Civil Rights Movement

Robert Parris Moses, a civil rights activist who endured beatings and jail while leading Black voter registration drives in the American South during the 1960s and later helped improve minority education in math, has died

Tre Seals is the owner of Studio Seals and Vocal Type Co., the last Black-owned font foundry in the country. And the inspiration for his work comes from the very struggle of Black Americans from the early civil rights marches to calls for racial justice occurring today.

To understand the legacy of civil rights activist Nia Imani Kuumba, go back to April of 1968, when riots after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left portions of the District in smoldering ruin.

A new executive order from President Joe Biden directs federal agencies to take a series of steps to promote voting access

Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, talks about the figures and events of the Civil Rights era that have become the foundation for Black success in the United States, including her own as the first Black Congresswoman for Alabama.

In the late 1960s and 70s, decades before Black Lives Matter was founded, the Black Power movement was fighting for the right of Black Americans to be free of white supremacy. The term “Black Power,” made famous by activist Stokely Carmichael, demands that Black Americans have the freedom to create economic, political and cultural power of their own. NBCLX explores...

Martin Luther King Jr.’s son says one of the biggest lesson he learned from his parents was the importance of loving yourself. Martin Luther King III joined LX News to talk about his father’s legacy as a civil rights trailblazer and as a dad.

For many, Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. is still best known for his “I Have A Dream” speech at the 1963 March on Washington. But Emory University’s political science professor Andra Gillespie says Dr. King’s legacy is more complex and significant than those inspirational words. She joined LX News to talk about the uncomfortable conversations Americans still need...

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the entire nation pauses in remembrance of the Civil Rights icon. But did you know it took nearly 32 years of fighting for the day to become a federal holiday? NBCLX breaks down the events that led to a national celebration in honor of Dr. King.

People participating in social movements across generations have used music to share their feelings, protest the status quo and artistically call for reform. NBC LX storytellers Clark Fouraker and Eric Rodriguez looked back at the history of protest music to see how certain songs influenced social justice movements over the years, up until and including today’s Black Lives Matter...

Asiaha Butler’s mission is to build up Chicago’s Englewood community through expanding homeownership. “I want to model what you can do,” she said, “because you could say it to somebody, but if they don’t really see it, they can’t, they may not believe it.” Butler first bought her own home then bought an income property, but she is an...

As many in America and here in Chicago seek new awareness about race, NBC 5 begins a new ongoing series of reports called “Race in Chicago.” Marion Brooks begins with a brief overview on how race has shaped so much in our lives throughout history and into today.

Hear from the voices of the women and men who marched to Washington for racial equality in 1963.

NBC 5 has learned Jacob Blake, the man shot by police in Kenosha, lived in Evanston for several years, and his family has a long history of involvement with the civil rights movement. NBC 5’s Natalie Martinez reports.

In life, Michael Starr Hopkins only had an opportunity to meet civil rights legend John Lewis in passing. He’d been to events that Lewis had attended. He even shook his hand once or twice and exchanged a few words. But following his death, Hopkins efforts may go a long way to create yet another legacy for the ‘Boy from...

Civil rights icon John Lewis died last week after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The New York Times remembers his fight for equality.

You probably don’t know Tré Seals’ name, but there’s a good chance you’ve seen his work on signs carried by Black Lives Matter protesters across the country this year. Seals runs Vocal Type Co. — the last Black-owned font foundry in the U.S. He specializes in making typefaces inspired by minority cultures — and particularly by social justice...

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published June 29, 2020 in the wake of the protests following the death of George Floyd and has been republished for Black History Month. The history of African Americans begins on the African continent where diverse empires thrived for thousands of years and traded gold, ivory and salt with people from other civilizations. But…

Georgetown Professor Marcia Chatelain, the author of ‘Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America,” discusses the positive and negative aspects of the long history between McDonald’s and the Black community.

Professor Wornie Reed describes his experiences during the historic 1963 March on Washington and why the current social unrest is making Juneteenth 2020 unlike any in recent memory.