The Movement History Initiative

08/16/2025

The Movement History Initiative and the John Hope Franklin Research Center want to say a big hello to all new and returning students at Duke! 💙

What better way to get to know your university than by exploring the archives? From student activism to Black history collections, the stories in these archives are part of your campus, waiting for you to discover them!

📍 Come visit us and learn more about the collections that shape Duke’s past, present, and future.

See you in the stacks!!

Photo: "Selma to Montgomery March, Alabama," 1965., from the James Karales Photographs Collection. Courtesy of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University Archives
📸: James Karales

08/09/2025

Today we honor and celebrate the life of Dr. Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons SNCC Veteran and lifelong activist!

Born Gwendolyn “Gwen” Robinson, she joined the movement against her families wishes after she heard Dr. King Speak at Spellman College. After volunteering for the Mississippi 1964 Summer Project, she headed for Laurel to become a Freedom school Teacher.

In Laurel she would organize twenty-three volunteers to build a Freedom school and Library, conduct a literacy program , mock voter registration project, and rally for integration of local school and restaurants.

📚 Learn more: https://buff.ly/JUoV9Ea
▶️ Watch her reflections on our YouTube channel: https://buff.ly/quMm4S2

08/09/2025

🕊️ Remembering Michael Brown
Today we remember Michael Brown, whose life was taken in Ferguson, Missouri, on this day in 2014. His death sparked an uprising that called the world to witness, igniting a new generation of organizers and fueling the Movement for Black Lives.

We honor his memory by continuing the fight for justice, demanding accountability, and working to build a world where our communities can live freely and fully.

May we never forget. ✊🏾

08/06/2025

59 years ago today, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law — a historic victory against voter suppression and a major milestone in the long struggle for civil rights.

This moment was made possible by years of fearless grassroots organizing — led by groups like SNCC, powered by everyday people, and ignited by acts of courage like the march in Selma on Bloody Sunday.

Though the law was a turning point, the fight for voting rights is not over. New challenges demand the same courage, strategy, and solidarity.

Honor the past by building the future. Keep organizing. Keep showing up. Keep voting. ✊

08/02/2025

James Baldwin wasn’t just a writer—he was a truth-teller whose words fueled the fight for liberation.

Through essays like The Fire Next Time and Notes of a Native Son, Baldwin held up a mirror to America, demanding it reckon with racism and injustice. He showed us that liberation requires honesty, love, and an unwavering commitment to freedom.

Today, we honor Baldwin’s life and legacy, letting his words continue to light the path toward justice.

This is an edited clip from the never aired ABC 20/20 interview of James Baldwin, 1979. Original video can be found at The Internet Archive➡️https://duke.is/8/szus

08/01/2025

More ways to celebrate and honor Black August ⤵️

But first—why do we observe Black August in the first place?
Black August is a month of reflection, resistance, and remembrance—honoring the legacy of Black political prisoners and freedom fighters who risked everything in the struggle for liberation. ✊🏾 Born out of the prison movements of the 1970s, Black August calls us to deepen our political education, ground ourselves in community, and continue the work of building a just world.

Here are a few more ways to take part within the month:
5. Support Political Prisoners
Write letters to incarcerated freedom fighters to show solidarity and remind them they are not forgotten. Research current political prisoners and donate to legal defense funds or commissary drives. Solidarity can be felt—even behind prison walls.

6. Practice Discipline
Some people fast, meditate, or engage in daily rituals during Black August as a form of political and spiritual discipline. This is a way to honor the sacrifices of those who came before us and cultivate the strength needed to continue their work.

7. Amplify Black Voices
Use your platforms—online or offline—to highlight the voices, struggles, and brilliance of Black organizers, thinkers, and communities. Share quotes, speeches, and historical moments that inspire resistance and clarity.

8. Create and Share Art
Art has always been a weapon in the fight for justice. Make or uplift poetry, visual art, music, or storytelling that honors Black resilience and radical imagination. Create from the heart and invite others to do the same.

9. Study Movement History
Learn about past and present movements for Black liberation— , the Black Panther Party, the Attica Rebellion, the Movement for Black Lives, and more. Studying the strategies and lessons of these movements helps inform and strengthen today’s organizing.



📸 "John Lewis, O.D. Hunt, and Dennis Gregory Foote, after their arrest at a downtown lunch counter." Credit: Jimmy Ellis, Crmvet.org

07/04/2025

The Fourth of July rings hollow when freedom remains unfinished business. Remember: none of us are free until all of us are free.

Independence was declared while millions remained in bo***ge, and many are still unfree today under new chains. Those within SNCC knew this truth deeply, reminding us that freedom for some has never meant freedom for all. Their commitment to fight for liberation for everyone is a call we must continue to answer. True liberation demands that we confront the stories we celebrate, the silences we keep, and the unfinished work of making freedom real for all.

06/05/2025

in Movement History ✊

What began as one man’s courageous stand became a turning point in the fight for freedom. On this day, James Meredith set out on his 220-mile March Against Fear—a bold journey to confront white supremacy and inspire Black Mississippians to vote. After he was shot, the people rose. Thousands joined the march, and together they carried the movement forward. From the pain came . From the pavement came . And from that march came a new rallying cry: Black Power!

The March Against Fear reshaped the movement, united voices across generations, and left a legacy that still fuels the fight for justice today.

Keep following us to learn more about the moments that made the movement.

And Learn More about Meredith's March by visiting https://buff.ly/Xyk2hAl

05/19/2025

Today, on the birthday of Malcolm X, we honor a revolutionary who challenged America to face its contradictions. Celebrated as Malcolm X Day, this moment marks the legacy of a leader whose fierce call for Black self-determination shaped SNCC’s evolving strategies and global vision. He challenged the limits of American democracy and inspired movements to dream bigger.

05/17/2025

in Movement History… the Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954), declaring that segregated schools were unconstitutional. This case didn’t just challenge Jim Crow—it ignited a wave of resistance, inspired the Civil Rights Movement, and laid the groundwork for future struggles for educational .

From student walkouts to community organizing, Brown’s legacy lives on in every fight for fair and fully funded schools. The ruling was a turning point, but not the finish line. The journey toward continues—driven by the same hope, courage, and vision that brought us this far. ✊🏾✨

05/15/2025

🎉 Today we honor the birthday of Diane Nash—a trailblazer, strategist, and one of the most courageous leaders of the . Born in 1938, Nash became a key figure in the fight for justice as a college student in , where she helped lead the Nashville Student Movement and was instrumental in organizing the city's lunch counter sit-ins.

A founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ( ), she was a force behind some of the most iconic campaigns of the era. When the original were threatened with violence and collapse, Nash insisted they continue—and coordinated them from Nashville, putting her own safety and freedom on the line.

She also played a pivotal role in the voting rights campaign and worked closely with Dr. King and while always holding firm to the principle of grassroots leadership. Nash showed us that nonviolence was not passive—it was powerful, intentional, and deeply rooted in moral clarity.

You can learn more about here ➡️ https://buff.ly/LJLO3DO

04/21/2025