When I was seven years old, MLK was killed, and my cousin felt it was for the better. This is when I became acutely aware of racial issues.

Today I am writing an essay about "Letter from Birmingham Jail" because my African American collegues do not teach this essay in their English classroom while I do. More people need to be aware of the Civil Rights Movement. We tend to forget the struggles and courage of a population of people. I hope to publish my article in the NCTE in the hopes that more folks will have the courage to teach "Letter from Birmingham." King has become a hero for me and the students I teach in Texas.

Thank you for this website as it has served to help with my historical facts.

 —  Karen Lescure, Fulshear, Tx., December 28, 2005

In 1964 I was 9 years old in St Augustine Fl, during that time it seemed like the world was full of hate, I didn't understand why they, — the whites — hated us. But even at nine those images of the dogs and the people being beaten was imbedded in my memory. I never forgot that. I never knew the movement in St. Augustine played an important part in the Civil Rights movement until now. I am happy to see that the true history of the movement is being told, by the people who marched and went to jail and lost their jobs and whose families suffered because they demanded to treated like a human being. I salute every person to took part in the Civil Right Movement, because I was there I saw, I witness, I know whom shoulders I am standing on. Without them I would not be where I am today. Thank You!

 —  Cynthia Mansell-Watts, Phila Pa, 12-27-05

This website was really helpful for when I was working on my report of the civil rights movement, I am in the 10th grade, and I love history, I love to know, and this site helped me in my quest for knowledge.

 —  Debi, Perry, Ohio, December-15-2005

I love this site it has so much helpful info.

 —  Tay smith, Columbia south carolina, 12 -14-05

this web site is very helpful i like how it has so much inrofmation!!!

 —  courtney frogatsch, palo alto, califonia, 12/6/05

i love to read about blacks

 —  Alice Vasquez, United States, 11/30/05

Friends,

I recently saw Phil Hutchings in Chicago, after many years, and he told me of the web site. I am not enough of a CRM veteran to be on your list, but I thought you might be interested in how the Movement impacted me. Please pass this on to Phil if you would be so kind.

I was a (very depressed and unhappy) 16 y/o HS student in Des Moines, Iowa in 1965 and had followed the southern struggle in the papers, which I delivered. Through a good friend I joined the local youth group, Youth For Freedom, which was loosely affiliated with both sds and SNCC and working with an ERAP project in Des Moines.

Julian Bond's visit to Des Moines that year was important to many of us. In December, some of us in the group decided to protest the war in what was to become the Tinker v. DM Board of Education Supreme Court case over the right to wear black arm bands.

The example of the southern movement was what made it possible for us to act. To say it permanently changed my own life would be the greatest understatement. I have been an organizer ever since, (sds, anti-war and draft resistance, socialist and communist groups, unions, etc. and now a labor educator) I am just one more of the thousands that the movement sparked into action.

Many of you who fought in the South may never have realized the what an extent your work impacted some of us a little younger and in the North. You saved my life. Thank you.

And thank you for doing the web site and the organization. Those who volunteered for the fight that was (and is) worth fighting need to be acknowledged at least as much as those who were drafted to fight the fight not worth fighting.

 —  Joe, Chicago Illinois, 11/21/05

i love reading about how the colored people stood up for what they believe in and how it has affected our lives to day!!!!

 —  Samantha Bunch, Sheboygan Wisconsin, 11/14/05

The Civil Rights movement was the greatest thing to happen aside rom slavery being band. I thank Martin Luther King(grandpa) everyday. So does my dadd. If it wasn't for him he would had to have gone to an all colored school. I thank him every day. Rest in Peace grandpa

 —  Sera Elise King, Chicago IL., 11-15-05

I am very impressed with the sites contents. Knowledge is everywhere and this website has given me the desire to find other similar websites with an abundance of information to teach to my son and nephew. There is great importance of our history. We must continue to teach the young ones of the trials that people endured to have certain freedoms. My heart and prayers go out to Rosa Parks family.

 —  Keya McClain, St. Louis, MO, 11/13/05

I would be willing to give my life for freedom and this country. What I care most about is freedom and the bill of rights. We are all created equal and I know some of our brothers in arms would be livid and appalled if they saw not racial but class segregation going on in this dying republic. I may have to pore over the Declaration of Independence and mull over the idea of having to overthrowing a government or system which becomes tyranical. The thing that disturbs me is that no one wants to be governed by an omnipotent entity. The right loves to call that the U.S. Government. We are a republic our government doesn't govern; they represent. The only big government in this country is the corporate bodies in this country. This has happened so much so that we and other nations are losing their soveigntry. I am now looking at other countries as role models: just by their age , thier turbulent history and the way they take care of their people.

