Famous Civil Rights Activists - List of Famous Civil Rights Activists

A civil rights activist is one who is actively or non-actively involved or participates in various rights of civil movements in a nation in order to facilitate equal opportunity to all the members in the society. A civil rights activist will campaign and work towards the protection and implementation of various civil rights like personal rights, entitlements, freedoms, civil liberties that a person is entitled to receive naturally by being a citizen of a particular nation. Some of the important civil rights include, right to equality, right to physical and mental integrity, protection from any kind of discrimination, rights to privacy among many other civil rights and liberties. A civil rights activist may be involved in various cases where there have been a breach of civil rights and , he /she may be involved in various kinds of campaigns, protests or demonstrations. Civil rights movement came into existence in the 1960’s, after the world witnessed a series of political movements. In 1966, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights recognized the concept of civil rights on a global level. Read on, for more information on the world’s famous civil rights activists, with their biographies that include trivia, interesting facts, timeline and life history.

The Most Famous Civil Rights Activists

NameBirthdayNationalityBio
Muhammad AliJanuary 17, 1942AmericanMuhammad Ali was a legendary boxer who became the first and only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion
Ida B. WellsJuly 16, 1862AmericanIda Bell Wells-Barnett was an African-American journalist, suffragist and a civil rights activist
Ruby BridgesSeptember 8, 1954AmericanRuby Bridges is renowned for being the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school
Malcolm XMay 19, 1925AmericanMalcolm X was a renowned African-American Sunni Muslim civil rights activist
Lena HorneJune 30, 1917AmericanLena Horne was a famous American actress and civil rights activist and is remembered for her roles in ‘The Duke Is Tops’ and ‘Cabin in the Sky’
Stokely CarmichaelJune 29, 1941Trinidadian, AmericanStokely Carmichael was a Trinidadian-American leader of the ‘American Civil Rights Movement’, known for his radical theories
Thomas ClarksonMarch 28, 1760BritishThomas Clarkson was an English abolitionist and the main force in bringing about the Slave Trade Act
Edith CowanAugust 2, 1861AustralianEdith Dircksey Cowan (née Brown) was an Australian politician and social campaigner
Adam Clayton Powell Jr.November 29, 1908AmericanAdam Clayton Powell Junior was a well-known pastor, a civil rights activist and a renowned politician of the 20th century United States
Claudette ColvinSeptember 5, 1939AmericanClaudette Colvin is an African-American civil rights activist
Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez was an American union leader and labor organizer

AmericanMarch 31, 1927196 views

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician

Edith Cowan

Edith Dircksey Cowan (née Brown) was an Australian politician and social campaigner

Angela Davis

A former leader of the Communist Party USA, Angela Davis is an American social and political activist, Scholar and writer

AmericanJanuary 26, 1944213 views

Adam Clayton Powell Jr.

Adam Clayton Powell Junior was a well-known pastor, a civil rights activist and a renowned politician of the 20th century United States

AmericanNovember 29, 1908253 views

Matilda Joslyn Gage

Matilda Joslyn Gage was a prominent nineteenth century suffrage leader, abolitionist and writer

AmericanMarch 24, 1826161 views

Hosea Williams

Hosea Williams was an American civil rights leader, politician and philanthropist who played a major role in the struggle against segregation

AmericanJanuary 5, 1926146 views

Ida B. Wells

Ida Bell Wells-Barnett was an African-American journalist, suffragist and a civil rights activist

AmericanJuly 16, 1862410 views

Benjamin Banneker

Benjamin Bannekar was an African American scientist and a strong advocate of racial equality