Showing titles in Social Activists

"I have a dream." Those rousing words, spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr. at an historic civil rights rally in Washington, D.C., brought hope to those who listened: hope that in the future there might not be two Americas - one black and one white - but instead a country united, with justice for all. Here is King's inspiring story, which began in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929 and came to a tragic end on April 4, 1968 when an assassin fatally shot him.

Sojourner Truth was born into slavery but possessed a mind and a vision that knew no bounds. So Tall Within traces her life from her painful childhood through her remarkable emancipation to her incredible leadership in the movement for rights for both women and African Americans. Her story is told with lyricism and pathos by Gary D. Schmidt, one of the most celebrated writers for children in the 21st century. This audiobook is just right for introducing this legendary figure to a new generation of children.

Martin Rising is a stunning, poetic presentation of the final months of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life - told in a rich embroidery of visions, color, musical cadence, deep emotion, and multiple layers of meaning. Against a backdrop of the sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis, Tennessee, the book builds to its rousing crescendo as King delivers his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech - where his life’s commitment to peaceful activism and his dream of equality ascend to their highest peak.

Vom Gefangenen zum Präsidenten: Die spannende Geschichte eines Freiheitskämpfers, dessen Waffe das Wort war, der sich mit den einstigen Feinden an einen Tisch setzte und ein ganzes Land veränderte.

What is looked upon as an American dream for white people has long been an American nightmare for black people. Malcolm X - born Malcolm Little - experienced that nightmare firsthand even as a small boy, when white supremacists firebombed his family home. Such terrifying moments, along with years of daily racist insults and barriers, shaped Malcolm's life, transforming him into one of the most articulate and rousing black nationalist leaders of all time.

Susan B. Anthony may be an international icon but her campaign for women's rights had personal roots. Working as a school teacher in New York, Anthony refused to settle for less pay than her male colleagues which ignited her lifelong devotion to women's equality. Anthony toured the United States and Europe giving speeches and publishing articles as one of the most important advocates of women's rights. Learn more about the woman behind the movement in Who Was Susan B. Anthony?

Verbannt und geächtet. Der Ketzer der Neuzeit Martin Luther will die Kirche verändern. Die Bibel soll für jeden Gläubigen erfahrbar werden. Akribisch macht er sich an die Übersetzung der lateinischen Schriften. Luther kritisiert das kirchliche Leben: Er wettert gegen den Ablasskauf, gegen das Bild eines strafenden Gottes, führt Kirchenlieder im Gottesdienst ein. Er will die Kirche revolutionieren - doch am Ende spaltet er sie auch.

She just wouldn't get up - and with that simple, courageous act Rosa Parks struck a blow against injustice. Parks showed what one person, without guns or violence, could do to change the course of history forever. Nelson Mandela claimed "she is who inspired us...to be fearless when facing our oppressors."

Even at the age of nine, little Golda Meir was known for being a leader. As the president of the American Young Sisters Society, she organizes her friends to raise money to buy textbooks for immigrant classmates. A glimpse at the early life of Israel's first female prime minister, who was born in Russia and grew up in Milwaukee, this story is based on a true episode in the early life of Golda Meir.

In the early 1960s, tired of reprisals for attempting to register to vote, Selma's black community began to protest. The struggle received nationwide attention when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a voting rights march in January 1965 and was attacked by a segregationist. In February, the shooting of an unarmed demonstrator by an Alabama state trooper inspired a march from Selma to the state capital of Montgomery.

Like all A-Z books, this one illustrates the alphabet - but instead of "A is for apple", A is for Angela - as in Angela Davis, the iconic political activist. B is for Billie Jean King, who shattered the glass ceiling of sports; C is for Carol Burnett, who defied assumptions about women in comedy; D is for Dolores Huerta, who organized farmworkers; and E is for Ella Baker, who mentored Dr. Martin Luther King and helped shape the civil rights movement.

“Kids always search for heroes, so we might as well have a say in it”, Brad Meltzer realized, and so he envisioned this friendly, fun approach to biography - for his own kids, and for yours. Each book tells the story of one of America’s icons in a vivacious, conversational way. Each book focuses on a particular character trait that made that role model heroic. For example, Rosa Parks dared to stand up for herself and other African Americans by staying seated, and as a result she helped end public bus segregation and launch the country’s Civil Rights Movement.

Long ago, Muslim women rode into battle to defend their dreams. They opened doors to the world’s oldest library. They ruled, started movements, and spread knowledge. Today, Muslim women continue to make history. Once upon a time, they were children with dreams, just like you. Discover the true stories of 19 unstoppable Muslim women of the 21st century who have risen above challenges, doubts, and sometimes outright hostility to blaze trails in a wide range of fields. 

Do you think science is fun and exciting? Bill Nye does. In fact, he wanted to become an astronaut, but NASA rejected his applications. Instead, Nye has spent his career helping other people understand science and showing them how cool science can be. Nye went to college to become a mechanical engineer, and he got a job working for an aircraft company. But soon, he began focusing more and more on a career in comedy. Eventually, he got his own popular TV show called Bill Nye the Science Guy.

In middle school, Gabrielle "Gabe" Ford developed a degenerative muscle disease, and was harassed by bullies as a result. She did her best to keep her head high, but it wasn't easy. Then Gabe got a dog, Izzy, who developed an uncannily similar disorder. They were invited to appear on Animal Planet to talk about their bond, which in turn led to an invitation to speak at a school. And so began Gabe's career as an anti-bullying advocate.

You may never have heard of him, but you've probably heard of the many people civil rights activist Bayard Rustin influenced. He was a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and refused to move to the back of the bus many years before Rosa Parks did. The son of a freed slave, Bayard Rustin grew up during the peak of the Jim Crow laws, which segregated Blacks and Whites.

Growing up as a girl in Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai had to fight every step of the way to get an education. After she was attacked for doing so, Malala took her fight to the world stage, pushing for the right to an education for every girl, everywhere. Her activism earned her a Nobel Peace Prize and inspired girls and women everywhere to stand up for their own rights too.

Il 4 aprile 1968 un colpo di fucile uccise Martin Luther King. Aveva 39 anni, quasi tutti spesi nella lotta contro la discriminazione razziale: una guerra senza armi, di cui Martin è ancora oggi un simbolo. Il ritmo della poesia e la forza delle illustrazioni fanno rivivere, in questo libro, la sua adolescenza, i soprusi di cui fu vittima e spettatore, la sua volontà di combattere, in modo pacifico ma senza cedere di un passo, per i diritti dei neri, la fede, i dubbi, i sacrifici, gli uomini e le donne che hanno creduto nel suo messaggio e combattuto con lui.

When the United States entered World War II, it had to face its own contradictions at home. Opportunities opened up for Black people and women in support of the war effort. But ideas about race and gender didn't change as swiftly. Listen to the story of the first all-Black battalion in the Women's Army Corps—the Six Triple Eight—and its leader, Major Charity Adams. These women bravely confronted the racism and sexism they experienced. And they did it while creating a system to make sure millions of letters and packages got to soldiers fighting in Europe.

In August 2018, a teenager named Greta Thunberg missed school to sit outside the Swedish parliament with a sign that read School Strike for Climate. She was demanding that government leaders take stronger action against climate change due to global warming. At first, Greta sat alone. But her message spread.