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00:00:46 - May 29th, 1851.
00:00:50 The Women's Rights Convention is underway
00:00:53 in the town of Akron, Ohio.
00:00:56 Women gather to publicly call for their own right to vote,
00:01:01 despite male hecklers.
00:01:03 Then, an African-American woman comes forward
00:01:09 and asks if she could say a few words.
00:01:13 Her name is Sojourner Truth.
00:01:16 (soft music)
00:01:18 - I have heard much about the sexes being equal.
00:01:22 I can carry as much as any man
00:01:25 and can eat as much too if I can get it.
00:01:28 I am as strong as any man that is now.
00:01:33 - Sojourner survived slavery in New York
00:01:36 and offers a different perspective to the crowd.
00:01:40 - I have heard the Bible
00:01:42 and have learned that Eve caused man to sin.
00:01:47 Well, if a woman upset the world,
00:01:50 do give her a chance to set it right side up again.
00:01:54 - The speech quickly becomes famous.
00:01:59 Three major newspapers publish it,
00:02:02 which adds to Sojourner's unlikely rise to fame.
00:02:06 (soft music)
00:02:12 Sojourner's original name was Isabella Bonfrey.
00:02:16 She was born into slavery in New York state in 1797
00:02:21 and sold with a flock of sheep
00:02:25 when she was only nine years old.
00:02:28 She married another slave
00:02:30 and they had five children together.
00:02:33 When emancipation reached New York,
00:02:37 Isabella took her youngest child and escaped.
00:02:41 But the rest of her family members were still slaves,
00:02:45 including her five-year-old son.
00:02:48 Isabella sought justice through the law
00:02:52 and with support from the church,
00:02:54 she became the first black woman to sue
00:02:59 and win against a white man in court.
00:03:02 She regained custody of her son.
00:03:09 Isabella witnessed the power of preaching
00:03:12 as a tool to change people's minds.
00:03:16 She changed her name to Sojourner Truth
00:03:19 and began a speaking tour that eventually took her
00:03:23 to the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio.
00:03:28 Sojourner was a lifelong advocate
00:03:31 for the abolition of slavery and women's rights.
00:03:36 Her work earned her an audience
00:03:38 with President Abraham Lincoln.
00:03:40 We recognize Sojourner Truth today
00:03:45 as an abolitionist and feminist hero
00:03:49 who spoke out against oppression at every opportunity.
00:04:04 June 2nd, 1863.
00:04:07 Fires erupt along the Combee River in South Carolina.
00:04:12 Cannon blasts rattle the steamships.
00:04:16 A union raid has begun,
00:04:19 and this one has a most unlikely leader.
00:04:23 The commander is Harriet Tubman, a former slave,
00:04:30 and she has 150 African-American soldiers
00:04:35 and three gunboats at her back.
00:04:39 Her story is one of incredible courage
00:04:43 and a most unlikely rise to power.
00:04:47 1822.
00:04:55 Harriet Tubman was born into slavery
00:04:58 on a plantation in Maryland,
00:05:01 and she started work there when she was just a toddler.
00:05:06 An injury from this time gave her seizures
00:05:09 and sleeping spells called narcolepsy
00:05:13 for the rest of her life,
00:05:15 but they didn't crush her will.
00:05:19 Later, an owner threatened to split up her family.
00:05:24 Harriet, now in her mid-20s,
00:05:28 decided to escape.
00:05:30 She fled alone into the wilderness
00:05:38 and crossed marshes, thick woods, and streams.
00:05:43 Harriet relied on the North Star to show her the way.
00:05:48 A secret network of sympathetic people and hiding places
00:05:55 known as the Underground Railroad
00:05:59 helped Harriet make it to Philadelphia,
00:06:03 finally a place where she was recognized
00:06:07 as a woman and not a slave.
00:06:11 But everyone she loved was still on the plantation,
00:06:15 so Harriet did the unthinkable.
00:06:19 She turned back to save her family.
00:06:23 Harriet made 13 missions into Maryland
00:06:28 and saved more than 70 people from the horrors of slavery.
00:06:33 She rescued family, then friends, and then strangers.
00:06:39 Every person who followed her into the wilderness
00:06:43 made it to freedom.
00:06:46 Harriet Tubman's expert guidance
00:06:48 made her a valuable spy for Union forces
00:06:52 during the Civil War,
00:06:54 and then as the leader of the three gunboats
00:06:58 on their raid into South Carolina.
00:07:01 Her soldiers, swarming plantations
00:07:03 on the banks of the Combie,
00:07:05 freed more than 750 slaves as they went.
00:07:10 In her words, "I've never seen such a sight."
00:07:16 Harriet Tubman was the first woman
00:07:19 to lead an armed force in the Civil War,
00:07:23 and she will always be remembered as an American hero.
00:07:28 April 14th, 1876,
00:07:43 one day before the 11th anniversary
00:07:46 of Abraham Lincoln's assassination,
00:07:49 officials reveal the Emancipation Memorial
00:07:52 in downtown Washington, D.C.
00:07:54 Former slave Frederick Douglass is the keynote speaker.
00:07:59 He addresses a crowd of generals, senators, and citizens.
00:08:05 Douglass gives his honest opinion about Lincoln.
00:08:12 "He was preeminently the white man's president," he says,
00:08:16 "entirely devoted to the welfare of white men."
00:08:20 The crowd may have gasped,
00:08:23 but Douglass went on to get a standing ovation
00:08:27 because of what he added and who he was.
00:08:31 Frederick Douglass was born into slavery
00:08:40 on a plantation in Maryland.
00:08:43 White masters tortured and abused him for years
00:08:46 before he escaped by posing as a free black sailor.
00:08:50 He bravely named his abusers in an autobiography
00:08:55 and wrote influential articles
00:08:57 that called for an end to slavery.
00:08:59 He urged the Union to enlist
00:09:03 around 200,000 black soldiers
00:09:05 to fight for Abraham Lincoln in the Civil War.
00:09:08 But Lincoln's army paid black soldiers
00:09:12 half that of whites,
00:09:14 and their heroic efforts in battle
00:09:16 were overlooked and undervalued.
00:09:18 In 1863, Douglass journeyed to Washington
00:09:24 to meet Lincoln to fix this.
00:09:27 He had no appointment,
00:09:29 but Lincoln called him in without waiting.
00:09:31 This first meeting started a relationship
00:09:36 between the two men of deep respect.
00:09:40 Douglass helped turn a nation and a president
00:09:44 towards abolition and racial equality.
00:09:47 Lincoln said there was no man in the United States
00:09:52 whose opinion he valued more.
00:09:54 In front of the Emancipation Statue
00:10:00 11 years after Lincoln's death,
00:10:03 Douglass daringly painted a full,
00:10:06 if critical, picture of Lincoln.
00:10:10 Though Mr. Lincoln shared the prejudices
00:10:12 of his white fellow countrymen against the Negro,
00:10:16 he said, "It is hardly necessary to say
00:10:20 that in his heart of hearts,
00:10:22 he loathed and hated slavery."
