Oliver Sipple: The Man Who Saved Ford

Thirty-five years ago today, President Gerald Ford’s life was saved by an ex-Marine named Oliver Sipple. As the debate over “don’t ask don’t tell” rages on, his story is worth revisiting.

Jeannette Rankin, First U.S. Congresswoman

We celebrate Jeannette Rankin, the first woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, on the anniversary of her historic achievement.

Gwendolyn Brooks Made Poetry That Mattered

The life and career of the first African American poet to win a Pulitzer Prize.

Thomas Merton, In and Out of Solitude

We look at the life and work of Thomas Merton, one of the most influential Catholic writers of the 20th century.

John Hammond, Producer of the Century

Though he never recorded a note or penned a lyric, John Hammond remains one of the most important figures in the history of American pop music...

Phil Ochs, Singing Journalist

Though he's remembered as a protest singer, Phil Ochs preferred to think of himself as a 'singing journalist.' On what would have been his 70th birthday, we share some of his greatest 'topical songs.'

Ava Pauling's Vision of Peace

Ava Pauling, wife of renowned chemist Linus Pauling, was born on Christmas Eve in 1903. Today we look at her lifetime of work toward peace on Earth.

Zora Neale Hurston: Genius of the South

In the summer of 1973, a young writer made a pilgrimage south to Fort Pierce, Florida, to visit the final resting place of an artist whose novels, plays and essays had inspired so much of her own writing. She arrived at the Garden of Heavenly Rest to find the segregated cemetery abandoned, weed-choked and overgrown with brambles, and it took her some time to locate the unmarked grave she sought. But find it she did, and before leaving she placed the stone she and a fellow scholar had paid for with their own money. The marker was modest, but its message was not.

Sam Cooke, King of Soul

On his birthday, we look back at the life of the man called the King of Soul.

Frederick Douglass: An American Narrative

Frederick Douglass celebrated his birthday on Valentine's Day. Two centuries after he was born, we're looking at his early years fighting for the abolition of slavery.

Being Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison wrote one of the great American novels and then struggled to produce another for the rest of life. Here’s how it happened.

Ralph Abernathy: King’s Right Hand Man

Ralph Abernathy was one of the most important figures in the Civil Rights Movement. We look back on his long struggle against racial oppression.

Marvin Gaye: What's Going On

Marvin Gaye personified the changing landscape of R&B in a career that spanned not just the tumultuous 1960s, but 26 years that saw the art form go from innocent street corner doo-wop to the sexually charged soul music of the 1980s. No mere dabbler or genre-hopper, with each reinvention Gaye broke new ground and created classic records still in heavy rotation around the world. He scored 41 Billboard Top 40 hits in all—including reworked material released nearly two decades after his death. According to Forbes , in 2008 he ranked 13th in posthumous performer earnings, pulling in $3.5 million in royalties, a tribute to how much his music remains with us.

Enos Slaughter, Controversial Cardinal

Right fielder Enos Slaughter, born on this day 95 years ago, is one of the more controversial players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. We take a look at his storied career and the questions surrounding it.

Lorraine Hansberry: Young, Gifted and Black

Playwright and author Lorraine Hansberry is best known for "A Raisin in the Sun." Today we celebrate her life and work.

Led Minneapolis schools through desegregation

John B. Davis was superintendent of Minneapolis schools during the court-ordered desegregation of public schools across the country.

Civil Rights Lawyer

Bernard Segal spent 39 years at Golden Gate University teaching future lawyers the litigation skills he learned defending civil rights and antiwar protesters.

Commitment to Social Justice

Jane Robinson Gillespie filled her 90 years with community service, guided by her unwavering commitment to peacemaking and social justice.

The Help

The hit movie The Help has us all thinking about the generations of women who have cared for other people’s homes and children. Today we spotlight a few domestic workers who have passed away in recent months.

Odetta Sings Folk Songs

Odetta may not be as much a household name as Bob Dylan—but it was she who inspired him to pick up an acoustic guitar and sing folk music. She might not have the folk-music fame of Joan Baez, but Baez called her a goddess. Carly Simon may have been the bigger star, but she said she went weak in the knees when she had a chance to meet Odetta.

A Civil Rights Leader

Eddie Brown Jr. began working for human and civil rights in the 1960s and never stopped.

Civil Rights Giants Whitney Young and Ralph Abernathy

Two notable men deserve a nod today, both giants of the civil rights movement: Ralph Abernathy (March 11, 1926–April 17, 1990) and Whitney Young (July 31, 1921–March 11, 1971).

Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit

In 1939, took a bold step—bold even for a Black woman who rose from a troubled childhood in a segregated country to become one of the most celebrated singers of her time. In that year, disgusted with the racism she saw all around her, she recorded “Strange Fruit.” The song’s bluntly poignant descriptions of lynchings of Black people were shocking and eye-opening, and it became Holiday’s deeply effective closing song for her live performances.

Alpha Phi Alpha Alums

Alpha Phi Alpha was the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans. Alpha Phil Alpha was founded at Cornell University in 1906, and over the decades, members and alums have been not only within the Black community but across America. The fraternity's famous alumni include , , , , , , , , , , and .

Coretta Scott King: 20 Facts

Coretta Scott King is remembered as the wife of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a role she cherished. But she was much more than just a wife and widow.

Curtis Mayfield: The Sound of Civil Rights

Curtis Mayfield, born 70 years ago today, wrote music that inspired a generation and a movement...

