Sojourner
Truth fought for the desegregation of public transportation in
Washington, DC, during the Civil War? She refused to face the
indignities of Jim Crow segregation (Jim Crow laws forced racial
separation in schools, parks, playgrounds, restaurants, hotels, public
transportation, theaters, restrooms, and so forth) on streetcars and had
the Jim Crow car removed from the Washington, DC, system. Sojourner
Truth brought a local street to a standstill after a driver refused to
let her on board. With the support of the crowd she forced the driver to
allow her to ride the streetcar.
Mary
Church Terrell worked as a writer, lecturer, and educator, but is best
remembered for her contribution to the struggle for the rights of black
women? Both her parents had been slaves, but through hard work they
became one of the wealthiest families in Memphis, Tennessee. Her entire
life was one of privilege, but the wealth of her family did not prevent
her from experiencing segregation and the humiliation of discrimination.
Rosa
Parks is often called the mother of modern civil rights? Born on
February 4, 1913, Rosa Lee Parks is a black woman who refused to give up
her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This
incident, which happened in 1955, helped bring about the civil rights
movement in the United States.
After
Serena Williams won the U.S. Open tennis tournament on September 11,
1999, she became the first African American woman to claim a Grand Slam
singles title since Althea Gibson in 1958? Ranked 6th in the world among
female tennis professionals by 1999, Serena, along with her older sister
Venus, had become one of the sport's most exciting and closely watched
young players. As an African American in a historically white- and
European-dominated sport, she has definitely found herself in the
spotlight. Click here for more information about Serena.
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