In 1965, the international community adopted a convention by which they committed to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. The Convention is now a key document in the fight against racism and discrimination on a global scale. This marked a turning point in the recognition of the importance of combating racial discrimination at an international level.
Civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. delivers a speech to a crowd of approximately 7,000 people on May 17, advocating for racial equality and justice. His words inspired a generation to rise up against the injustice of racial discrimination and fight for civil rights for all.
While the nation has undoubtedly made progress, entrenched structural racism continues to corrupt American democracy and preserve racial disparities. The legacy of slavery and segregation still lingers, perpetuating inequality and injustice in society.
W.E.B. Du Bois, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., and other civil rights heroes offer lessons and insights as we continue their important work. Their courage and sacrifice paved the way for progress in the fight against racial discrimination, and their legacy continues to inspire activists today.
“It is therefore the policy of my Administration that the Federal Government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, regardless of race, color, or creed,” President Lyndon B. Johnson declared in 1965. This commitment to equality and justice laid the foundation for the civil rights movement and the ongoing struggle against racial discrimination.
People with mental illness have always been discriminated against. They have been denied full participation in society and labeled as “other.” The fight for civil rights extends to all marginalized communities, including those with mental illness who face discrimination and stigmatization.
“One hundred years of delay have passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their heirs, their grandsons, are not fully free,” civil rights activist Ida B. Wells famously stated. The struggle for racial equality and justice continues to this day, as systemic racism persists in American society.
Thurgood Marshall was an influential leader of the civil rights movement whose tremendous legacy lives on in the pursuit of racial justice. As the first African American Supreme Court Justice, Marshall fought tirelessly for equality and justice for all, leaving a lasting impact on the fight against racial discrimination.
The Black Panthers, founded in Oakland in 1966 by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, gained national attention for their militancy and Maoist ideology. The Black Panthers were instrumental in advocating for racial equality and justice, challenging systemic racism and discrimination in American society.