00:10:24 Douglass fought for African-American rights
00:10:29 for the rest of his life.
00:10:31 (gentle music)
00:10:34 October, 1909.
00:10:44 The National Training School for Women and Girls
00:10:47 opens its doors.
00:10:50 The school teaches job training skills
00:10:52 to African-American women.
00:10:54 One woman is responsible for its creation.
00:10:59 Educator, religious leader, and social activist,
00:11:03 Nannie Helen Burroughs.
00:11:05 Nannie Helen Burroughs was born to two former slaves
00:11:15 in Orange, Virginia.
00:11:17 Her father died when she was young.
00:11:19 Her mother moved them to Washington, D.C.,
00:11:22 where there were more opportunities
00:11:24 and better education for people of color.
00:11:28 Burroughs graduated with honors
00:11:30 from Washington's Colored High School,
00:11:33 which was then the nation's best school for black youth.
00:11:37 She learned under prominent mentors,
00:11:40 including Dr. Anna Julia Cooper and Mary Church Terrell.
00:11:45 But despite her academic achievements,
00:11:47 Burroughs had trouble getting a teaching job,
00:11:50 almost certainly because of her skin color.
00:11:53 So she decided to open her own school.
00:11:58 She wanted a curriculum for women
00:12:01 that focused on both education and job training.
00:12:05 She raised money from within the black community,
00:12:10 and the National Baptist Convention purchased land
00:12:13 for the school in Northeast D.C.
00:12:16 In October of 1909,
00:12:21 the National Training School for Women and Girls
00:12:24 officially opened with 35 students.
00:12:28 Classes ranged from dressmaking, handicrafts, and music,
00:12:32 to power machine operation, public speaking,
00:12:36 and physical education.
00:12:37 Nanny Helen Burroughs never married
00:12:44 and devoted her life to educating and advocating
00:12:46 for black women until her death in 1961.
00:12:50 In 1964, her school was renamed in her honor.
00:12:57 The building represents Burroughs' legacy
00:13:00 as a pioneer for African American women's rights
00:13:03 and a testament to her lifelong pursuit for racial equality.
00:13:08 Niagara Falls, Canada, July 11th, 1905.
00:13:25 Some pioneering individuals meet here
00:13:27 and pledge to make a better life
00:13:29 for people of color in the United States.
00:13:32 Attendees name their group after the falls,
00:13:36 and the Niagara Movement hopes to bring
00:13:39 a mighty current of change.
00:13:41 Their conference takes place
00:13:44 on the Canadian side of the falls,
00:13:46 because the U.S. is hostile towards African Americans.
00:13:51 The Niagara Movement pens a proclamation of demands
00:13:55 for African American rights.
00:13:57 They are led by writer, sociologist,
00:14:00 and teacher, W.E.B. Du Bois.
00:14:03 William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born in Massachusetts
00:14:15 and was writing articles for the New York Globe
00:14:17 and the Freeman by the age of 15.
00:14:22 He attended Fisk University in Tennessee
00:14:25 and was appalled by the treatment he saw
00:14:27 of African American citizens in the South.
00:14:31 Slavery had been abolished a few decades earlier,
00:14:34 but laws still segregated African Americans
00:14:37 from whites in many public places.
00:14:40 Du Bois continued learning, writing, and traveling,
00:14:45 and in 1895, he became the first African American
00:14:49 to receive a doctorate from Harvard University.
00:14:52 Du Bois sought out other educated black men
00:14:57 to help him advocate for people of color,
00:15:00 which led to the Niagara Movement of 1905.
00:15:04 The organization only lasted a few years,
00:15:07 but the need for such a movement
00:15:09 soon became more apparent than ever.
00:15:12 In 1908, in Springfield, Illinois,
00:15:17 a white woman falsely accused a black man
00:15:20 of seriously assaulting her.
00:15:22 The real attacker had been her husband,
00:15:26 but angry white mobs believed her lies and began a rampage.
00:15:31 They killed African Americans and destroyed their homes.
00:15:38 White progressives and black civil rights activists
00:15:43 responded by creating a new group,
00:15:46 the National Association for the Advancement
00:15:48 of Colored People, the NAACP.
00:15:52 It was formed in New York City on February 12th, 1909.
00:15:58 The NAACP appointed W.E.B. Du Bois
00:16:02 as its director of publicity and research
00:16:05 and editor of its monthly magazine, Crisis.
00:16:09 Du Bois served the organization for more than 24 years
00:16:13 and continued his fight against oppression
00:16:16 until his death on August 27th, 1963.
00:16:21 That was the day before Martin Luther King's
00:16:24 I Have a Dream speech.
00:16:27 Du Bois was 95 years old.
00:16:42 July 26th, 1948, President Truman
00:16:46 issues Executive Order 9981.
00:16:50 The American military is now desegregated.
00:16:54 African American soldiers, airmen, and sailors
00:16:59 will finally receive the same level of training
00:17:03 and opportunity as their white counterparts.
00:17:06 - There is no justifiable reason for discrimination
00:17:12 because of ancestry or religion or race or color.
00:17:17 - Sitting behind the president
00:17:21 is the man who drafted the executive order.
00:17:24 He is an influential figure in the civil rights movement,
00:17:29 Walter Francis White.
00:17:31 Here he is in public, but Walter White spent a lot of time
00:17:37 as a spy operating undercover to stop racism.
00:17:42 Walter White was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1893.
00:17:55 He had a pale complexion, blue eyes, and even blonde hair.
00:18:00 Yet White's great-grandmother was a slave
00:18:04 and he didn't abandon his roots.
00:18:06 Instead, he used his Caucasian appearance
00:18:10 to help the black community fight dangerous foes.
00:18:13 Hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan suppressed
00:18:18 and terrorized African Americans
00:18:21 who attempted to exercise their freedom.
00:18:24 Threats often turned into violence.
00:18:27 Between 1882 and 1959,
00:18:31 angry mobs killed more than 4,700 people.
00:18:36 These racially motivated murders were called lynchings.
00:18:41 The killers were almost never brought to justice.
00:18:45 Local law enforcement officers often looked the other way
00:18:49 or even took part.
00:18:51 Enter Walter White.
00:18:57 He represented various newspapers with a Georgian accent
00:19:01 and a Caucasian complexion
00:19:03 that allowed him to appear sympathetic to racists.
00:19:06 White investigated more than 45 lynchings.
00:19:11 In 1919, in Elaine, Arkansas,
00:19:17 he discovered local plans to massacre black sharecroppers
00:19:22 and also plans for them to attack him.
00:19:28 His secret identity had been discovered.
00:19:32 White caught the next train out
00:19:34 and narrowly escaped with his life,
00:19:37 but he couldn't stop the massacre.
00:19:40 More than 200 African American people were killed in Elaine.
00:19:48 It remains the worst mass lynching
00:19:51 in the history of the United States.
00:19:54 Walter White's story exposed the truth behind the killings
00:19:58 and the Supreme Court condemned the unfair trials
00:20:02 that blamed black men for inciting the massacre.
