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Allies in History

Background

Since the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950-1960s, thousands of activists from differing racial and ethnic backgrounds rallied in support of the African-American community. This section of the project highlights some of those activists, and draws attention to how few differences there are between the activists in the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Grace Lee Boggs

Born: June 27th, 1915

Died: October 5th, 2015 (aged 100)

Grace Lee Boggs was an Asian-American woman from Detroit, Michigan. She was predominantly known for her work as a philanthropist and civil rights activist. From a poor Chinese woman fighting for her right to education, to a Marxism supporter and civil rights activist, Grace Lee pioneered the way for Asian-Americans fighting for black rights and women of color in leadership positions.

Born: April 3rd, 1903

Died: October 29th, 1988 (aged 85)

Kamaladevi was an Indian woman who spent her life fighting for social reform and civil rights. Although her efforts were mostly centered around the Indian Independence Movement, she frequently spoke out against racism towards black people in America, citing the parallels between British control over India and racism within the United States.

KAMALADEVI  CHATTOPADHYAY

Richard Aoki

Born: November 20th, 1938

Died: March 15th, 2009 (aged 70)

 

Richard Aoki was a Japanese-American man born in San Leandro, California, an educator who was mostly known for his role in the Civil Rights Movement. After moving to a predominantly black neighborhood in Oakland, CA, Richard joined the Black Panther Party in 1967. He was a leader in the Third World Liberation Front Strike at UC Berkeley in 1969, which sought the representation of Black, Asian, and Hispanic students on campus, and was successful in doing so.

Yuri Kochiyama

Born: May 19th, 1921

Died: June 1st, 2014 (aged 93)

 

Yuri was a Japanese-American woman who was known for her alliances with people she viewed as political prisoners and victims of FBI oppression. Because of this, she was labelled as a “Red Chinese Agent” in the 1960s. She worked closely with African-American activist Malcolm X, and was present during his assassination. She continued to advocate for her beliefs until her death in 2014.

Viola Liuzzo

Born: April 11th, 1925

Died: March 25th, 1965 (aged 39)

 

Viola Fauver Gregg Liuzzo was a white American woman and a civil rights activist from Michigan. She travelled from Detroit, Michigan to Selma, Alabama to participate in the Selma to Montgomery marches. She was murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan while transporting fellow marchers to the Montgomery airport following the march.

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