Selma and Civil Rights

The 1965 voting rights march in Selma, Alabama exposed police brutality to the world and set the stage for the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The movie ‘Selma’ tells the story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the movement in Selma in a new and authentic way. Listen to learn more about traditional Hollywood depictions of civil rights and how this movie has broken that mold.

WARNING: THIS AUDIO STORY CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE

Civil Rights Activists Honored

Fifty years ago, on June 21, 1964, three young men went missing. They were part of Freedom Summer, an effort to register black residents to vote in segregated Mississippi. They were murdered by the local Ku Klux Klan. When their bodies were found a month later, the outrage led to the passage of civil rights protections. On November 24, 2014 President Obama posthumously awarded these three men the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to honor their sacrifice and work towards equality.

Lunch Counter Protests of Civil Rights Era

During Black History month, it’s important to learn about the small protest that sparked the civil rights movement. Four black teenagers demanded service at an all-white lunch counter in 1960. One of those protesters recently passed away and this story reflects on his life and impact.

Racial Integration in Little Rock Decades Later

Nearly six decades after schools were ordered to desegregate, students at a Little Rock High School still believe today there is work to be done to feel fully integrated. Listen to this story to learn how Arkansas high school students feel about race at their school.