00:20:05 After his work, White was selected
00:20:09 to lead the National Association
00:20:12 for the Advancement of Colored People, the NAACP.
00:20:16 There, for 20 years,
00:20:19 Walter White advanced African American rights
00:20:22 in the United States.
00:20:24 He is mostly remembered for this,
00:20:26 but also as a spy who bravely gathered intelligence
00:20:31 on racists.
00:20:32 August 3rd, 1936, Berlin, Germany.
00:20:47 (crowd cheering)
00:20:52 From the stands,
00:20:53 Hitler oversees the first ever televised Olympics
00:20:57 (crowd cheering)
00:20:59 and what he expects to be an athletic display
00:21:02 of White-German superiority.
00:21:04 (speaking in foreign language)
00:21:10 (crowd cheering)
00:21:14 Jesse Owens waits for the sound of the starting gun.
00:21:17 Owens can see the finish line,
00:21:21 just 100 meters away.
00:21:23 (crowd cheering)
00:21:26 - In the 100 meter, Jesse Owens on the far side
00:21:28 has already beaten the world record in his first heat.
00:21:31 He wins the final and equals the world record
00:21:33 of 10.3 seconds.
00:21:34 (crowd cheering)
00:21:38 - This is the first of four gold medals for Jesse Owens.
00:21:42 Extraordinary for someone who started life
00:21:47 looking nothing like a winner.
00:21:50 (air whooshing)
00:21:52 Jesse Owens was the 10th child of parents
00:21:58 who were sharecroppers in Alabama.
00:22:00 He was spared difficult farm work
00:22:04 because of persistent pneumonia and other ailments.
00:22:07 But as he grew older,
00:22:11 his natural talent and passion for running emerged.
00:22:15 In his senior year,
00:22:18 he ran the 100 yard sprint in 9.4 seconds,
00:22:22 tying the national record.
00:22:23 In 1933, Jesse went to Ohio State University
00:22:30 and worked part-time to pay for his tuition.
00:22:33 He continued his athletic dominance here,
00:22:38 but was often segregated from his white peers.
00:22:41 On team trips, he was restricted to ordering carryout
00:22:46 or eating at blacks only restaurants
00:22:49 and had to stay at blacks only hotels.
00:22:52 It was during this time,
00:22:56 Jesse had a track meet that became known as
00:22:59 the best 45 minutes ever in sports.
00:23:02 (upbeat music)
00:23:05 At 3.15 PM, he won the 100 yard dash in just 9.4 seconds,
00:23:10 tying the world record.
00:23:14 (upbeat music)
00:23:17 At 3.25 PM, long jump.
00:23:20 Owens first leap of 26 feet, eight and a quarter inches,
00:23:24 smashed the world record by more than half a foot.
00:23:27 (upbeat music)
00:23:31 3.34 PM, the 220 yard sprint.
00:23:34 Owens ran 20.3 seconds to crush the old mark of 20.6.
00:23:42 (upbeat music)
00:23:43 And at 4.00 PM, the 220 yard low hurdles,
00:23:48 he became the first runner to break 23 seconds
00:23:52 with a time of 22.6.
00:23:55 Owens had averaged a world record every 11 minutes.
00:24:02 Owens was a natural pick for the 1936 Olympic team
00:24:10 where he broke three records in the Berlin Games.
00:24:13 Despite Hitler's contempt,
00:24:18 Owens was adored by the German public
00:24:20 and some of its athletes.
00:24:22 He capitalized on his success
00:24:27 with lucrative endorsement deals,
00:24:29 but he lost his amateur status,
00:24:33 which immediately ended his running career.
00:24:36 Even with his accomplishments and fame,
00:24:40 he had difficulty finding work because of his race.
00:24:43 He took on jobs as a gas station attendant,
00:24:48 playground janitor, and manager of a dry cleaning firm.
00:24:52 He was sometimes paid to race against amateurs
00:24:56 and even horses.
00:24:58 Owens later said, "I had four gold medals,
00:25:02 "but you can't eat four gold medals."
00:25:05 He declared bankruptcy in 1966.
00:25:10 In later years, Owens bounced back.
00:25:13 He was appointed a US Goodwill Ambassador.
00:25:16 In 1976, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom,
00:25:24 and in 1990, 10 years after his death,
00:25:28 he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
00:25:35 Owens is renowned as one of America's greatest athletes,
00:25:39 and his accomplishments at the Berlin Olympics
00:25:42 will long be considered a win for the world.
00:25:46 May 30th, 1943, World War II.
00:26:05 The bloodiest and most far-reaching war of modern history,
00:26:10 and they're still fighting to do.
00:26:13 - America's first Negro pilots
00:26:17 are to receive their baptism of fire.
00:26:19 Bouncing down the improvised metal runway,
00:26:23 they head straight for the enemy target,
00:26:26 an old, well-fortified Italian city.
00:26:29 - A group of young African-American pilots,
00:26:32 called the Tuskegee Airmen,
00:26:34 attack an enemy air base in the Mediterranean.
00:26:38 With this, they fly into history.
00:26:48 They are the first all-black flying squadron,
00:26:53 and this is their first intensive combat mission.
00:27:02 The Tuskegee pilots got their name
00:27:05 from where they trained, in Tuskegee, Alabama.
00:27:09 African-American Captain Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.
00:27:13 trained many of them at the local university.
00:27:16 They were all African-American men,
00:27:21 eager to learn how to fly planes
00:27:24 and fight for their country.
00:27:26 African-Americans had long served
00:27:31 in the United States military.
00:27:33 From the War of 1812, through the Civil War,
00:27:38 to World War I, they fought on the battlefields.
00:27:43 And just like those previous conflicts,
00:27:47 the pilots from Tuskegee faced immeasurable discrimination.
00:27:51 Starting in June 1941,
00:27:57 a unit of 47 officers and 429 enlisted
00:28:02 African-American men trained as pilots
00:28:06 at the all-black Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama,
00:28:11 under the watchful eye of 11 white officers.
00:28:15 A year later, the number of trainees grew so much,
00:28:19 they were moved to the Tuskegee Army Airfield,
00:28:23 usually reserved for white pilots only.
00:28:26 The African-Americans were not allowed to become officers,
00:28:31 barred from many areas on the base
00:28:34 and subjected to racial slurs by their instructors
00:28:38 and also the media.
00:28:40 Under the command of Captain Davis,
00:28:43 these African-American pilots
00:28:45 focused their energies on training.
00:28:48 And by 1943, they were deployed to fight in World War II.
00:28:55 (plane engine roaring)
00:28:58 In their first combat mission, called Operation Corkscrew,
00:29:04 they attacked the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria
00:29:08 for three weeks,
00:29:09 dropped 6,400 tons of bombs
00:29:15 and cleared the surrounding area
00:29:19 for the successful Allied invasion of Sicily a month later.
00:29:24 (plane engine roaring)
00:29:25 Over the next two years,
00:29:27 the Tuskegee Airmen flew more than 1,500 combat missions.
