When Black singer Marian Anderson was barred from performing in Washington by the Daughters of the Revolution – her Lincoln Memorial performance made her an icon of the Civil Rights Movement.
Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures shines a light on influential Americans who’s stories don’t usually make it into the textbooks – from the “Robin Hood of Harlem” to the greatest athlete of the 20th century.
Thomas Garrett and the Underground Railroad
By day he worked as an iron merchant – but by night, Thomas Garrett helped thousands escape slavery as a station master on the Underground Railroad.
Martha Moore Ballard: Diary of a Midwife
Written over 25 years, Martha Moore Ballard’s diary gives us a unique perspective into the midwifery profession, and the lives of women in the newly independent United States of America.
Barbara Henry: Teaching Ruby Bridges
In the 1960s, Black schoolgirl Ruby Bridges and White teacher Barbara Henry showed America the true power of racial integration in the classroom.
Dolores Huerta: “Yes we can!”
The brains behind the political slogan “Yes we can!”, Mexican-American labor leader Dolores Huerta fought for the rights of immigrant workers in the 1960s.
Thurgood Marshall: From School Suspension to Supreme Court
Thurgood Marshall, the most successful civil rights lawyer of all time and America’s first Supreme court Justice, was instrumental in the fight for equality in the United States.
Ellen Ochoa: The First Female Hispanic Astronaut
In 1993, Ellen Ochoa wrote her name in the stars – as the first Hispanic woman to enter orbit. She continues to inspire generations of aspiring astronauts today.
Josefa Segovia: The Only Mexican-American Woman Hanged in California
Was Josefa Segovia – the first and only woman hanged in the state of California – killed for her actions or her race? And what can we learn from her tragic story?
Stephen H Long: The Man Who Mapped the West
Stephen H. Long mapped much of the unexplored American West – but he made one big mistake that set Western migration back decades.
Maria Tallchief: America’s First Prima Ballerina
In a world dominated by mainly caucasian dancers, Native American Maria Tallchief overcame discrimination to become the United States’ first prima ballerina.