The Unknown Heroes: Black Leaders Behind the Civil Rights Movement

By: Evelyn Ealey

The month of February is a time of celebration and reverence for the black leaders who endured, persevere, and continue to fight for equality and equity of minorities. While it is important to recognize people such as Rosa Parks, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcom X, there are so many more amazing activists that aided the Civil Rights efforts too. As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, it is important to acknowledge the underdogs, and those who may not get the recognition that they deserve.

Three unfamiliar faces of racial justice that you may not know are Ella Baker, Bayard Rustin, and Jane Bolin. Whether it was organizing rallies, arranging protests, or fighting through the court of law, each one was a leader in their field and helped to make large strides in African American Civil Rights. Their leadership, fearlessness, and courage is something that can inspire us all.

ELLA BAKER was a leader in the creation of the three biggest and most influential Black Civil Rights organizations. Baker’s grandmother was born into slavery, and her stories of slavery inspired Baker to become a social activist during the Civil Rights Movement. In her adulthood she helped co-found the Southern Leadership Conference with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. She often risked her life when going through southern towns to register black voters, and promoting social and racial justice.

BAYARD RUSTIN worked very closely with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., but what you may not know is; he inspired Martin Luther King’s nonviolent protesting practices. Rustin was an openly gay man during the Jim Crow era, and unfortunately deemed mentally ill due to his homosexuality. After seeing Dr. King in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rustin traveled to Alabama to teach him of the nonviolent practices of Mahatma Gandhi. He and King then joined forces and founded the Southern Leadership Conferences and organized the March on Washington.

JANE BOLIN made large strides in the move towards equality through her excellence in law. Bolin was the first black woman to graduate from Yale Law School and was the United State’s first black female judge. She worked in family law, and was able to improve the lives of thousands of women and children. For forty years, Bolin worked on cases related to issues of child abuse, children’s rights, women’s rights, domestic abuse, and segregation. Two of her biggest accomplishments were; making it mandatory for private child-care agencies to offer care to children no matter their racial background, and she eradicated the assignments of probation officers based on ethnicity.

If you know any more Black History underdogs, let us know below and include your favorite quote by them too!