00:29:32 They became the only escort fighters in World War II
00:29:38 to never lose a bomber under their protection.
00:29:42 And they were decorated with several awards,
00:29:45 including three Distinguished Unit Citations.
00:29:53 Their bravery and success during World War II
00:29:57 paved the way for further involvement of African-Americans
00:30:01 and other minorities in the military.
00:30:04 In 1948, President Truman signed Executive Order 9981
00:30:09 and officially ended segregation
00:30:14 in the United States military.
00:30:16 In 2007, the Tuskegee Airmen
00:30:21 were collectively awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor.
00:30:25 And the following year,
00:30:26 they were inducted into the International Air
00:30:30 and Space Hall of Fame.
00:30:32 Despite all the discrimination they faced
00:30:35 during their service, Captain Benjamin O. Davis Jr.
00:30:40 and his flying force secured their place in history
00:30:45 as defenders of their country
00:30:48 and as warriors for freedom and equality.
00:30:52 (dramatic music)
00:31:04 August 16th, 1940, World War II.
00:31:08 The Battle of Britain rages through the streets of London.
00:31:12 There is a desperate need for medical supplies,
00:31:17 including blood and plasma for transfusions.
00:31:20 The United States launches Blood for Britain,
00:31:25 and New Yorkers send more than 5,000 vials of plasma
00:31:29 for casualties in England.
00:31:31 Thousands of lives are saved.
00:31:34 The leader behind this incredible lifesaving service
00:31:38 was a medical pioneer, the father of the blood bank,
00:31:43 and a quiet achiever, Dr. Charles Drew.
00:31:47 (dramatic music)
00:31:50 At Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C.,
00:31:58 Charles Drew excelled at sports.
00:32:01 He was the star of the baseball, basketball,
00:32:05 football, and track teams.
00:32:08 His athletic accomplishments earned him a scholarship
00:32:11 from Amherst University.
00:32:14 As Charles continued to excel on the playing field,
00:32:17 his work in the classroom and the lab
00:32:20 was equally impressive.
00:32:22 He was accepted into the Harvard School of Medicine,
00:32:26 but chose McGill University in Canada
00:32:28 because of its reputation
00:32:30 for better treatment of minorities.
00:32:32 He graduated second in his class
00:32:36 and earned both Doctor of Medicine
00:32:39 and Master of Surgery degrees.
00:32:43 Dr. Drew then returned to the United States
00:32:45 and became the first African American
00:32:48 to earn a degree from Columbia University.
00:32:51 Charles Drew finished his dissertation
00:32:56 on an experimental blood bank
00:32:59 the same year that Hitler's European invasion
00:33:02 created a desperate need for life-saving blood
00:33:05 on the battlefield.
00:33:06 In June 1940, Drew drafted the Blood for Britain Blueprint
00:33:12 and standardized collection procedures.
00:33:14 Drew's expertise and leadership
00:33:18 were largely responsible for the program's success,
00:33:21 and he developed a way of separating
00:33:24 long-lasting blood plasma from whole blood,
00:33:27 making a blood bank more valuable than ever.
00:33:30 Ironically, he was not allowed
00:33:35 to give his own blood to the bank
00:33:37 because the Red Cross excluded black people from donating.
00:33:41 The leading expert in blood banking
00:33:44 was not allowed to give blood.
00:33:46 Dr. Drew spoke out and the policy was soon modified
00:33:53 to accept donations, but the blood was kept segregated.
00:33:58 Charles was an outspoken opponent
00:34:01 and called the policies insulting and unscientific.
00:34:06 He also campaigned to allow black physicians
00:34:09 to join medical organizations, societies,
00:34:12 and the American Medical Association.
00:34:15 Dr. Drew died after a car accident in Alabama
00:34:22 at the age of 46, but not before he received
00:34:26 numerous accolades, awards, appointments,
00:34:30 honorary degrees, and was elected
00:34:32 to the International College of Surgeons.
00:34:38 His advancements in medicine gave him the title
00:34:42 Father of the Blood Bank and a place in history.
00:34:47 September 25th, 1957, 1,200 soldiers
00:35:07 of the 101st Airborne Division
00:35:09 swarm Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas.
00:35:13 They have helmets and rifles and one mission,
00:35:17 to help nine kids get safely to school.
00:35:21 For the nine black students,
00:35:25 it's their third attempt to get to class.
00:35:28 The school is about to be desegregated,
00:35:32 allowing white and black students to attend,
00:35:36 but an angry white mob stands in their way.
00:35:39 President Dwight Eisenhower steps in.
00:35:43 - With deep confidence, I call upon the citizens
00:35:46 of the state of Arkansas to assist
00:35:49 in bringing to an immediate end all interference
00:35:52 with the law and its processes.
00:35:54 - This time, with courage and help from the military,
00:36:00 the teens might just make it.
00:36:03 They become known as the Little Rock Nine.
00:36:07 Until 1954, many states had segregation laws
00:36:19 requiring African-American and white children
00:36:22 to attend separate schools.
00:36:24 Then on May 17th of that year,
00:36:28 the US Supreme Court ruled on a case,
00:36:31 Brown versus the Board of Education of Topeka.
00:36:34 The court found that the segregation
00:36:37 of America's public schools was unconstitutional,
00:36:42 but many states still supported segregation
00:36:45 and did not take immediate steps
00:36:48 to integrate black and white students.
00:36:50 On September 4th, the Arkansas governor
00:36:54 used the National Guard to block the Little Rock Nine
00:36:58 from entering the school.
00:37:01 A court order removed the guard,
00:37:03 and on September 23rd, the police escorted the Nine
00:37:07 into the school through a side door.
00:37:10 But a riot broke out,
00:37:13 and they had to leave for their own safety.
00:37:15 Then on September 25th, the US military,
00:37:21 on presidential orders, got the Little Rock Nine
00:37:24 through their first full day of classes.
00:37:27 That was just the beginning.
00:37:31 During the school year, the Nine were spat on,
00:37:37 pushed, tripped, and taunted.
00:37:39 One had acid thrown at her eyes.
00:37:43 They never fought back, but endured.
00:37:47 All of them went on to college.
00:37:53 The United States Mint created a commemorative silver dollar
00:37:59 to, quote, "pay tribute to the strength,
00:38:02 "the determination, and the courage displayed
00:38:05 "by African-American high school students
00:38:08 "in the fall of 1957."
00:38:10 In 1999, President Clinton awarded each member of the group
00:38:17 the Congressional Gold Medal.
00:38:20 - It fell to these nine Americans,
00:38:24 when they were young, as children,
00:38:28 to become our teachers.
00:38:31 Melba Attilo Beals.
00:38:34 (audience applauding)
00:38:37 - The National Association
00:38:39 for the Advancement of Colored People
00:38:41 had carefully selected the nine students.
00:38:44 They had to have determination
00:38:47 and the disposition to peacefully tolerate abuse.
00:38:51 The NAACP chose well.
00:38:54 - It has been a long journey,
00:38:56 but I think each of us would consider it worthwhile.
