Unsung Heroes

Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, Malcolm X...all heroes commonly associated with the history of African-Americans. But there are many less familiar people who had just as much if not more of an impact on civil rights for blacks in the U.S.

The Grio has a slideslow on a few of these unsung heroes...

Bayard Rustin: Openly gay in a homophobic era, Bayard Rustin was a tireless activist. Although a Pennsylvania native, Rustin, who was also a Quaker, flourished in Harlem, joining the national effort to free the Scottsboro boys as well as contributing to early Communist efforts to end racism. Working with A. Philip Randolph, the legendary labor and civil rights leader, Rustin was part of the original March on Washington, proposed first in 1941 and was the main organizer of the historic 1963 march. Rustin participated in the 1947 Freedom Rides organized by the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Traveling to India in 1948, Rustin, who studied with Gandhi’s disciples and was a critical advisor during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, is credited for fully converting Dr. King to nonviolent direct action.

William Still: The New York Times acknowledged William Still as the “Father of the Underground Railroad” in his 1902 obituary. Later in life, the former slave became a wealthy man, leaving between $750,000 and $1 million upon his death. Working tirelessly on the Underground Railroad, it’s estimated that Still helped as many as 60 slaves a month escape to freedom. His most enduring legacy remains the meticulous records he kept about Underground Railroad activity and, most importantly, the fugitive slaves themselves that are found within his 1872 book, “The Underground Railroad.”

To view the entire slideshow, click here.