Rodolfo 'Corky' Gonzales: Civil Rights Activist

John Robert Lewis was born just outside Troy,Alabama on February 21. Lewis often helped his parents with sharecropping, though he led a happy childhood. In 1957, Lewis learned of the so called “Sit-ins” and felt obliged to join and help remove the racial segregation greatly separating the country. Lewis said “It was not enough to come and listen to a great sermon or message every Sunday morning and be confined to those four walls

Who is Franklin McCain? Franklin McCain is a “lesser known” individual who played a part in the Civil Rights Movement. Franklin McCain was born in Union County, North Carolina on January 3, 1941. Franklin McCain was known for the First Lunch Counter Sit-In. In 1960, four African American college students made history by sitting at a white only lunch counter at the Woolworth’s Dinner located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The four African American college students were Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, David Richmond and Joseph McNeil who were students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College.

Cesar Chavez was born in Yuma Arizona on March 31, 1927. Cesar Chavez was in a family of seven brothers and four sisters. Caesar lived in a mud house where his parents owned a grocery store and ranch, but lost both during the Great Depression. His family moved to California, where they became farmers for a living. Caesar left high school in the seventh grade to work for the good of his family. Caesar joined the United States Army when he was seventeen and served for two years. Caesar married Helen Fabela and moved to San Jose, California, where he had eight children. Caesar was recruited and trained by Fred Ross. Fred then formed the San Jose chapter of the Community Service Organization a Latin American civil rights movement. Cesar worked

Throughout history, there have been a multitude of people who have left the modern society to bask in the glow of their legacies. Harry Tyson Moore exemplified this concept with his roles as an educator and as a civil rights activist. Before becoming a renowned advocate during the civil rights era, Harry T. Moore had previously been a teacher at Monroe Elementary School, principal of Titusville Colored Junior High School, and held the positions of principal and teacher of Mims Colored Elementary School (The Life of Harry Tyson Moore). Ultimately, Harry T. Moore should be recognized for his influential contributions to Florida, including the establishment and participation in the branches of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and for his foundation of the Progressive Voters’ League of Florida.

Benjamin Chavis Muhammad is an African American civil rights leader. He was born on 22 January, 1948 in Oxford, North Carolina. He has taken his last name Muhammad sometime later in his life. His parents were Benjamin Chavis Sr. and Elisabeth Chavis. He was the only son of his parents among his three siblings. He did his schooling from the orphanage of colored people in North Carolina, where his mother worked as a teacher. Chavis became the member of National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) at the age of twelve. Chavis is married to Martha Rivera Chavis and has eight children.

Forty-five times. In his lifetime, Congressman John Lewis has been arrested forty-five times. This includes five times during his term in Congress (Douglas). As an African-American non-violent protestor, bus integrating Freedom Rider, and member of the civil rights leadership known as the “Big Six,” John Lewis fought all of his life for civil rights. Lewis grew up modestly in Alabama on his parents’ farm before beginning his journey in civil rights advocacy. In the graphic novels series, March, John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell portray Lewis’s eventful life through powerful text and impactful illustrations. As an influential civil rights activist, John Lewis had numerous turning points in his life. Perhaps the most influential moments

Moctesuma Esparza helped organize chicano students to do walkouts but no one ever listened to them, or actually took them seriously. ”He'd organize high school students, encourage

He also had a desire to help the least advantaged in society. While teaching Mexican-American children in Cotulla, Texas, that exposed him to poverty and discrimination.

“The bottom line is, people have a right to live their lives even if it doesn’t match what you think is correct. When we fight for civil rights, we must fight for equality for all; anything less is hypocrisy and an insult to the definition of justice itself.” Rev. Al Sharpton is a long time civil rights leader, minister, talk show host, and even has been known to give president Obama advice on civil rights issues. Sharpton’s article is set up by touching on unfair transgender laws in North Carolina, statements made by U.S. representatives, and the civil rights movement as a whole. He limits the article the time period beginning in the civil rights movement. Ding this allows the reader to only think about civil rights from a more progressive mindset. Sharpton does this all from his view. Due to his experience as a civil rights leader he speaks about the movement from a stronger perspective than most.

Between the 1930s and 1950s, the United States government created and implemented labor laws including establishing the minimum wage. However, in every single one of those laws, farm workers were left out. Because of this, farm workers were able to be paid and treated any way their employer wished. This spawned a series of protests that evolved into a labor union, led by a man named Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez’s actions during the labor movement make him deserving of the La Raza award because he achieved equal rights for farm workers without the use of violence, and he united people throughout his protests.

During the Chicano Movement, there were many different key leaders that helped the movement. These key leaders were Rodolfo ‘‘Corky’’ Gonzales, Reies Tijerina,

Throughout history, people have made sacrifices, changes, and big decisions that later sometimes result in something grand. These grand occurrences can either be good or bad. Usually as time goes on these events and most well-known people of this time are highlighted in history classes for students to learn and to honor those of that time. However, some of the smaller people that contributed to historical events aren’t as highlighted as those that were seen as the big leaders. For example, in the American Revolution, the people that usually come to mind are George Washington, Paul Revere, and Thomas Jefferson. What about the people who were injured, scared and killed because of this bloody war? They seem to be forgotten until they are highlighted once again. Another example of a person that was not really highlighted for their actions is Nina Simone. She made an impact on the Civil Right Movement that not many other artist or celebrity would have done. When you think of the Civil Rights Movement the first three that come to mind of course are, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and Rosa Parks. So, when someone hears the name Nina Simone the two most common responses might be “Who’s that?” or “Oh the singer?”. But what is forgotten is how she, at such a high level, put her reputation at a risk. Nina Simone was a very well-known singer of the 1950s and 1960s especially for her song “Feeling Good”. She didn’t just use her popularity for fame and money but to express

Since ministers from the black church rose as formal charismatic leaders in the movement, there was not a situation in which a woman could be a charismatic leader.

Over the past fifty or so years great strides have been made on the subject of Mexican-American civil rights, but the first pivotal moment for these civil rights barely gets any recognition in the annals of American civil rights, in which it rightly deserves. This victory, which has been labeled “The Longoria Affair”, would cause a momentum within Latino civil rights movement that was previously unseen and would lead the way for political opportunities for Latinos.

recaptures the growth of a movement for Mexican Americans. According to the film, the word Chicano was used because of its meaning—poorest of the poor. Before the movement because nationally known, it had to have a leader. Reies Lopez Tijerina led the beginning of the movement. Tijerina raised questions of Spanish and Mexican land grants. Tijerina fought to uphold the Mexican American rights protected by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Tijerina opposed the government for confiscating the Mexican American land illegally. In an open letter from 1969 he writes from the Sante Fe jail. He compares the Mexican struggle with the black struggle in America. The black Civil Rights movement of the sixties would help open the door for other causes, such as the Chicano movement. In the movie Chicano! the blacks led by Martin Luther King Jr., and the Chicano movement led by "Corky" Gonzalez plan for a poor people march on the capital in Washington D.C. However, Dr. King was shot weeks before the planned march. Without King’s leadership the movement did not have the same effect. The different ethnic groups could not organize as well as they could behind King’s strong words. The movement would have had positive effects on the rest of America. Unfortunately, as stated in the film, they never could get it together.