While America celebrates the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and the accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement, let us also acknowledge and celebrate the women, some widely known and others largely unacknowledged, who were the backbone of the movement.
Even as they often faced sexism from movement leaders which denied them speaking roles or leadership titles, women of the Civil Rights Movement persevered on the grassroots level to energize neighborhoods or plan marches and other forms of protest. Women provided safe places in their homes where leaders could plan, strategize and enjoy home cooked meals at a time when many public spaces were not safe.
Over the King holiday weekend, Georgia WIN List celebrates these mothers of the movement and ALL of the other women who made accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement possible:
Coretta Scott King balanced marching alongside Dr. King for many of the movement’s most historic occasions with the responsibilities of raising their four children and occasionally performing in freedom concerts. After Dr. King’s assassination, she devoted her life to spreading her husband’s philosophy of nonviolence and a deep commitment to preserving his legacy as the founding president of the King Center.
Daisy Bates and her husband founded The Arkansas Weekly, one of the only African American newspapers solely dedicated to the Civil Rights Movement. She was president of the Arkansas NAACP and planned the strategy, including the selection of the students, for the Little Rock Nine who would integrate Central High School in 1957.
Ella Baker played a key role in the NAACP, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. She was committed to economic justice for all and believed, “People cannot be free until there is enough work in this land to give everybody a job.”
Shirley Chisholm became the first African American women to serve in Congress in 1968, serving seven terms. Her autobiography, “Unbought and Unbossed,” demonstrated her attitude about advocacy for women and minorities. She was noted for saying, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair!”
Fannie Lou Hamer, the founder of Freedom Farm Cooperative, was known as the “Unquenchable Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement” while she served as vice-chair of the Freedom Democratic Party and helped organize the Mississippi’s Freedom Summer. She co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus.
Dorothy Height focused on the issues of African American women, including unemployment, illiteracy, and voter awareness. She was president of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years and was friends with both Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt. She was also on the national staff of the YWCA.
Rosa Parks was 42 when she was arrested in December 1955 for refusing to vacate her seat to make room for a white passenger who had just boarded the bus. Her courage and quiet dignity during the Montgomery Bus Boycott inspired thousands to join nonviolent resistance activities in the following years.
Mahalia Jackson was an internationally known gospel singer who performed during Civil Rights Movement marches and rallies. She also sang the national anthem during John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural. During the March on Washington, she encouraged a departure from prepared remarks as she shouted out to Rev. King, “Tell them about the dream, Martin.” The New York Times account of her impact on the speech and the supportive relationship between the two legends is well worth reading during this holiday weekend.
Thankfully, Black women are no longer denied leadership and speaking roles in the halls of power. Georgia WIN List endorsed Senator The Rev. Kim Jackson is the Senate Minority Whip and the first woman to serve in this leadership role. In the House, Columbus Rep. Carolyn Hugley serves as Minority Leader, the role formerly held by legendary Representative Stacey Abrams. Leader Abrams later made history as Georgia’s Democratic Gubernatorial Nominee in 2018 and 2022 – the first Black and the first woman nominee from either party.
For 26 years, Georgia WIN List has worked to elect and re-elect pro-choice Democratic women. Georgia has long boasted of the largest Black legislative delegation in the nation and WIN List has been instrumental in helping elect the majority of the Black women who currently serve. Please demonstrate your support for FLIPping seats from Red to Blue in 2026 with your generous gift today.
