Month: July 2023

1917–1996 Ella Jane Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer and band leader. She was also a civil rights activist, using her shows to break racial barriers across the nation. In 1949, she joined the Jazz at the Philharmonic tour which targeted segregated venues. The tour made sure there was no “colored” or “white” seating and… Continue reading Ella Fitzgerald

1928–2014 “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson. At age eight she was raped and because of the trauma, was mute for the next five years. A teacher and… Continue reading Maya Angelou

1897-1993 A Contralto, Marian Anderson performed with renowned orchestras and on the opera scene between 1925 and 1965. She started in the U.S. but performed in Europe because of segregated audiences. Anderson was an important figure in the struggle to overcome racial prejudice. In 1939, the Daughters of the American refused to allow Anderson to… Continue reading Marian Anderson

1908–2007 Marnesba Tackett, is an unsung hero in the Civil Rights Movement and NAAP member for over 90 years. Her challenges were not only being light-skinned, who refused to pass as “white,” but as a woman trying to burst through barriers in a male-dominated world. She fought against both racial and gender inequality in all… Continue reading Marnesba Tackett

1910-1985 Pauli Murray was a civil rights lawyer and later an Episcopalian priest. In 1940, 15 years before Rosa Parks, Murray was jailed for refusing to move to the back of a bus in the Jim Crow south. In 1943, she campaigned successfully to desegregate her local diner, 17 years before the Greensboro lunch counter… Continue reading Pauli Murray