5 Most Influential Civil Right Activists of Today
Voting rights, police misconduct, and racial profiling are just a few of the issues that have resurfaced. A new generation of civil rights activists is taking on both old and new conflicts in the spirit of those who fought for equality half a century ago.
Recently, new civil rights leaders in the United States, not just African Americans but also migrants and women’s rights, have emerged to advocate for equality and justice. Social media campaigns and publications are being used in novel ways to magnify and disseminate them. Following are just a few of the current and upcoming civil rights activists who will have a lasting impact on both domestic and international issues.
1. Michelle Alexander
Michelle Alexander is a civil rights attorney and academic. It took a costly social war for the civil rights movement to end Jim Crow in the South, an unjust system that denied African Americans the ability to vote and to share lunch counters and classrooms with white citizens.
However, in 2010, Alexander argued in her book, The New Jim Crow, that one system of racial oppression had been replaced by another: the nation’s jails and prisons, which were disproportionately populated by black men, branded with criminal records they would never be able to erase.
The New Jim Crow has now become a landmark for a new generation of civil rights activists, dubbed the secular bible of a new movement. Alexander’s work gained the greatest endorsement when artist John Legend mentioned her during his Oscar victory speech.
2. Patrisse Khan-Cullors
Khan-Cullors describes herself as a Los Angeles-based artist, organizer, and freedom fighter. In 2012, after the police shooting death of black adolescent Trayvon Martin, she co-founded the anti-police killing protest movement known as Black Lives Matter (BLM).
After George Floyd’s death in 2020, BLM’s popularity soared, making Khan-Cullors one of the most influential civil rights activists. As the New York Times points out, this “may be the largest movement in the United States’ history. One of the most prominent advocates for jail reform and abolition, Khan-Cullors is also an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights.
3. Bryan Stevenson
Founder and CEO of The Equal Justice Initiative, Bryan Stevenson, addresses inequality in the criminal justice system. EJL works to stop mass incarceration, harsh punishment, and the vast racial disparities in how justice is administered in the United States.
Stevenson is also a vocal opponent of the death penalty, which is overwhelmingly used to black offenders. Hundreds of capital sentence cases have been tried by the EJL. Stevenson hopes that his work will lead to a full and honest reckoning with the country’s sad history.
4. Angela Davis
When it comes to the rights of African-Americans, Angela Davis is a pioneer. It’s been more than 40 years since she was named Time Magazine’s “Woman of the Year,” and she’s still a powerful force in the world.
For decades, Davis has been a key figure in civil rights movements, from the Black Panther Party to the Women’s March on Washington. Inspired by her legal battle, rock stars like John Lennon and Mick Jagger created songs about her in the 1970s. Despite being in her golden years, Angela Davis remains one of the most remarkable civil rights activists today.
5. Rachel Cargle
Civil rights activists are increasingly turning to social media to raise their voices, reach the masses, and make an impact. Rachel Cargle is one of the many prominent names that are quickly gaining a following on social media and playing an important role in creating awareness regarding racial issues.
Using her Instagram account, Cargle has gained a following for her uplifting and, at times, unsettling examinations of daily racism. She uses social media as a platform for her academic research and writing and to help people better grasp of what racism entails for African American citizens.
We are at an important crossroads, which means we need leaders and foundations that are outspoken about the need to alter unjust systems and structures that perpetuate damage to people of color. The above-mentioned civil rights activists are just some of the people who will shape the future. Buy the book African American Inventor Package by Philip Franklin to learn about the unsung black inventors in history.