Blacks in the Military (3:12)
Learn how blacks serving in WWII helped forward the Civil Rights Movement.
Videos (22)
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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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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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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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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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Meet Madam CJ Walker
Meet Madam CJ WalkerVideo Clip (1:49)
Video Clip (1:49)
From her rough beginnings as an orphan, Madam CJ Walker went on to corner the market in black women's hair care and became the first self-made female millionaire.
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The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem RenaissanceVideo Clip (2:53)
Video Clip (2:53)
As African Americans flocked to Northern cities in the 1920s, they created a new social and cultural landscape.
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761st Enters Combat
761st Enters CombatVideo Clip (2:16)
Video Clip (2:16)
Two Months after D-Day the first all black panther tank battalion was ordered to the front lines.
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761st Activated
761st ActivatedVideo Clip (2:42)
Video Clip (2:42)
The 761st Panther Tank division was called to duty in 1962.
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David Gilmore
David GilmoreVideo Clip (2:54)
Video Clip (2:54)
WWII veteran David Gilmore recalls his struggles during combat and the long road home.
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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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Fair Housing Act
Fair Housing ActVideo Clip (1:40)
Video Clip (1:40)
President Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act in 1968.
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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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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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W.E.B. Dubois and the Niagara Movement
W.E.B. Dubois and the Niagara MovementVideo Clip (3:44)
Video Clip (3:44)
W.E.B. Dubois was integral to the advancement of racial equality.
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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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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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Jesse Jackson: 'Selma the Place to Be'
Jesse Jackson: 'Selma the Place to Be'Video Clip (1:18)
Video Clip (1:18)
Jesse Jackson recalls standing in the rain with Dr. King in Selma, Alabama.
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Martin Luther King III on his Father
Martin Luther King III on his FatherVideo Clip (1:25)
Video Clip (1:25)
Martin Luther King III remembers his father's love of all people and transformative effects on the world.
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Maya Angelou Recalls King's Bus Boycott Story
Maya Angelou Recalls King's Bus Boycott StoryVideo Clip (2:40)
Video Clip (2:40)
Maya Angelou remembers a story Martin Luther King Jr. once told her.
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Barbara Jordan's Keynote Address
Barbara Jordan's Keynote AddressVideo Clip (2:12)
Video Clip (2:12)
An excerpt from Barbara Jordan's keynote speech at the Democratic National Convection. Jordan was the first African-American woman ever elected to Congress from a southern state.
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Forest Whitaker: Growing Up with Dr. King
Forest Whitaker: Growing Up with Dr. KingVideo Clip (1:21)
Video Clip (1:21)
Actor Forest Whitaker reflects on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Photo Galleries (8)
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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 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.
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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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Barack Obama
Barack Obama(18 Photos)
18 Photos
The 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama was elected in 2008 and is the first African American to hold the office.
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The Battle Over Slavery
The Battle Over Slavery(12 Photos)
12 Photos
Explore images of abolitionists, the Underground Railroad and much more as you learn about the battle over slavery in the United States.
Speeches & Audio (6)
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Orval Faubus Blocks Little Rock High School Integration
Orval Faubus Blocks Little Rock High School IntegrationAudio Clip (0:27)
Audio Clip (0:27)
On September 2, 1957, Governor Orval Faubus called out the Arkansas National Guard to prevent a group of African-American students, who later became known as the Little Rock Nine, from entering the all-white Central High School. In a broadcast that evening, Faubus defends his decision to call in the state's National Guard.
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Fannie Lou Hamer on Roots of Her Activism
Fannie Lou Hamer on Roots of Her ActivismAudio Clip (0:48)
Audio Clip (0:48)
Fannie Lou Hamer, who worked as a field organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to expand black voter registration, discusses her awakening to racial injustice.
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A. Philip Randolph on Struggle for Racial Equality
A. Philip Randolph on Struggle for Racial EqualityAudio Clip (1:00)
Audio Clip (1:00)
Born April 15, 1889, A. Philip Randolph was instrumental in leading the civil rights movement in America. In one of many speeches on racial justice, Randolph ponders the question of how to right past wrongs.
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African-Americans Vote in South Carolina
African-Americans Vote in South CarolinaAudio Clip (1:33)
Audio Clip (1:33)
A report from Charleston, South Carolina, describes heavy voter turnout at the state's primary election on August 10, 1948. For the first time since the Reconstruction era, African-Americans were permitted to vote in a Democratic primary, after a federal judge ruled their exclusion unconstitutional.
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Lyndon Johnson Signs Civil Rights Act of 1964
Lyndon Johnson Signs Civil Rights Act of 1964Audio Clip (3:45)
Audio Clip (3:45)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction, prohibited racial discrimination in employment and education, and outlawed segregation in public facilities.
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Jackie Robinson on Racial Taunts
Jackie Robinson on Racial TauntsAudio Clip (0:51)
Audio Clip (0:51)
The first African-American to play major league baseball, Jackie Robinson describes his experience in the first few games of the 1947 season, when he was subjected to vicious epithets from other teams and spectators.
Interactives (1)
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Black History TimelineInteractive
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Read More about Civil Rights Movement
In the 1950s and 1960s, civil rights activists in the United States used nonviolent protest, civil disobedience and legal action to end segregation and pursue equality for all Americans.
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