SLIDESHOW: Women Behind The Civil Rights Movement ~ Lean In Women of Color

“We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.”

It is the spiritual song that captures many hearts still. Even though it was well over 50 years ago, the efforts of the women and men within the Civil Rights Movement foreshadows many grassroots movements still to this day. Young people pledged their involvement with the premise to be better Christians, to service humanity and their country. Many were willing to risk their lives to put a halt to segregation. Some sat in dark, cold prisons, without the ability to call home. They were beaten and abused. Yet they maintained their composure because they believed in a greater cause- putting a halt to segregation, degradation and subjugation.

Many brave women were behind this movement. They were pioneers and barracudas in the fight for civil rights. It was a different time and they were dimly noted for their hard work and achievements. Women were often discouraged from stepping into the forefront. Some took lead positions, but their voices were seldom amplified. It must be said--”Women were leaders in their own right! They were the adhesive for people gathering and spurred the direction of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement!

Response on Social Media:

@womenforaction EXACTLY why we need a Natl Womens History Museum! Women Behind the Civil Rights Movement. http://t.co/i0Dm0c5ReN #MLK
— Rep. Stacey Newman (@staceynewman) January 20, 2015

@womenforaction This is an excellent view into the many women whose strength & courage made it possible for us today
— Brooklyn NAACP (@brooklynnaacp) January 19, 2015

Resources

1. Dr. Dorothy Heights- http://www.naswfoundation.org/pioneers/h/height.htm and http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/us/21height.html and http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/blackspeech/dheight.html

2. Ella Baker- http://ellabakercenter.org/about/who-was-ella-baker

3. Bernice Fisher and CORE- http://www.core-online.org/History/history.htm and http://www.corenyc.org/omeka/items/show/192

4. Freedom Riders- http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-freedom-riders-then-and-now-45351758/?no-ist and http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedom-rides

5. Diane Nash- . http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/people/diane-nash

sit in- http://www.ushistory.org/us/54d.asp

6. Oretha Castle Haley- http://cat.xula.edu/unmasked/articles/406/

7. Angeline Butler- http://www.saintpeters.org/events/detail/319/details/ and http://www.timeout.com/newyork/music/angeline-butler-at-st-peters-church

8. Jean Catherine Thompson- http://crdl.usg.edu/people/t/thompson_jean_c_jean_catherine_1942/

9. Wynonah Beamer Myers- http://www.sptimes.com/2006/03/04/Floridian/Courage_and_convictio.shtml

http://crdl.usg.edu/people/b/beamer_margaret_winonah_1941/

10. Carol Ruth Silver- http://jwa.org/people/silver-carol and http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Freedom-Riders-Portraits/18

11. Mimi Real- http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Freedom-Riders-Portraits/21 and http://www.crmvet.org/nars/mimi12.htm

12.Mary Jorgensen- http://www.seejanedo.com/a-tribute-to-mary-jorgensen-freedom-rider-with-kathleen-mcintire/ and http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Freedom-Riders-Portraits/27#ixzz3OpGOORX6

14. Marian Wright Edelman- http://www.makers.com/marian-wright-edelman

15. Myrlie Evers Williams- http://www.biography.com/people/myrlie-evers-williams-205624#attempt-at-justice

16. http://www.nps.gov/features/malu/feat0002/wof/Juanita_Abernathy.htm and http://www.mssconnect.com/juanita-abernathy-bio.html

17. http://www.howard.edu/library/reference/guides/hamer/

18. Irene Morgan- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/people/irene-morgan

19. Sarah Louise Keys- https://lcrm.lib.unc.edu/blog/index.php/2012/11/07/remembering-sarah-keys

20.---

21.the women of the Browder v. Gayle- http://www.congressofracialequality.org/browder-v-gayle.html

Photo sources

1.-Dorothy Heights- http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/blackspeech/dheight.html

1b. Women Grassroots- http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/brown/brown-aftermath.html

2. Ella Baker-http://www.blackstudies.ucsb.edu/news/announcement/349

3. bernice Fisher- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fisher,_Bernice_1960.jpg and CORE (poster)- http://www.mohistory.org/American_Visions/exhibit/freedom_now_lg.htm

4. Freedom Riders- http://mdah.state.ms.us/freedom/

5. Diane Nash- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/people/diane-nash

6. Haley- http://cat.xula.edu/unmasked/articles/406/ and http://www.knowla.org/entry/850/

7. Angeline Butler- marching- http://www.fold3.com/document/251123980/ and headshot- http://psc-cuny.org/clarion/september-2013/50-years-and-still-marching-pscers-reflect-journey-1963-2013

8. Jean Catherine Thompson- http://www.teenagefilm.com/archives/archive-fever/freedom-riders-mugshots/

9. Winonah Beamer Myers and David Myers- http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dave-and-Winonah-Myers-signed-auto-Freedom-Riders-Civil-Rights-RARE-COA-LOOK-/360451159087 and http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Freedom-Riders-Portraits/13

10. Carol Ruth Silver- http://www.quazoo.com/q/Carol%20Ruth%20Silver

11. Mimi Real- http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Freedom-Riders-Portraits/21

12. Mary Jorgensen and husband- http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Freedom-Riders-Portraits

13. group photo dorothy heights, betty shabazz…- http://www.biography.com/people/betty-shabazz-38339#image-betty-shabazz-3-raw

14. Marian Wright Edelman- http://zmblackhistorymonth2013.blogspot.com/2013/02/spelman-college-choosing-to-change.html

15. Myrlie Evers- Williams- http://zinnedproject.org/materials/evers-medgar/ (photo with her speaking)

16. Juanita Jones Abernathy- http://www.mssconnect.com/juanita-abernathy-bio.html

17. Fannie Lou Hamer- http://www.urbancusp.com/2014/01/fannie-lou-hamer-musical-performed-broadway/

18. Irene Morgan- http://kidyoshida.blogspot.com/2013/04/mamie-peanut-johnson-other-women.html

19. Sarah Louise Keys- http://ourheritagemagazine.com/our-heritage-magazine-online/sarah-louise-keys/