Civil Rights Women

If you ask who the heroes of the civil rights movement are, you are certain to hear the names Martin Luther King or Ralph Abernathy and Medgar Evers. But if you scan historical images of the most dramatic moments of the civil rights movement, like protesters being blasted by fire hoses and dogs lunging at blacks, you will see that women and girls are everywhere.

While it is true that each of those men fully deserves the acclaim he receives, it is also true that the success of the civil rights movement hinged also on the selfless dedication and hard work of a host of women.   We would like to present three of them to you today:  Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King and Fannie Lou Hamer.