Notable African-Americans & Rights for Women

1. Notable African-Americans & Rights for Women Unit 10 – Civil Rights

2. Charles Drew – Blood Banks

3. Notable African-Americans Dr. Charles Drew created the blood banking system that allows blood transfusions to take place. Saving lives everyday, his work was especially vital to helping soldiers survive during WWII

4. Maya Angelou – American Poet & Author

5. Maya Angelou Maya Angelou is a poet and author who is most known for her works “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “And Still I Rise” • I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings: • The free bird leap son the back of the windAnd floats downstream ill the current endsAnd dips his wings in the orange sun raysAnd dares to claim the sky.But a bird that stalks down his narrow cageCan seldom see through his bars of rageHis wings are clipped and his feet are tiedSo he opens his throat to sing.The caged bird sings with fearful trillOf the things unknown but longed for stillAnd his tune is heard on the distant hill, for The caged bird sings of freedom • The free bird thinks of another breezeAnd the trade winds soft through the sighing treesAnd the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawnAnd he names the sky his own.But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreamsHis shadow shouts on a nightmare screamHis wings are clipped and his feet are tiedSo he opens his throat to singThe caged bird sings with a fearful trillOf things unknown but longed for stillAnd his tune is heard on the distant hillFor the caged bird sings of freedom.

6. Henry Louis Gates – Historian & Author

7. Henry Louis Gates, Historian and Intellectual • Henry Louis Gates is a professor of history at Harvard University and a leading intellectual. • He has authored several books, many of which argue that a Euro-centric version of American history is not an accurate portrayal of the past. Indeed, African-American perspectives – and the perspectives of women and other minority groups are essential to understanding history.

8. Changing role of women • During the 1960s, women still faced obstacles to advancement and significant disadvantages in the workplace: • Discrimination against women in hiring practices was common, and it was legal until 1964. • Companies paid lower wages for women than for men doing the same job. This is still common practice in the United States. • The Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbid discrimination in hiring practices according to race. It was not only a victory for African-Americans during the Civil Rights Movement, but also for women.

9. The national Organization for Women Goals of the National Organization for Women (NOW) included: -equal opportunity -equal pay for equal work -supported reproductive rights and women’s health issues -advocated for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

10. Title Nine – Equal opportunity for women Title Nine (IX) gives athletic opportunities to women. Scholarships offered by colleges for men and women is the same, giving female athletes the ability to compete in sports on the college level.

11. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) • The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), despite its failure, created a wider range of options and advancement for women in business and public service: • Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. • Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. • Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification • Despite the relative simplicity of this proposed amendment to the Constitution, the amendment was never passed.