: George WallaceVideo Clip (1:33)
Video Clip (1:33)
Who is George Wallace and why is he important? Steve Gillon shows the importance and significance of George Wallace in American history. Through his racist views, George Wallace redefined the American Political System.
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Voting Rights Bill
Voting Rights BillVideo Clip (1:44)
Video Clip (1:44)
Newsreel footage of President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Bill.
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Ask Steve: MLK, JR.
Ask Steve: MLK, JR.Video Clip (1:39)
Video Clip (1:39)
On Ask Steve, the efforts of Martin Luther King Jr. and his assassination was discussed. His connection with the White House was cut off my President Lyndon Johnson because of his lack of support for the Vietnam War. He then went to Memphis.
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Ask Steve: '68 Convention Anything but Scripted
Ask Steve: '68 Convention Anything but ScriptedVideo Clip (1:52)
Video Clip (1:52)
Explore the violence that unfolded at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago in this Ask Steve video. Steve Gillon explains how three different groups of people came together, and how attempts at peace were met with violence.
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Ask Steve: 1968 Divisions Healed?
Ask Steve: 1968 Divisions Healed?Video Clip (1:16)
Video Clip (1:16)
The question of whether the divisions in the 1960's are healed is explored by Steve Gillon in his Ask Steve segment. Gillon explains how the divisions never healed, and are very much still alive in today's society.
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George Wallace Opposes Integration
George Wallace Opposes IntegrationVideo Clip (1:30)
Video Clip (1:30)
Newsreel footage of former Alabama Governor George Wallace standing against desegregation while being confronted by federal authorities at the University of Alabama in 1963.
Speeches & Audio (10)
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Brown v. Board of Education Ruling
Brown v. Board of Education RulingAudio Clip (1:02)
Audio Clip (1:02)
On May 17, 1954, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered the unanimous ruling against the "separate but equal" mandate and demanded desegregation of schools. Outside the courtroom, the attorneys who argued the Brown v. Board of Education case, James Nabrit Jr., Thurgood Marshall and George Hayes, give a press conference.
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Booker T. Washington on Race Relations
Booker T. Washington on Race RelationsAudio Clip (3:28)
Audio Clip (3:28)
On September 18, 1895, at the Atlanta Exposition, Booker T. Washington rises to national fame when he delivers what came to be known as his “Atlanta Compromise” speech, in which he advocates for the races to work together while remaining separate socially.
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Adam Clayton Powell Rallies Congregation
Adam Clayton Powell Rallies CongregationAudio Clip (3:54)
Audio Clip (3:54)
In a 1967 sermon, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., pastor and congressman from Harlem, New York City, reaches out to the downtrodden and depressed with his "keep the faith, baby" slogan.
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Stokely Carmichael on Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Stokely Carmichael on Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.Audio Clip (2:42)
Audio Clip (2:42)
On April 5, 1968, in a press conference held the day after the slaying of Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael predicts the outbreak of more violence across the nation in retaliation for "white America's biggest mistake."
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NAACP's Walter White Decries Racial Inequality
NAACP's Walter White Decries Racial InequalityAudio Clip (2:28)
Audio Clip (2:28)
On June 29, 1947, at the closing session of the 38th annual conference for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Walter F. White, the organization’s executive secretary, warns that despite progress made in civil rights, true equality can’t be achieved with a "separate but equal" mandate.
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John F. Kennedy on Desegregation at Ole Miss
John F. Kennedy on Desegregation at Ole MissAudio Clip (3:18)
Audio Clip (3:18)
When Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett refused to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling demanding desegregation at the University of Mississippi and the admittance of James Meredith, President John F. Kennedy was forced to intervene. In his address to the nation on September 30, 1962, Kennedy explains his decision to federalize the state national guard in order to maintain law and order while Meredith registers at the college.
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John F. Kennedy Appeals to Mississippi Governor
John F. Kennedy Appeals to Mississippi GovernorAudio Clip (3:42)
Audio Clip (3:42)
After many unfruitful telephone conversations with Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett, President John F. Kennedy calls the governor one more time to discuss the building tension over James Meredith’s impending registration at the University of Mississippi. Though the governor has made clear his opposition to the Supreme Court order to allow Meredith to attend the school, President Kennedy tries to assess whether the governor will maintain law and order when Meredith arrives.
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John F. Kennedy Intervenes in James Meredith Case
John F. Kennedy Intervenes in James Meredith CaseAudio Clip (4:38)
Audio Clip (4:38)
In defiance of the Supreme Court ruling that the University of Mississippi desegregate and allow James Meredith to attend, Gov. Ross Barnett physically blocked the African-American student from entering the building to register on September 20, 1962. Nine days later, President John F. Kennedy telephones Barnett to persuade him to cooperate with the Court's ruling. Barnett does little to reassure Kennedy, and attempts to pawn off the decision on his lawyer friend Tom Watkins.
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Tutu Speaks Out Against Apartheid
Tutu Speaks Out Against ApartheidAudio Clip (1:54)
Audio Clip (1:54)
In an October 28, 1985, address to the United Nations Special Political Committee, Bishop Desmond Tutu calls for the immediate dismantling of apartheid.
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Nelson Mandela Gathers Support to Abolish Apartheid
Nelson Mandela Gathers Support to Abolish ApartheidAudio Clip (2:03)
Audio Clip (2:03)
After being held for 27 years as a political prisoner, the newly freed Nelson Mandela stands before the United Nations on June 22, 1990. As deputy president of the African National Congress, Mandela delivers a speech to the Special Committee Against Apartheid and calls for continued economic sanctions against South Africa to help force an end to segregation.
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