Significant Leaders for Civil Rights

Two significant leaders for civil rights, one born on April 4, the other assassinated on April 4, provided us with valuable and timeless messages. May their memories and their work continue to guide us in understanding the value and dignity of all of humanity.

Maya Angelou
(April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014)

...as an activist, she was one of the Civil Rights Movement’s most prominent women, who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, and devoted her life to being a tireless voice for women and black people — and for an open-hearted vision of humanity where all could find their place. On May 28, 2014, the great Maya Angelou passed away at the age of 86, leaving a legacy that will surely be cherished for many decades to come.

Quote by Maya Angelou:

You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lines. You may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I'll rise.

Link to her poem Still I Rise: www.poemhunter.com/poem/still-i-rise

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
(January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)

...was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1954 through 1968. He is best known for advancing civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience, tactics his Christian beliefs and the nonviolent activism of Mahatma Gandhi helped inspire.

Quote by Martin Luther King:

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.

Link to his speech I’ve Been to the Mountaintop:

www.cnn.com/2018/04/04/us/martin-luther-king-jr-mountaintop-speech-trnd/index.html