Reflections on an Era
Read personal essays and other comments from a variety of people connected with the Civil Rights Movement. Then share your own thoughts or comments.
Before the Civil Rights Movement
John Egerton
A writer with deep roots in the South reflects on the years leading up to the civil rights movement.
Civil Rights Today
Alan Jenkins
A lawyer and civil rights advocate describes the legacy of the movement -- and the fights still being fought against injustice today.
Music and the Movement
Bernice Johnson Reagon
The songwriter, educator and famous voice of the Freedom Singers and Sweet Honey in the Rock talks about freedom songs and the central role of music in the movement.
Nonviolent Protests
Diane Nash
A college student turned civil rights leader explains the thinking behind sit-ins -- and what it was like staging them.
Politics and the March on Washington
John Lewis
An activist who led SNCC remembers the political difficulties of writing a keynote speech for the 1963 march.
The Movement's Tactics
Kwame Ture
A SNCC voter registration organizer and the first leader to use the term "Black Power" explains how activists reached potential voters and motivated them.
Taking the Struggle to the North
Bernard LaFayette
A veteran of Southern civil rights struggles outlines the reasons the movement broadened its scope to include the North.
Activists and the News Media
Daniel Schorr
A CBS News correspondent reflects on the impact of the movement on the media -- and vice versa.
A Woman Black Panther
Elaine Brown
A woman who rose through the Panthers' ranks describes the organization and its appeal.
Going Into Politics
Maynard Jackson
A man inspired by Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy talks about becoming the first African American mayor of a major Southern city.
Being Bused
Phyllis Ellison
A student who was bused into hostile South Boston recalls the significance and the trauma of the forced integration.
Black Consciousness
Robin Gregory
A homecoming queen and student activist recounts the awakening of black consciousness within her and her fellow students.
page created on 8.23.06
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