00:39:00 While the sacrifices have been great,
00:39:02 we recognized in 1957 this was not an easy journey.
00:39:06 It was one in which we thought
00:39:08 we were simply exercising our right
00:39:10 to the best education that was available
00:39:13 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
00:39:15 You know, lo and behold, I think we were right.
00:39:17 - The Little Rock Nine were the faces
00:39:21 on the front line of the battle
00:39:23 to desegregate public schools.
00:39:25 They showed the world that struggle,
00:39:28 perseverance, and courage can change a nation.
00:39:32 August 28th, 1963.
00:39:48 Washington, D.C. prepares for a riot.
00:39:55 Nearly 6,000 police officers, 3,000 soldiers,
00:40:00 and 19,000 troops mobilize.
00:40:03 Liquor sales are banned.
00:40:09 Hospitals stockpile blood and cancel elective surgeries.
00:40:13 250,000 protesters gather
00:40:19 and march toward the Lincoln Memorial.
00:40:24 It could be a nightmare for law enforcement,
00:40:26 but what they get instead is a dream.
00:40:33 100 years after the end of slavery,
00:40:46 African-Americans still faced unfair treatment
00:40:49 and conditions.
00:40:51 Jobs were sparse or low-paying,
00:40:55 and a Civil Rights Act to help fix the inequalities
00:40:58 was stalled in Congress.
00:41:00 Those who spoke out were beaten or worse.
00:41:04 There were violent attacks on civil rights demonstrators
00:41:09 throughout the United States,
00:41:11 and most notably in the South.
00:41:13 Then, in June, 1963,
00:41:19 prominent activist and World War II veteran,
00:41:23 Medgar Evers, was assassinated by a white supremacist.
00:41:27 The outrage over this murder gave momentum
00:41:31 to the idea of a large protest march in Washington, D.C.
00:41:35 A. Philip Randolph planned a march for jobs.
00:41:40 Martin Luther King, Jr. planned a march for freedom.
00:41:44 They merged their efforts into one mass protest
00:41:48 for jobs and freedom.
00:41:50 Organizers worked closely with the Kennedy administration
00:41:55 to coordinate the event.
00:41:56 An expensive sound system was set up
00:42:00 so the crowd could hear the speeches,
00:42:02 but it was sabotaged the day before the march.
00:42:06 The U.S. Army Signal Corps stepped in
00:42:11 and rebuilt the system overnight.
00:42:13 Just in time for this.
00:42:18 (crowd chanting)
00:42:21 A quarter million people stood at the footsteps
00:42:26 of the Lincoln Memorial
00:42:28 and heard inspirational music and messages.
00:42:31 ♪ Thou over God ♪
00:42:36 ♪ We now over all ♪
00:42:40 ♪ Of day ♪
00:42:46 ♪ Holy is my Lord ♪
00:42:51 ♪ I do believe ♪
00:42:58 ♪ That we shall overcome ♪
00:43:02 ♪ Someday ♪
00:43:05 - Celebrities such as singer Bob Dylan,
00:43:13 baseball legend Jackie Robinson,
00:43:16 and novelist James Baldwin showed their support
00:43:20 as well as A-list actors like Sidney Poitier,
00:43:24 Harry Belafonte, and Charlton Heston.
00:43:27 And everyday citizens were inspired.
00:43:32 Despite the fears of violence, it was a peaceful event.
00:43:39 The last speaker was Martin Luther King, Jr.
00:43:44 - I am happy to join with you today.
00:43:48 - He departed from his planned four-minute address
00:43:53 and gave his now famous 16-minute "I Have a Dream" speech.
00:43:58 (crowd applauding)
00:44:01 - I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia,
00:44:07 the sons of former slaves
00:44:11 and the sons of former slave owners,
00:44:14 will be able to sit down together
00:44:17 at the table of brotherhood.
00:44:19 I have a dream that my four little children
00:44:24 will one day live in a nation
00:44:28 where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
00:44:31 but by the content of their character.
00:44:33 I have a dream today.
00:44:35 (crowd applauding)
00:44:41 This will be the day when all of God's children
00:44:44 will be able to sing with new meaning,
00:44:48 "My Country, 'Tis of Thee."
00:44:50 - The speeches were rebroadcast in 36 languages.
00:44:55 They put an international spotlight on racism
00:44:57 in the United States,
00:44:59 and they helped secure the passage
00:45:02 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
00:45:05 - Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty,
00:45:09 we are free at last.
00:45:11 (crowd applauding)
00:45:14 - The March on Washington marked the beginning
00:45:18 of a national change towards equality for all citizens.
00:45:23 July 2nd, 1964.
00:45:35 President Lyndon B. Johnson's signature
00:45:38 changes the lives of millions.
00:45:42 He signs the Civil Rights Act,
00:45:44 ending racial segregation in public places.
00:45:47 This landmark legislation is one of the greatest
00:45:53 accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement,
00:45:55 and it marks the end of an era known as Jim Crow.
00:46:01 (air whooshing)
00:46:07 (upbeat music)
00:46:09 Dancing in the street for the end of Jim Crow.
00:46:12 To understand why, you have to look back.
00:46:17 (air whooshing)
00:46:21 The 13th Amendment abolished slavery
00:46:24 in the United States in 1865,
00:46:27 but many people continue to disagree with the law.
00:46:31 Local and state governments created laws
00:46:35 that still restricted the rights of African Americans.
00:46:40 These were often called Jim Crow laws because of an actor.
00:46:45 (air whooshing)
00:46:47 In the 1830s, stage performer Thomas Dartmouth
00:46:51 created a character named Jim Crow
00:46:54 that he and other players portrayed
00:46:57 as an unintelligent slave acting foolish.
00:47:01 They painted their faces black
00:47:03 and performed offensive songs
00:47:05 that made fun of African Americans.
00:47:08 The show gained popularity,
00:47:11 and Jim Crow became a fitting term for laws
00:47:14 that promoted racial discrimination.
00:47:16 (air whooshing)
00:47:18 Many associate these laws with the South,
00:47:21 but they were everywhere.
00:47:24 They restricted black voting rights,
00:47:26 banned interracial relationships,
00:47:28 and let businesses separate
00:47:32 their black and white customers.
00:47:34 In 1896, the Supreme Court showed support
00:47:39 for Jim Crow laws by dubbing them separate but equal.
00:47:44 Blacks and whites had separate waiting rooms,
00:47:47 schools, bathrooms, theaters, hotels,
00:47:52 parks, restaurants, churches,
00:47:55 even separate water fountains and cemeteries.
00:48:01 Black Americans were beaten or lynched by vigilantes
00:48:05 for breaking Jim Crow laws,
00:48:06 and their attackers faced zero consequences.
00:48:10 Then, a seismic shift.
00:48:13 (air whooshing)
00:48:15 (trumpet fanfare)
00:48:17 In 1948, the outstanding service of black fighting men
00:48:22 during World War II
00:48:24 led President Harry Truman to make a change.
00:48:28 He ordered the military to stop segregation
00:48:31 and to begin integration.
