The Selma Bloody Sunday legacy continues to shape modern civil rights movements and discussions about protest and state power.
Civil Rights Movement
Posted inNational
Jesse Jackson Dies at 84, Leaving a Legacy That Redefined American Politics and Black Political Power
Jesse Jackson civil rights leader and founder of Operation PUSH has died at 84. His activism and presidential campaigns reshaped American politics and Black political participation.
Posted inEvents
MSR joins Doors Open Minneapolis 2025
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder is one of 75 featured sites for Doors Open Minneapolis 2025, offering visitors a chance to explore its historic headquarters and learn about its legacy of truth-telling and community power.
Posted inNational
Black history purge hits Smithsonian
Trump officials are dismantling Smithsonian exhibits depicting African American history, including the 1960 Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in exhibit, and returning items to their rightful owners, while civil rights leaders are seeing their history returned behind the scenes.
Posted inNational
Trump Moves to Expose MLK Files — Critics Warn of Smear Campaign
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to declassify records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but some are concerned that the release of these documents could damage the public reputation of Dr. King.
Posted inNational
After the L.A. fires, disaster gentrification looms
Altadena, a historically Black enclave in California, has been devastated by the Eaton Fire, leaving over 1,000 structures destroyed and many residents displaced, with concerns of disaster gentrification and the need for a just and equitable recovery.
Posted inDr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Remembering arrests of civil rights leaders during Montgomery Bus Boycott
On February 20, 1956, civil rights activists including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jo Ann Robinson, Rosa Parks, and the Rev. Ralph Abernathy were arrested for organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a powerful act of resistance against racial segregation in public transportation.
Posted inNational
Remembering Nikki Giovanni: Poet of the Black Revolution and Voice of a Generation
Nikki Giovanni, a celebrated African-American poet and advocate for social justice, passed away at the age of 81, leaving behind a legacy of inspiring works that shaped the cultural and social consciousness of generations.
Posted inOpinion
The right to vote protects all other rights
Colin Allred, a voting rights attorney and U.S. Representative from Texas, is running for U.S. Senate in 2024 and is advocating for the reinstatement and modernization of the Voting Rights Act to protect the right to vote.
Posted inNews
Black America’s quest for true Independence runs deeper than July 4
Independence Day in the United States is a time of reflection for African Americans, who have faced systemic injustices and disparities since the inception of American independence.
Posted inNews
Civil Rights Act of 1964: Lessons from the Black economic boycotts
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was achieved by the Montgomery bus boycott, the Birmingham boycott, and other local boycotts.
Posted inNews
MSR in the turbulent ‘60s and ‘70s
Cecil E. Newman’s Minneapolis Spokesman and St. Paul Recorder were instrumental in chronicling the African American experience during the 1960s and 1970s.
Posted inNews
Rev. James Lawson Jr., Civil Rights Movement figure and Freedom Rider, passes away at 95
Rev. James Lawson Jr., a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement and an original Freedom Rider.
Posted inArts + Culture
James Baldwin bore witness to the struggles of his day—and ours
James Baldwin’s life and work is highlighted in the documentary “The Price of the Ticket”, which highlights his unique role in the Civil Rights Movement as an openly gay Black leader and his understanding of class and race.
Posted inOpinion
Honor Rosa Parks through action on public transit
A new piece of legislation, the “Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act”, would provide high-quality public transit to communities across the country.
Posted inNews
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Vietnam War stance offers lessons for peace in the Middle East
Martin Luther King Jr.’s courage to speak out against the Vietnam War came with a cost.
Posted inLocal & State
An interview with MLK Breakfast featured speaker Marley Dias
Harvard student Marley Dias on political strife, breaking the glass ceiling
Posted inNational, News
Historic March on Washington anniversary commemorated with calls for continued civil rights struggle
The original March on Washington, a cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement, drew approximately 250,000 participants on August 28, 1963.
Posted inOpinion
Remembering Emmett Till
‘I should have learned the story of Emmett Till in my history classes. I never did.’
Posted inArts + Culture
Harry Belafonte leveraged his stardom for social change
No other entertainer immersed themselves so deeply in the Civil Rights Movement as Harry Belafonte.