Equality's Call: The Story of Voting Rights in America

" No one should ever be locked away simply because they share the same race, ethnicity, or religion as a spy or terrorist. If that principle was not learned from the internment of Japanese Americans, then these are very dangerous times for our democracy. " --Fred Korematsu Fred T. Korematsu (1919-2005) was born January 30, 1919 .  He was a civil rights activist who spoke up against the World War II government incarceration of Japanese Americans. Fred T. Korematsu Institute biography of Fred Korematsu Zinn Education Project lesson plan about Japanese American Internment Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery portrait of Fred T. Korematsu NPR interview with Karen Korematsu , daughter of Fred Korematsu PBS article about the film Of Civil Wrongs and Rights , about Fred Korematsu PBS site about Children of the Camps , documentary about Japanese American internment Article about Japanese American voting rights during World War II This blog post is part of an ongoing series of ...

" We have to get out there and change the old attitudes. " --Ed Roberts Ed Roberts (1939-1995), disability rights activist and founder of the independent living movement, was born on January 23, 1939 . U.S. National Park Service biography of Ed Roberts Encyclopedia Brittanica entry about Ed Roberts AAPD article " Ed Roberts, the Disability Rights Movement and the ADA " California Hall of Fame biography of Ed Roberts Disability Rights California article about Ed Roberts This blog post is part of an ongoing series of "this date in history" blog posts that will highlight some of the people and events of voting rights history. Links provide an opportunity for students and teachers to explore and learn more.

The Twenty-Fourth Amendment, ratified January 23, 1964, outlawed the poll tax in federal elections. The primary intent of poll taxes, which were levied in some states from the 1890s to the 1960s, was to disenfranchise Black voters. After the 24th Amendment, some states continued to impose poll taxes in state and local elections, until the Supreme Court declared them unconstitutional in 1966. Smithsonian National Museum of American History  article about Jim Crow laws , including poll taxes National Constitution Center  article about the 24th Amendment Teaching Tolerance " The Lessons of 1964 " article New York Times article from January 24, 1964 , reporting about the ratification of the 24th Amendment Zinn Education Project article about the 1966 Supreme Court ruling that banned poll taxes in state and local elections This blog post is part of an ongoing series of "this date in history" blog posts that will highlight some of the people and events of voting rights h...

"Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in." --Martin Luther King, Jr. Minister, activist, and civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  (1929-1968) was born January 15, 1929 .  Follow these links to learn more: Teaching Tolerance Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. resources Teaching Tolerance Teaching the Life and Legacy of MLK Teaching Tolerance  Teach MLK in Connection With the Attack on the U.S. Capitol Opinion piece by Dr. Peniel E. Joseph, " Are we really listening to what MLK had to say? " Craig Gordon article, " There’s Infinitely More to Martin Luther King Jr. Than ‘I Have a Dream’ "; also, a  teaching activity ACLU article, " Remembering Dr. King's Defense of Voting Rights " This blog post is part of an ongoing series of "this date in history" blog posts that will highlight so...

"I always feel the movement is a sort of mosaic. Each of us puts in one little stone, and then you get a great mosaic at the end." -- Alice Paul Suffragist, founder of the National Woman's Party, and co-author of the Equal Rights Amendment, Alice Paul (1885-1977) was born January 11, 1885 .  Follow these links to learn more: National Women's History Museum biography of Alice Paul National Park Service biography of Alice Paul National Park Service article about Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt disagreements National Museum of American History profile of Alice Paul Library of Congress Today in History entry about Alice Paul Library of Congress historical overview of the National Woman's Party American Heritage Magazine 1974 interview with Alice Paul Harvard Magazine profile of Alice Paul Alice Paul Institute article about the Equal Rights Amendment AFL-CIO profile of Alice Paul This blog post is part of an ongoing series of "this date in history" blog p...

"To the wrongs that need resistance, to the right that needs assistance, to the future in the distance, give yourselves."  --Carrie Chapman Catt Carrie Chapman Catt  (1859-1947), suffragist and founder of the League of Women Voters, was born January 9, 1859 . Here are some links to learn more: National Women's History Museum biography of Carrie Chapman Catt National Park Service biography of Carrie Chapman Catt Iowa State University Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics biography of Carrie Chapman Catt Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission article about Carrie Chapman Catt First Wave Feminisms profile of Carrie Chapman Catt Segment from Iowa PBS’s documentary Carrie Chapman Catt: Warrior for Women "Facing Hard Truths about the League's Origin"  by the LWV   Today's blog post is part of an ongoing series of "this date in history" blog posts that will highlight some of the people and events of voting rights history. Links provid...

"Speaking for Freedom in Kansas, I have spoken for Freedom everywhere, and for civilization; and, as the less is contained in the greater, so are all arts, all sciences, all economies, all refinements, all charities, all delights of life embodied in this cause. ... The sacred animosity between Freedom and Slavery can end only with the triumph of Freedom." --Charles Sumner Charles Sumner (1811-1874), abolitionist, civil rights advocate, and U.S. Senator, was born January 6, 1811 .  The following are some links to follow to learn more: U.S. Senate Historical Office a rticle about Charles Sumner National Park Service biography of Charles Sumner Encyclopedia Brittanica biography of Charles Sumner American Experience article about Charles Sumner Text of May 1856 anti-slavery Senate speech by Charles Sumner Text of a June 1860 anti-slavery Senate speech by Charles Sumner Charlotte L. Forten Grimké's  poem titled "Charles Sumner"  Zinn Education Project profile of Cha...

"The grandest thing has been the lifting up of the gates and the opening of the doors to the women of America, giving liberty to twenty-seven million women, thus opening to them a new and larger life and a higher ideal." --Olympia Brown Born on January 5, 1835 , Olympia Brown  (1835-1926) was a minister, suffragist, and women's rights advocate.  At the age of 85, after passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, she cast a vote in the 1920 presidential election. Here are some links to explore to begin to learn more: Encylopedia Brittanica biography of Olympia Brown Wisconsin Women Making History biography of Olympia Brown Ohio History Central biography of Olympia Brown Michigan Women Forward biography of Olympia Brown First Wave Feminisms biography of Olympia Brown Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography biography of Olympia Brown UU World article about Olympia Brown "The Many Faces of Olympia Brown" article This blog post is part of an ongoing series of ...

“Any great change must expect opposition, because it shakes the very foundation of privilege.” --Lucretia Mott Voting rights and the history of voting rights are year-round topics. Today I'm starting a periodic series of blog posts that will provide "this date in history" connections throughout the year. Links provide an opportunity for students and teachers to explore and learn more. Today's date-in-history entry is about Lucretia Mott (1793-1880), who was born January 3, 1793 . Abolitionist, social reformer, and women's rights activist, she was one of the founders of the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society and was co-organizer of the Seneca Falls Convention.  Follow these links to learn more: National Women's History Museum biography of Lucretia Mott National Women's Hall of Fame biography of Lucretia Mott Library of Congress Today in History biography of Lucretia Mott Library of Congress portrait of Lucretia Mott National Park Serviced biography o...