"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." The prophetic words of abolitionist, writer, and social reformer Frederick Douglass live on in his speeches and… More →

Read about the men and women who have improved our lives through science including Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, astronaut Mae Jemison, inventor George Washington Carver, psychologists Kenneth… More →

In the days before performance-enhancing substances, the great Hank Aaron hit a career-record 755 home runs, a mark he held for 33 years. Born in Mobile, Alabama, Hammerin' Hank began his… More →

Following the passage of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law, which made it a crime to aid in the escape or protection of escaped slaves, Stowe lent her actions and her words to the effort to help… More →

Harriet Tubman led a remarkable life as an abolitionist, emancipator of slaves, military spy, and advocate for women's rights. Tubman helped lead more than seventy slaves out of captivity and More →

Journalist, speaker, and early civil rights leader Ida B. Wells was one of the most outspoken and famous women in the United States. Her powerful speeches on the injustices of lynching in… More →

At a time when much of the United States was still racially segregated, Jackie Robinson smashed the color barrier to become the first African-American player in Major League Baseball. Born in More →

James Baldwin was an author, social critic, and activist known for his deep understanding of race and class in the United States. This book introduces readers to his speech from a 1965 debate More →

John Brown joined the side of "free-staters" in the conflict in the Kansas Territory, fighting to have Kansas enter the Union as an anti-slavery state. History has shown that his actions and… More →

Baby John was bigger and stronger than other kids. He could eat and talk from the day he was born! Who did this bigger-than-life boy grow up to be? A bigger-than-life man who helped build… More →