00:48:33 (air whooshing)
00:48:34 Then, six years later,
00:48:36 segregation in schools was ruled unconstitutional
00:48:40 by the Supreme Court.
00:48:41 (air whooshing)
00:48:42 Activists kept protesting other Jim Crow laws.
00:48:46 (air whooshing)
00:48:47 And finally, decades of struggle
00:48:49 led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
00:48:54 Finally, the so-called Jim Crow laws
00:48:57 were federally abolished.
00:49:00 (upbeat music)
00:49:09 June 13th, 1967.
00:49:12 The United States is in the midst
00:49:15 of the so-called long, hot summer.
00:49:19 Racial tensions fuel 159 riots across the country.
00:49:25 More than 85 people die in the violence.
00:49:28 11,000 are arrested.
00:49:32 At this trying time for the nation,
00:49:35 President Lyndon B. Johnson takes a bold step.
00:49:39 He nominates a black man to the Supreme Court.
00:49:44 His name is Thurgood Marshall.
00:49:47 If the Senate approves,
00:49:50 he'll be the first African-American
00:49:53 to serve on the highest court in the land.
00:49:55 (air whooshing)
00:49:58 (upbeat music)
00:50:01 Thurgood Marshall graduated
00:50:03 from Lincoln University in 1930 with honors.
00:50:08 He wanted to pursue law school
00:50:11 at the University of Maryland near his home in Baltimore,
00:50:16 but they rejected almost all black students.
00:50:20 Instead, Marshall went to Howard Law School
00:50:24 in Washington, D.C., where the dean involved him
00:50:28 with civil rights cases outside of the university.
00:50:32 Marshall graduated at the top of his class
00:50:36 and opened his own law practice.
00:50:39 His first big case was a personal one.
00:50:42 The University of Maryland denied entry
00:50:46 to a student named Donald Murray
00:50:49 solely because of his race.
00:50:52 This was the very law school Marshall
00:50:56 had wanted to attend himself.
00:50:59 Marshall won the case in 1936,
00:51:03 forcing the University of Maryland Law School
00:51:06 to open its doors wider to black students.
00:51:10 As a result of this success,
00:51:13 the National Association for the Advancement
00:51:15 of Colored People selected Marshall
00:51:18 to run a defense fund to try similar cases.
00:51:22 Marshall traveled throughout the South
00:51:27 and battled for voters' rights, equal pay,
00:51:31 school admissions for African-Americans,
00:51:34 and for the integration of sports teams and the military.
00:51:39 With his many successes came threats to his life,
00:51:44 but he persisted, and soon the stage was set
00:51:49 for the biggest battle of his legal career,
00:51:52 Brown v. The Board of Education.
00:51:55 Marshall argued before the Supreme Court
00:52:00 that separate schools for blacks and whites
00:52:03 were inherently unequal.
00:52:06 The judges unanimously agreed.
00:52:09 The Supreme Court decision destroyed the legal basis
00:52:13 for all segregation.
00:52:15 In 1966, President Johnson said the time was right
00:52:21 for a black Supreme Court justice.
00:52:25 Marshall's impressive career made him a clear choice.
00:52:30 - I represent the United States government,
00:52:32 and I'll do it in the best I can.
00:52:34 - The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed his nomination,
00:52:38 69 votes to 11.
00:52:43 He continued the fight for civil rights
00:52:46 from this powerful position.
00:52:48 And when he passed away in 1993,
00:52:53 more than 18,000 citizens came to pay their respects
00:52:58 to an honorable American who used the law
00:53:02 to change the nation.
00:53:04 (somber music)
00:53:07 April 4th, 1968.
00:53:20 Martin Luther King Jr. is fatally shot,
00:53:24 a tragedy that sparks anger and violence
00:53:28 throughout the country.
00:53:32 Riots break out in Washington, D.C.,
00:53:36 Chicago, Baltimore, and even in smaller cities
00:53:41 like Louisville, Kentucky, and Trenton, New Jersey.
00:53:45 Tensions mount at a large concert in Boston.
00:53:50 - Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
00:53:52 They're all right, that's all right.
00:53:53 It's all right, it's all right.
00:53:55 - Only one man has the microphone.
00:53:59 A wrong word could spark violence.
00:54:02 - Oh, look, wait a minute, wait a minute.
00:54:04 Let me finish the show, wait a minute.
00:54:05 Let me finish the show for everybody else, all right?
00:54:07 - The fate of the city is in the hands
00:54:10 of a musician named James Brown.
00:54:14 (upbeat music)
00:54:18 James Brown was a consummate singer and dancer,
00:54:25 and by the late 1960s, a household name
00:54:29 with a style and sound all his own.
00:54:33 He combined gospel, rhythm and blues,
00:54:36 and African-inspired music,
00:54:39 and he developed several new genres of music
00:54:43 throughout his long career, most notably, funk.
00:54:47 His live performances were some of the most memorable
00:54:54 in modern music history,
00:54:56 well known for their energy and intensity.
00:55:00 - Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
00:55:04 They're all right, that's all right.
00:55:05 It's all right, it's all right.
00:55:07 - In the midst of Brown's concert in Boston,
00:55:10 young men clash with police on stage.
00:55:12 - Hold up, wait a minute, wait a minute.
00:55:16 - James Brown addresses the crowd for two tense minutes.
00:55:20 - Ladies and gentlemen, now I asked the police
00:55:22 to step back because I think I could get some respect
00:55:24 for my own people.
00:55:25 We are black, we are black, and all we together win.
00:55:29 - His words diffused the tension,
00:55:33 and the concert proceeds peacefully.
00:55:36 Boston remains one of the few major cities untouched
00:55:42 by the nationwide riots.
00:55:44 After his riot-stopping performance,
00:55:49 President Lyndon B. Johnson asked James Brown
00:55:53 to give similar short speeches of peace
00:55:56 when he performed in other cities ravaged by violence.
00:55:59 - That's black power.
00:56:02 Right here, it's not in violence.
00:56:06 - This is the greatest country in the world.
00:56:08 - He told the crowds, "There's another way."
00:56:12 James Brown was no saint,
00:56:16 but despite his troubles offstage,
00:56:19 he became known the world over as the Godfather of Soul.
00:56:24 The respect he earned through a lifetime
00:56:28 of musical achievement gave him the power to be heard.
00:56:32 And when the pressure was on...
00:56:34 - We are black, we are black, and all we together win.
00:56:38 - He used his words for peace.
00:56:41 - Get this thing out.
00:56:42 (gentle music)
00:56:45 - June 12th, 1967.
00:56:55 In Caroline County, Virginia,
00:56:57 Mildred Loving waits for a decision
00:57:00 that may put an end to nine years of legal battles
00:57:04 and make history in the United States.
00:57:08 Mildred is black.
00:57:09 Her husband, Richard Loving, is white.
00:57:12 And in their home state of Virginia,
00:57:15 that makes their marriage illegal.
00:57:17 Laws allowing blacks and whites to marry
00:57:22 are decided on a state-by-state basis.
