“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
– Martin Luther King Jr.
“O, let America be America again –
The land that never has been yet –
And yet must be – the land where every man is free.”
– Langston Hughes
“No.”
– Rosa Parks
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”
– Frederick Douglass
“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”
– Ida B. Wells
“You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.”
– Malcolm X
The quotes here come from the article 10 Civil Rights Quotes That Made History
This guide includes library and online resources for eras of African American History. These resources are just the beginning, so explore this guide and ask a librarian for more information. Use the tabs to navigate through this page.
Source: "Watch: Amanda Gorman reads inauguration poem, 'The Hill We Climb'" by PBS NewsHour, is licensed under a Standard YouTube License.
"Amanda Gorman, a 22-year-old poet, read an original work at President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20. After Biden was sworn in as the nation’s 46th president, Gorman read “The Hill We Climb,” building on a tradition of poets -- including Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Elizabeth Alexander and Richard Blanco -- who have read for incoming Democratic presidents. Gorman is the youngest of these inaugural poets to offer her verse."
- From the PBS NewsHour page linked above.
Note: This guide is under construction and is currently being updated (02/2022); in the meantime, if you see errors, have questions, or suggestions for improvement, let us know by using the contact information on the "Get Help" page of this guide!