The Whole World is Watching

During the tumultuous , 1968 stands out as a turning point, with new modes of political action actively courting television news media.

Althea Gibson, Tennis Trailblazer

In the 1950s, Althea Gibson joined the ranks of trailblazers like , and when she became the first Black woman to compete on the world tennis tour. Her 1956 Grand Slam win was a crucial step in ushering in the integration of professional sports.

The Tom Bradley Effect

Elected to an unprecedented five terms as mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley remains one of the nation's greatest racial pioneers 14 years after his death. His legacy has particular resonance today as L.A.'s first Latino mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, modeled his coalition building campaign on that of Bradley's. On a national level, Barack Obama's presidential campaign represents a step-level jump for African-American political dreams, much the same way that Bradley's audacious, long-shot hopes of becoming mayor of a major city with a small Black population did in 1969. And on November 4 when voters cast their ballots, pollsters will be anxiously waiting to see if Obama is impacted by a phenomenon that has come to be known as the "Bradley effect."

The Powerful Mahalia Jackson

Mahalia Jackson (1911–1972) was known as the "Queen of Gospel" and "the single most powerful Black woman in the United States."

Ossie Davis: Success on His Own Terms

On Feb. 4, 2005, the world lost a great champion of civil rights, who overcame racism and prejudice to become one of the most-honored actors of his generation. Today we look back at accomplished and outspoken Ossie Davis.

Nat King Cole: Unforgettable

Nat King Cole died Feb. 15, 1965. On the anniversary of his death, here are 25 facts about the life and legacy of the legendary singer.

The Incomparable Nina Simone

had a voice like no other. Her rich, low tenor was rare among women—we usually expect high and light tones from female singers—but Simone made her low range soar. And she was more than a singer: she was also a classically-trained pianist, using both skills in her marvelous recordings.

Secrets Die and are Buried Forever

We all take secrets to the grave, but let’s face it—some are more far-reaching than others. Some even have a significant impact on history.

Civil Rights Pioneers

Two little known pioneers in the civil rights struggles of the 1960s died within days of each other.

Louis Terkel, Better Known as Studs

Studs Terkel was known for his innate curiosity about people – all kinds of people doing all sorts of things – and for his interview style that elicited the most private thoughts from his subjects.

10 Facts: Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal …"

MLK: I've Been to the Mountaintop

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his final address April 3, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference were in the city to support an ongoing strike by sanitation workers, the focus of a large portion of the sermon. King gives equal weight to the ongoing nature of the struggle for human rights and the paramount importance of nonviolence for the survival of humanity.

MLK: The Drum Major Instinct

On Feb. 4, 1968, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a sermon that many consider prophetic of his impending death. In the sermon, King reiterated his long-standing call to his congregation to work through love and service to others as they struggle for greatness for themselves and for humanity at large. Toward the end of the sermon, King spends time talking about how he hoped to be remembered not for his awards and achievements, but for his service to others. He imagines his funeral and shares what he hopes his own eulogy will include.

MLK: Our God is Marching On (How Long, Not Long)

On March 25, 1965, the  Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and a crowd of 25,000 marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in support of voting rights for African-Americans. At the conclusion of the march, King delivered this speech, familiarly referred to as "How Long, Not Long." The speech was defiant at times, referencing the violence that beset the movement at the time. In fact, a previous march on March 7 was met with a violent response from state troopers who beat and gassed marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. King's speech makes it clear that the movement cannot be dissuaded after coming so far, encouraging the people to keep up the struggle.

MLK: Give Us the Ballot

On May 17, 1957, the traveled to Washington, D.C. for a rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The purpose of the protest? Push the president and Congress to enforce Brown v. Board of Education. It had been three years since the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down the legal basis of "separate but equal," yet in many places, not much had changed. In addition to urging the government to honor the historic Supreme Court decision, King also spoke at length about the role voting rights would play in addressing the ills plaguing African-Americans.

12 Years a Slave

The movie "12 Years a Slave" tells the harrowing true story of Solomon Northup.

Maya Angelou: America's Poet

When beloved poet and activist died May 28, 2014, at the age of 86, friendsand admirers from around swiftly to news of her death, offering and praising her inspirational contributions.

Community Mourns Three Leaders

The African-American community in Elkhart, Indiana, lost three of its leaders this summer within just four days of each other. Locals honor their memory and contributions.

Remembering Mary Travers

In a soft but strong voice, the Peter Paul & Mary singer called for social change.

Ed Sullivan: Civil Rights Trailblazer

For more than 20 years, most Americans knew what they were doing on Sunday nights: watching "The Ed Sullivan Show" on CBS, eager to see which new talent or old favorite it's host would bring to the stage that week. Ed Sullivan, who died Oct. 13, 1974, 40 years ago, introduced more than 10,000 acts between 1948 and 1971.

The Lives Martin Luther King Touched

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has inspired generations in the United States and around the world. A martyr for and the struggle, King was a voice for peace in one of the most tumultuous periods in American history.

Remembering PGA pioneer Charlie Sifford

We're remembering pro golf pioneer Charlie Sifford, the first African-American to earn what is now called a PGA Tour card.

Billie Holiday: The Tragic Life of Lady Day

On a sweltering day in July 1959, thousands of mourners gathered to pay tribute to one of the most influential musical artists of the 20th century. Among the pallbearers were some of the biggest names in the business, and outside policeman had to redirect traffic as the overflow of mourners spilled into the nearby streets. It was a moving show of public mourning for an artist whose career was often overshadowed by personal problems and whose best work had occurred at least a decade in the past.