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AARP Home » Politics » Events & History »Civil Rights

Civil Rights
Heroes

Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' Speech

Historic images and audio from the 1963 address that electrified an entire nation. Watch

Freedom riders

Faces of the Freedom Rides: Ten Who Went, Then and Now

In 1961, civil rights activists began boarding buses and trains to beat Jim Crow. read

César Chávez, a couple of weeks before his death on April 23, 1993. The civil and labor rights activist founded the National Association of Farm Workers in 1962, which would become the United Farm Workers (UFW) union in 1966.

César Chávez and 'La Causa'

He championed the rights of farmworkers, and built a union from the ground up. A look at the labor leader’s legacy of service. read

A Pullman railroad porter hat dating from the 1930s examined by Smithsonian expert

The Pullman Brotherhood

In the face of adversity and racial prejudice, the railway porters advanced civil rights and upward mobility for black Americans. read

Pullman Porters: Two Stories

“In my era," recalls Troy Walker, who worked on the rails for 37 years, "it was about the only good job a black fella could get.” Watch

Plus 12 More Who Made a Difference

civil rights
The Movement

Hands on the Freedom Plow

Hands on the Freedom Plow

A collection of personal accounts documents the role women played in the Southern freedom movement of the 1960s. read

Taylor Branch's At Canaan's Edge

After eight years of work, Pulitzer Prize winning historian Taylor Branch finally finished his third and final volume covering the final years of Martin Luther King Jr. The book was worth the wait. Listen

Hampton, Virginia. 1962 civil rights whites only sign

Time of Change: The Civil Rights Movement in Photos

Bruce Davidson talks about the civil rights movement of the 1960s and how he sought, as a photojournalist, to document it. Watch

Let Freedom Sing

Take a moment to listen to — and learn some of the fascinating stories behind — the music of the civil rights movement. Listen

civil rights
The Landmarks

Freedom Rider Charles Reed

Retracing a Historic Ride

On the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Freedom Rides, 40 college students aim to offer a lesson in civic participation. read

church bell

Road to Redemption

A small Mississippi town where three civil-rights activists were murdered in 1964 looks to the future as it elects a new mayor. Watch

Exhibit on Civil Rights and Rosa Parks

Full Circle

Five days, five cities: Take a 500-mile pilgrimage through Georgia and Alabama to landmarks in the Southern civil rights movement. read

Footprints in Gay History

Join us on a walking tour of the neighborhood where the Stonewall Riots of 1969 — and the birth of a movement — took place. Watch

The Greensboro Four

New Life for an Old Lunch Counter

In Greensboro, N.C, the Woolworth's lunch counter where black students staged sit-ins has been restored as part of a museum. read

civil rights
first person

Return to Heart Mountain - Discover the incredible story of Heart Mountain and its transformation from internment camp to learning center.

Return to Heart Mountain

Japanese Americans interned during World War II reunite at their former camp. Watch

Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK's Living Legacy: How He Is Still Changing the World

Honoring the man who dared to dream. Watch

November 25, 1958 - Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks named the National League's Most Valuable Player.

Ernie 'Mr. Cub' Banks: A Beacon for Baseball

"Today's black athletes," he tells AARP, "have no idea what we had to endure." read

Jack Gross

Jack Gross: Burden of Proof in Age Discrimination Cases

Jack Gross talks about his case, which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Listen

To Kill a Mockingbird (Anniversary)

Annals of Atticus Finch: Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

A former first lady, writers and actors recall how the classic novel changed their lives. read

Frank Kameny on Stonewall and Gay Rights

A gay rights pioneer talks about the 1969 Stonewall riots, the birth of the movement and his agenda of total equality for all. Listen

A Freedom Rider's First Stand

Jerome Smith recalls the childhood event — "the jump-off point" — that years later led him to join the civil rights movement. read

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