American Studies

The next leader on the list is not necessarily a single leader, but a group of leaders. The Little Rock Nine were the first black teenagers to attend the all-white school, Central High School, in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. The Little Rock Nine were nine students who were selected based upon grades and behavior to help integrate school in the South. Things grew ugly and frightening right away. On the first day of school, the governor of Arkansas ordered the state's National Guard to block the black students from entering the school. They suffered from a great deal of racism from the white community, yet they were the beginning soldiers in the long political war against segregation. This group of high-schoolers influenced society greatly; they were the start of a long political war that would help end segregation. When the nine students were not allowed entrance into Central High School, it outraged many African American politicians and civil rights activists, forcing attention to the phrase “separate but equal.” Their integration brought a new meaning to equality in America, and made the country see what acts the government was committing. This group still influences people today to put an end to inequality, not only in America, but all around the world, for good!

These are just some influential leaders during the Civil Rights Movement. Without leaders who were willing to step out of their comfort zones and stand up for their rights, the movement may have never even started. These leaders inspired, influenced, and motivated people in the past and still do today. Today this shows us how much hard work these leaders put in and it shows us that anything is possible with hard work and never giving up. The world will always need leaders who are willing to step up and have a voice, and if people realize the struggles that these leaders had to go through, we should realize that we too can make a change.

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In addition to this list, another leader named Thurgood Marshall was a brave and inspirational civil rights lawyer. When a large portion of Americans refused to give equality to black people, Marshall realized that one of the best ways to bring change was through the legal system. According to InfoPlease, between 1938 and 1961, Marshall presented over 30 civil rights cases before the Supreme Court. Marshall won 29 of them, his most important case was Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), which ended segregation in public schools. He argued that if all students were equal, then why was it necessary to separate them? The Supreme Court agreed, ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal”. Marshall was, and is, a very influential man for everything he did. He helped shape American history, bringing us to where we stand today. Marshall is one of many who helped the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People tear down, and get rid of the “Jim Crow” laws. Marshall became a Supreme Court Justice which helped open the mind of people everywhere. It shows people that anything can be done if you work hard. His many achievements also contribute to why he was, and still is, influential.

American Studies | Page 17