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Famous Activists

Malcolm X Day

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Malcolm X - Mini Biography

malcolm x speaks into several microphones, he has his right hand raised in front of him, he wears a suit and his signature glasses

10 Inspiring Malcolm X Quotes

martin luther king jr and malcolm x speak to one another while standing in front of other men inside, king wears a suit jacket, collared shirt and tie, malcolm wears a coat, collared shirt, tie and glasses

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X Only Met Once

Yuri Kochiyama and Malcolm X

Yuri Kochiyama and Malcolm X's Boundary-Breaking Friendship

police roll a stretcher with malcolm x body on a sidewalk, many people are on the street as well as a police truck and cars

The Assassination of Malcolm X

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martin luther king jr speaks into several microphones as men stand behind him, he wears a suit jacket, collared shirt and tie with a button on his lapel
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life and Legacy

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Famous Speech Almost Didn’t Have the Phrase “I Have a Dream”

After staying up until 4 a.m. to craft a speech he hoped would have the same impact as the Gettysburg Address, MLK went off-script for his most iconic words.

By Rachel Chang
martin luther king addresses crowds during the march on washington at the lincoln memorial washington dc where he gave his i have a dream speech

17 Inspiring Martin Luther King Quotes

By Adrienne Donica, Biography.com Editors
Martin Luther King in India

How Martin Luther King Jr. Took Inspiration From Gandhi on Nonviolence

By Becky Little
martin luther king jr and malcolm x speak to one another while standing in front of other men inside, king wears a suit jacket, collared shirt and tie, malcolm wears a coat, collared shirt, tie and glasses

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X Only Met Once

By Barbara Maranzani
Muhammad Ali and Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Muhammad Ali’s Surprising Secret Friendship

By Erin Blakemore
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Groundbreaking Women

Malala Yousafzai Photo

9 Facts You May Not Know About Malala Yousafzai

By Biography.com Editors
Gloria Steinem Playboy Bunny

Inside Gloria Steinem’s Month as an Undercover Playboy Bunny

By Rachel Chang
shirley chisholm

10 of the First Black Women in Congress

By Eudie Pak
Seneca Falls Convention

The Women’s Rights Movement and the Women of Seneca Falls

By Meredith Worthen
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Change Makers

Environmentaliststs

a young woman smiles as she looks left, she wears a light purple coat, black zip up sweater and black shirt

Greta Thunberg

TTS audio available14 min
wangari maathai

Wangari Maathai

rachel carson

Rachel Carson

marjory stoneman douglas photo

Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Labor Leaders

Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez

Mother Jones

Mother Jones

a philip randolph

A. Philip Randolph

Jimmy Hoffa

Jimmy Hoffa

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Booker T. Washington - Mini Biography

In 1881, Booker T. Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, which focused on training African Americans in agricultural pursuits. A political adviser and writer, Washington clashed with intellectual W.E.B. Du Bois.

More Famous Activists

suffragettes marching with signs

The Women Behind the 19th Amendment

a man with sunglasses walks on a street as he holds part of a very large rainbow pride flag, a huge crowd of people are in the background

How Gilbert Baker Created the Rainbow Pride Flag

TTS audio available6 min
marsha p johnson in dark outfit and black hair smiles as she stands on the corner of christopher street and 7th avenue during the pride march

Marsha P. Johnson

a man in a suit jacket and collared shirt sits down with hands on knees and smiles at the camera

14 LGBTQ Rights Activists You Should Know

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a woman with glasses speaks into a microphone while standing inside an urban park

Sylvia Rivera

TTS audio available9 min
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10 Powerful Greta Thunberg Quotes

illustration of first women's rights convention in 1848

The Women’s Rights Movement and the Women of Seneca Falls

getty images portrait studio presented by imdb and imdbpro at the intercontinental hotel toronto, 2024

10 Inspiring Malala Yousafzai Quotes

A historical illustration depicting a person speaking passionately to an audience.

Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” Speech May Not Have Contained That Famous Phrase

The Africa-America Institute Hosts 2016 Annual Awards Gala

Jesse Jackson

TTS audio available11 min
frederick douglass

Frederick Douglass

rosa parks sits in the front of a bus in montgomery, alabama, after the supreme court ruled segregation illegal on the city bus system on december 21, 1956

Rosa Parks’ Life After the Bus Boycott

marsha p johnson smiles at the camera while seated at a table, she wears a flower crown and a bright pink dress and holds a glass

13 Powerful Marsha P. Johnson Quotes

martin luther king jr

Martin Luther King Jr.

black and white image of rosa parks

Rosa Parks

claudette colvin in a floral blouse

Claudette Colvin

The Latest

rosa parks looks off to side of camera

What Happened to Rosa Parks After the Bus Boycott?

three men stand on a balcony and point to the left as another man crouches down by a person lying on the balcony, several people stand in the parking lot below

The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

TTS audio available7 min
a statute of four men standing side by side in front of a college building

How the Greensboro Four Began the Sit-In Movement

TTS audio available9 min
a group of women ride in a horse drawn wagon with pro union signs followed by other horse drawn buggies, a group of people watch from the sidewalk

Who Founded Labor Day? One of These Two Men

a woman stares at the camera, she wears a large pendant necklace and a blouse with a wide collar

Alice Paul

TTS audio available4 min
martin luther king jr james baldwin

Martin Luther King Jr. and James Baldwin

dolores huerta at the 2025 trail blazers ball

Dolores Huerta

Betty Shabazz and Coretta Scott King

Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz Friendship

marcus garvey stares at the camera while seated, he wears a suit jacket, vest, collared shirt and tie

Marcus Garvey

malcom x in suit and tie

Malcolm X

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