Civil Rights Leaders

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and social activist who led the Civil Rights Movement from the mid-1950s until his death by assassination in 1968. His skillful rhetoric, iconic speeches, grassroots organizing and nonviolent approach to resistance were fundamental to that movement’s success in ending legal segregation in the United States. To learn more about the man and the federal holiday that honors his achievements, check out these biographies, speeches and documentaries.

Rosa Parks was arrested and charged with violating Montgomery’s segregation law on December 1, 1955, an act that would kick start the Montgomery bus boycott. "I had given up my seat before, but this day, I was especially tired. Tired from my work as a seamstress, and tired from the ache in my heart,” Parks would later say. If you have been inspired by Rosa Park’s story to take a stand in your own life or if you would like to learn more about her or other civil rights leaders like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Library has a few suggested reads!