civil rights

Ambassador Andrew Young, Operation Hope Founder John Hope Bryant Reflect on the March on Washington 60 Years Later

Ambassador Andrew Young, Operation Hope Founder John Hope Bryant Reflect on the March on Washington 60 Years Later

August 28, 1963, will go down, for many, as the day the nation woke up to the idea of a world where racial equality could exist. It’s a day that Ambassador Andrew Young will never forget. Young, who at the time was a young man, knew that he had an assignment to do. His job was to make sure that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was protected and served well. In an exclusive interview with Christian Headlines, Ambassador Young and his mentee, John Hope Bryant, the president, and founder of Operation Hope, reflect on the importance and impact of the March on Washington. They also discuss how essential mentorship is in moving the country forward.

“I remember the day clearly, along with how it came about,” Young said as he reflected on the March on Washington and the racial strife that led to the historic day.

Young recalled that Dr. King almost didn’t give his famous “I Have a Dream” speech because some of the leaders of the March thought he was too young. “Dr. King didn’t give his speech until late that day,” Young said.

Martin Luther King Jr's Last Full Year of Life: Protest, Praise, Ire, Incarceration

Martin Luther King Jr's Last Full Year of Life: Protest, Praise, Ire, Incarceration

While Martin Luther King Jr. Day is mostly commemorated with quotes and clips of King’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech and footage of bus boycotts and the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, some of the most important moments of King’s work came later, as he turned his attention from civil rights to poverty and the Vietnam War. Here’s a sampling:

Remembering the Black Female Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement

Remembering the Black Female Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement

The truth is, we remember much of the civil rights movement through its very visible male leaders — giants like Roy Wilkins, Bayard Rustin, Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph Abernathy. Virtually all of the main characters in the film “Selma” are men.

But there were so many women, both behind the scenes and on the front lines, who shaped the movement.

How John Lewis Fought Anti-Semitism

How John Lewis Fought Anti-Semitism

In 2003, Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin met with congressman and Civil Rights activist John Lewis to discuss relations between the Black community and the Jewish community in Atlanta, Georgia.

Joseph Lowery, Minister, Civil Rights Leader, Friend of King, Dies at 98

Joseph Lowery, Minister, Civil Rights Leader, Friend of King, Dies at 98

Rev. Joseph Lowery, a civil rights leader who worked closely with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and prayed at President Barack Obama’s first inauguration, died on Friday at 98-years-old.