civil rights

Martin Luther King Jr. and Nichelle Nichols.

Civil rights activist and stealth Trekker Martin Luther King Jr. had an intense conversation with one of the show’s main cast members to keep the series intact.

Martin Luther King at the March on Washington.

Martin Luther King Jr., the Atlanta native who became one of the most important figures in the civil rights movement, helped unite a divided nation.

‘Star Trek’ wasn't host to TV’s first interracial kiss, but it’s the one people tend to remember.

William Shatner’s lip lock with Nichelle Nichols wasn't TV’s first interracial kiss, but it might have been the most controversial.

Standing in solidarity helps create real change around the world.

Preparedness matters before attending a demonstration. Here’s everything you need to know about how to stay safe during a protest, from what to bring to what your rights are, and more.

While they might not have been old enough to drive, they were old enough to steer history.

The Alien Act was enacted by John Adams’s Federalist administration in preparation for a war that didn’t actually happen.

Three of the four acts expired shortly after they were signed into law in the late 1700s. One remains active—and it’s been at the center of constitutional debates ever since.

One of many protests against the Vietnam War in the late 1960s.

The deeply unpopular war led to the biggest and most consequential protest movement in U.S. history. Here are the key events and reactions.

Rosa Parks is fingerprinted by a Montgomery, Alabama, police officer after being arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger.

Civil disobedience and nonviolent protests have moved mountains. Here are just a few examples of when people took back power.

The MLK quote “a riot is the language of the unheard” came from his 1967 speech on the two Americas.

With a letter opener protruding from his chest, Martin Luther King Jr. reassured everyone that everything was ok. One sneeze later, it would not have been.

The act of protesting has a long and productive history.

You can save this one for the next time someone makes you mad (though it might not do you any favors, either).

This common phrase is often used during times of political uncertainty, and has even been described as an ancient Chinese curse. History says otherwise, though.

The Stonewall Inn is now a national monument.

The Stonewall Riots were a watershed moment for the LGBTQ+ community in the U.S., but here are some important facts you might not know about the uprising.

Is Juneteenth a federal holiday? Yes—and we have Opal Lee to thank for that.

Stanford’s interactive map shows where school segregation persists.

See how your neighborhood is faring.

How Johann Sebastian Bach and the Little Rock Nine inspired one of The Beatles’ biggest hits—and one of the most covered songs ever recorded.

Harry Belafonte performing in Munich circa 1980.

You know Harry Belafonte's hits—here are some facts about the artist behind them.

A Freedom Rider getting kicked out of a bus depot, 1961.

Hundreds of civil rights activists calling themselves Freedom Riders bravely held the nation accountable to its rules against segregation in 1961. Here are the facts you need to know.

For two decades, the original copy of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic speech was stashed inside a Harry Truman biography for safekeeping.

Rosa Parks changed the world on December 1, 1955, when she stood up for civil rights by sitting down. But who was the bus driver on the other side of history?

Emmett Till’s murder—and his mother's fight for justice—will be recognized across three sites in two states.

By the age of 34, Lorraine Hansberry was already the author of two plays that had appeared on Broadway. She should have been on course for a long and successful career—but tragically, that wouldn't happen. Still, her legacy has endured.

Larry Kramer in Manhattan's Washington Square in 2007.

While co-founding two of the most influential HIV/AIDS organizations in the U.S., he still had time to pen a landmark play and be nominated for an Academy Award.

Black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey played a major role in the early civil rights movement. This Juneteenth dish has more of a connection to him than just his name.

How Martin Luther King Jr. Kept ‘Star Trek’ Flying High

12 Historic Facts About Martin Luther King Jr.

The ‘Star Trek’ Interracial Kiss That Made TV Executives Panic

How To Stay Safe During a Protest

10 Times Kids Changed History

11 Fundamental Facts About the Alien and Sedition Acts

10 Significant Vietnam War Protests

11 Peaceful Protests and Their Historic Results

Watch Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “The Other America” Speech

The 1958 Assassination Attempt That Left Martin Luther King Jr. a Single Sneeze Away From Death

12 Protests That Changed the World

Where Does the Phrase ‘May You Live In Interesting Times’ Actually Come From?

8 Facts About the Stonewall Riots

Meet Opal Lee—the 97-Year-Old Activist Known as the ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’

Interactive Map Shows How School Segregation Has Changed in Your Town

“Blackbird” Revisited: How The Beatles’ Civil Rights Anthem Has Been Inspiring Artists for More Than 50 Years

8 Entertaining Facts About Harry Belafonte

11 Facts About the Freedom Riders

What Happened to the Physical Copy of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech?

On December 1, 1955, a Bus Driver Had Rosa Parks Arrested—But It Wasn’t Their First Encounter

A National Monument Has Just Been Established to Honor Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley

7 Facts About Lorraine Hansberry

10 Fascinating Facts About Larry Kramer

How Marcus Garvey Bean Salad Became a Traditional Juneteenth Dish