00:57:26 There is no overruling federal law.
00:57:29 But on this spring day in 1967, that may change.
00:57:34 The Supreme Court is about to hand down a decision
00:57:38 on Mildred and Richard's marriage
00:57:40 in a case known as Loving versus Virginia.
00:57:44 Rules barring couples of different races from being wed,
00:57:54 specifically blacks and whites,
00:57:57 are called anti-miscegenation laws,
00:58:00 and they have been debated in US courts
00:58:03 for more than 100 years.
00:58:05 Mildred and Richard Loving were convicted in Virginia.
00:58:10 Despite a decade of marriage and three children,
00:58:13 they were told to go to jail or leave the state.
00:58:17 They contacted the American Civil Liberties Union
00:58:22 for help in the fight for their rights as a couple.
00:58:25 - And our view of this law, and we hope to clearly show,
00:58:29 is that this is slavery law.
00:58:31 - Lawyers argued that such laws
00:58:34 were racially discriminatory in Virginia
00:58:37 and in the rest of the United States too.
00:58:40 - No one can articulate it better than Richard Loving
00:58:43 when he said to me, "Mr. Cohen, tell the court
00:58:47 "I love my wife, and it is just unfair
00:58:51 "that I can't live with her in Virginia."
00:58:53 - The final verdict by the Supreme Court was unanimous.
00:58:58 The court decided to overturn
00:59:01 the Loving's previous convictions
00:59:04 and strike down any state laws
00:59:07 banning interracial marriages.
00:59:09 In the 50 years after the Loving versus Virginia decision,
00:59:14 interracial marriages increased by almost 16%,
00:59:19 and some interracial couples even celebrate Loving Day,
00:59:23 held every year on the anniversary
00:59:25 of the Supreme Court's decision, June 12th.
00:59:28 The Lovings remained together
00:59:32 until Richard's death in 1975,
00:59:35 and their memory lives on.
00:59:39 Their court case advanced the cause for civil rights
00:59:44 and helped pave the way for full marriage equality.
00:59:59 September 9th, 1968, amateur tennis player Arthur Ashe
01:00:04 causes an upset.
01:00:06 This newcomer wipes through the competition
01:00:10 to a final game against Tom Ocker in the US Open.
01:00:14 Ocker looks to have control,
01:00:17 but Ashe keeps at it.
01:00:21 Then in the fifth and final set,
01:00:24 a match-winning shot from Ashe.
01:00:27 The crowd erupts.
01:00:29 Ashe is the first African-American man to win the US Open,
01:00:34 and his tennis career is only just beginning.
01:00:39 Arthur Ashe first found his love for tennis in Brookfield,
01:00:49 a segregated park for African-Americans
01:00:52 in Richmond, Virginia, where his father worked.
01:00:56 In 1960, Ashe graduated at the top of his class
01:01:00 and was accepted to the University of California,
01:01:03 Los Angeles on a full scholarship.
01:01:06 He maintained good grades while playing
01:01:09 and became the first African-American player
01:01:12 on the US Davis Cup team.
01:01:15 After college, Ashe joined the Army for two years,
01:01:19 but continued playing tennis while serving
01:01:22 as a second lieutenant at West Point, New York.
01:01:26 (ball thuds)
01:01:27 After his historic win at the US Open in 1968,
01:01:31 he became the first African-American
01:01:34 to win the Australian Open in 1970
01:01:37 and then Wimbledon in 1975.
01:01:40 - Mr. Arthur Ashe, will you take the time to repeat?
01:01:45 - He became the number one tennis player in the world,
01:01:48 but he also faced big battles off the court.
01:01:54 He was an activist who advocated for civil rights
01:01:58 and he campaigned against South Africa's
01:02:01 race-based apartheid system of government.
01:02:03 Then he faced another fight, one for his life.
01:02:08 (gentle music)
01:02:11 In 1979, Arthur Ashe suffered a heart attack.
01:02:16 At just 36 years of age, he retired from tennis
01:02:21 with 51 titles to his credit.
01:02:24 Ashe received a blood transfusion during heart treatment
01:02:28 in 1982 and contracted HIV,
01:02:32 the virus that leads to the condition known as AIDS.
01:02:37 He continued his fight against apartheid
01:02:41 while starting to push for a new cause,
01:02:44 raising money and awareness for AIDS research.
01:02:48 (gentle music)
01:02:51 As his health deteriorated, Ashe wrote "Days of Grace,"
01:02:56 his memoir that he finished in February, 1993.
01:03:00 - Professional tennis is growing pains.
01:03:03 - Arthur Ashe spent his life breaking barriers
01:03:06 and advocating for others.
01:03:08 - Certainly his best speech.
01:03:09 (audience laughing)
01:03:12 - He once said, "Sometimes you have to be a hero
01:03:17 "to be able to make a difference."
01:03:20 He said, "Success is a journey, not a destination.
01:03:25 "The doing is often more important than the outcome."
01:03:32 (gentle music)
01:03:34 Arthur Ashe passed away from AIDS-related pneumonia
01:03:38 at the age of 49.
01:03:39 (gentle music)
01:03:42 (gentle music)
01:03:45 August 28th, 1963, the March on Washington,
01:03:54 an interracial assembly of more than 250,000 people
01:04:00 gather peacefully in the nation's capital
01:04:03 and demand equal justice for all citizens under the law.
01:04:09 This day will become known
01:04:11 for Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech,
01:04:16 but there's another key civil rights activist here,
01:04:20 and he's surprisingly young.
01:04:23 23-year-old John Lewis
01:04:26 was one of the key organizers of the march.
01:04:29 He moves to the podium for a seven-minute speech
01:04:34 and bravely tells America to wake up.
01:04:38 (gentle music)
01:04:41 The March on Washington
01:04:44 wasn't John Lewis's first defining moment.
01:04:47 At the age of 19, he was one of seven African-Americans
01:04:52 and six whites in the core Freedom Ride.
01:04:56 They traveled together knowing that some racists
01:05:00 would resist allowing blacks and whites
01:05:03 to sit together in a restaurant or on a bus.
01:05:07 During the Freedom Rides,
01:05:10 the protesters were viciously attacked.
01:05:13 But John Lewis wasn't deterred
01:05:18 from peaceful civil rights protests.
01:05:22 In January 1965, he went to Selma, Alabama
01:05:27 to protest local and state laws
01:05:30 that restricted African-American voting rights.
01:05:33 - Selma sprang overnight from an obscure southern town
01:05:36 to the front pages of world newspapers.
01:05:38 - Tensions boiled when a state trooper shot
01:05:43 and killed a church deacon
01:05:45 as he attempted to protect his mother from a trooper.
01:05:49 In response, John Lewis and others
01:05:53 led activists on marches throughout Alabama.
01:05:57 During these marches,
01:06:01 state troopers and local lawmen ordered them to disperse.
01:06:06 (soldiers marching)
01:06:08 Then the troops advanced.
01:06:11 They assaulted activists with nightsticks,
01:06:16 clubs, and tear gas.
