Special Report
Most Important Civil Rights Leaders of the 20th Century
May 1, 2019 4:29 pm
Last Updated: January 6, 2020 5:03 am
41. Julian Bond (1940-2015)
> Occupations: Politician, teacher, writer
> Cause: American civil rights
Bond, the first African American nominated as vice presidential candidate in 1968, withdrew his nomination because he would have been too young to serve. Bond also co-founded the Southern Poverty Law Center.
42. Dolores Huerta (1930-)
> Occupations: Labor leader, actor
> Cause: Workers’ rights
Known as vigorous organizer, Huerta was a labor and civil rights activist who also co-founded the United Farm Workers union.
43. Desmond Tutu (1931-)
> Occupations: Priest, teacher, author, theologian
> Cause: Ending apartheid in South Africa
As a cleric, Tutu was the conscience of the anti-apartheid movement and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end the oppressive system of apartheid in South Africa.
44. Andrew Young (1932-)
> Occupations: Politician, screenwriter, film producer
> Cause: African-American voter registration
Young’s distinguished career includes serving as U.N. ambassador, mayor of Atlanta, executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and confidant to Martin Luther King Jr.
45. Dick Gregory (1932-2017)
> Occupations: Comedian, author, writer, entrepreneur
> Cause: Free speech
A ground-breaking comedian, Gregory addressed civil rights in his comedy act. Gregory was a free speech advocate as well as a civil rights activist.