01:06:18 John Lewis was severely beaten.
01:06:22 Even those who tried to retreat
01:06:26 were beaten by policemen on horseback.
01:06:29 It became known as Bloody Sunday.
01:06:32 Images from the Selma marches
01:06:34 outraged millions across the country.
01:06:37 President Johnson spoke before Congress against racism,
01:06:43 and on August 6th, 1965,
01:06:47 he signed the Voting Rights Act
01:06:50 to ensure that all citizens would be able to vote
01:06:53 regardless of their skin color.
01:06:56 But John Lewis was still not done
01:06:59 with trying to make a difference.
01:07:02 He was elected to Atlanta City Council in 1981,
01:07:06 where he served for five years
01:07:08 before being elected to Congress
01:07:11 as US Representative of Georgia's
01:07:14 5th Congressional District.
01:07:16 In November of 2018,
01:07:21 he was reelected once again,
01:07:23 marking his 31st year of service as a congressman.
01:07:28 From within the halls of power,
01:07:31 he continues to ask Americans to wake up to inequality.
01:07:36 January 25th, 1972.
01:07:51 African-American politician Shirley Chisholm
01:07:56 makes a major announcement.
01:07:59 She will run for the highest office in the land.
01:08:03 She is the first woman Democrat
01:08:07 and the first ever African-American candidate
01:08:11 to run for the nomination
01:08:13 for President of the United States.
01:08:16 But Shirley Chisholm is no stranger to firsts in politics.
01:08:21 For the half decade before this announcement,
01:08:24 she's been at the forefront of change
01:08:27 in the nation's capital.
01:08:28 Shirley Chisholm was the child of immigrants
01:08:38 and a major political figure during the Civil Rights era,
01:08:42 first as a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly.
01:08:46 Here, child welfare, education,
01:08:51 and minority representation
01:08:53 became a focal point of her political career.
01:08:57 And in 1968,
01:09:00 she became the first black woman ever to sit in Congress.
01:09:05 - A woman is much more apt to be concerned
01:09:08 with the things that have to do with the conservation
01:09:11 and preservation of the most important resources
01:09:14 that any nation ever had, and that's as human beings.
01:09:16 - She fought to give domestic workers
01:09:19 the right to a minimum wage,
01:09:21 campaigned for equal rights for women,
01:09:24 and opposed the Vietnam War.
01:09:27 When she announced her run for presidency,
01:09:30 she did so to demonstrate the sheer will and refusal
01:09:35 to accept the status quo.
01:09:38 Shirley Chisholm's campaign was underfunded.
01:09:43 She did not win the most votes.
01:09:49 - 1.1 for Shirley Chisholm.
01:09:52 - She did not earn the Democratic nomination
01:09:56 but her ideas gained national attention and support.
01:10:01 With her fame came criticism, racism,
01:10:05 and especially sexism.
01:10:07 As she later said, "When I ran for the Congress,
01:10:13 "when I ran for president,
01:10:14 "I met more discrimination as a woman than for being black."
01:10:19 And she added, "Men are men."
01:10:23 Shirley Chisholm faced intense controversy
01:10:26 throughout her career for her skin color and her gender,
01:10:30 but she always persevered and stood her ground
01:10:35 with a reminder of her campaign slogan,
01:10:38 "Unbought and unbossed."
01:10:41 Shirley Chisholm continued to work tirelessly
01:10:45 both within and outside of Congress.
01:10:50 And she inspired immigrants, women, and people of color.
01:10:55 Her career paved the way for others in government,
01:11:00 including former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
01:11:05 President Barack Obama,
01:11:07 California Congresswoman Barbara Lee,
01:11:10 and presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
01:11:14 Before her death in 2009,
01:11:18 Shirley Chisholm said, "I want to be remembered
01:11:21 "as a woman who fought for change in the 20th century."
01:11:26 She earned her wish
01:11:28 with a lifetime of groundbreaking service.
01:11:32 January 10th, 2010,
01:11:46 (upbeat music)
01:11:47 January 20th, 1993,
01:11:51 a cold winter day in the nation's capital
01:11:55 and the dawn of a new presidential administration.
01:11:59 Before Bill Clinton is sworn in as commander in chief,
01:12:05 an African-American woman takes to the stage.
01:12:09 - Mr. President.
01:12:10 - Her name is Maya Angelou.
01:12:13 - A rock, a river, a tree.
01:12:17 - This is the first time in more than 30 years
01:12:21 that a poet has performed at an inauguration.
01:12:24 And the event introduces her poetry
01:12:26 to a whole new generation.
01:12:29 - And say simply, very simply,
01:12:32 with hope, good morning.
01:12:40 - Maya Angelou was seriously assaulted as a child.
01:12:45 She responded by not talking at all
01:12:49 between the ages of eight and 13.
01:12:53 During her five years of silence,
01:12:56 she discovered a love of books
01:12:59 and developed great powers of observation.
01:13:02 For the first part of Maya Angelou's adult life,
01:13:08 she lived in the United States, Ghana, and Egypt,
01:13:12 and she worked many jobs,
01:13:15 a modern dancer, calypso singer,
01:13:19 actress, journalist, playwright,
01:13:23 and civil rights organizer.
01:13:25 She moved to New York City in 1959,
01:13:31 where she met Martin Luther King Jr.
01:13:33 And he inspired her to set up fundraisers
01:13:37 and organize events
01:13:39 for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
01:13:41 She also became friends
01:13:43 with controversial activist Malcolm X,
01:13:46 and she helped him fight for the rights
01:13:49 of African-Americans in the United States.
01:13:52 After the assassinations
01:13:55 of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X,
01:13:59 Maya Angelou returned to her first love of writing.
01:14:05 "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is her most famous work.
01:14:10 This first autobiography
01:14:13 brought her international attention and fame.
01:14:17 In the 1970s,
01:14:19 she became the first African-American woman
01:14:23 to write a produced screenplay.
01:14:26 She composed film scores,
01:14:28 was nominated for a Tony Award,
01:14:31 and wrote short stories, TV scripts,
01:14:35 plays, poetry, and documentaries.
01:14:38 By the 1980s,
01:14:42 she was one of the most well-known writers
01:14:46 in the United States,
01:14:48 and she toured and taught courses
01:14:51 at colleges all across the country.
01:14:53 Even into her 70s and 80s,
01:14:57 Maya Angelou directed a feature film,
01:15:00 collaborated on a rhythm and blues album,
01:15:04 wrote her sixth autobiography,
01:15:07 campaigned for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama,
01:15:11 and for her poetic recitation
01:15:14 at President Clinton's inauguration,
01:15:17 she won a Grammy Award.
01:15:19 (audience applauding)
01:15:23 Maya Angelou's career spanned more than 50 years.
01:15:27 She was involved in some of the most noteworthy events
01:15:31 in modern history,
01:15:33 and she was a voice to change the way society
01:15:37 views African-Americans and women.
01:15:41 (upbeat music)
01:15:46 (upbeat music)
01:15:49 (upbeat music)
01:15:51 (upbeat music)