 — jerome crumlish, pittsgrove, nj. November 12, 2005.

civil rights are important

 —  bob miller (red rainbow), van nuys, ca, 11/03/05

I completed a capstone presentation, "The Impact of Music on the Civil Rights Movement from 1957-1967" a few years ago. However, I have been invited to present several papers on this topic. Moreover, I continously visit your web-site for stories, documents and the like.

Thanking you so much in advance.

 —  Jackie Kane Parham, Doctoral Student, New Church, VA/USA, 11/03/05

I would like to say, that i am really amazed of all the hard work that u put up.... All your dedication has been viewed by others and they too can appreciate all your good deeds. I would also like to say thanks for being that role model and helping our future generations learn how much the world has change.

Thank you can and keep strong

 —  Anna Diaz, Redwood City, California, 10-31-05

Hello Veterans,

I really like the website. Even tho im 14 and im still in Jr. high I still love learning about the civil rights. Im not really a member of anything because im only 14 years old and i love history. Like going into the gustbook so god bless you all haha..

 —  Rachel Parker, Ontonagon, Michigan, Oct 31st 2005

Hello

My name is Renee Vermeulen from Holland and the brother of Coretta. My sister is baptised with the same name as mrs King Coretta King

But the reason that I write is that I bring a slute to the late Rosa Parks and bring my condeleances to her.

She stood up by sitting down. And we must never forget this woman. Who was so great and now she is in heaven.

Side by side with all the great people who died for liberty.

And like Martin Luther King she is now FREE AT LAST FREE AT LAST, Thank GOD ALMIGHTY SHE IS FREE AT LAST.

I wish You good luck

 —  With the best wishes
Renee Vermeulen
Holland

Hello Veterans,

I'd to say that I'm very impressed with the WEB Site.

I will promote it's contents in my continuing effort as a DPS teacher to educate our young people on the struggles and victories of the African American people in the USA, etc.

I am formerly a member of SNCC in Nashville, TN, etc.

In 1961 I went to Mississippi with Bob Moses, Reginald Robinson and Marion Berry to operate Voter Registration Schools.

Thank you for your continuing effort of education and rememberance.

 —  John W Hardy, Detroit, MI , 10/30/2005

I am taking an ethics course in college and I came across your site while researching leaders who inspired us as a Nation during the Civil Rights Movement. I must tell you I was not counting on finding such amazing information from such a personal place of the heart. I teach my children to be tolerant of all and respect those in the way you want. I just want to let all that manage this site and those the visit it, take something good away with them as I have. Thank for keeping this open for all of us that need enlightenment.

 —  Denise Hinson, Waxahachie, Texas, 8, October 2005

I just wanted to say thank you for not giving up on what is right. Everybody here is a personal hero of mine.

 —  Joey Palermo-Silence, Springfield, Oregon, 09-30-2005

Thank you very much!

This is certainly important work you are doing.

Very best, Neal Hurwitz (Friends of SNCC at Columbia University, 1964-66)

 —  Neal H. Hurwitz, NY, NY, 10/26/05

I am the Chair of The African American History and Culture club at my High School. I visited this site in hopes of finding a guest speaker for the performance our club puts on every February. I have found this site to be extremely helpful in finding many amazing people. These people most definately fit in with our theme and hopefully will be able to speak at our performance. Thank you very much on behalf of my cochair Bernard Milligan, and myself.

 —  Dyana Boxley, Watervliet New York USA, August-10-2005

I have visted the sight with the hope of finding a guest speaker for a show at my high school put on by the African American and Cultural Club members in my school My self along with Dyana Boxley are the leaders of this club and we wanted to find a speaker that could not only fit within our spending range and what our school would actually fund for us and what we can fund for our selves along with the other club members.m We think that we have fond a few possible guest speakers that we are going to try and contact thanks to this web sight.. Thank you

 —  Bernard Milligan, Latham NEw York AMerica, august 10 2005

I visited this site during my American History Studies. I found this site easy to navigate and read. It was very imformative. The one thing that I found most appealing was the actual writings by vererans.

 —  Annette Sukhwa, Bronx New york, 08/09/05

I used parts of this site for a lesson on the Civil Rights movement for a summer school class while I was enrolled in a career-switchers program preparing me to be a teacher.

I found an ironic dichotomy in the students I was teaching. They knew about some of the players, especially Dr. Kind, but they had difficulty grasping what life was like for blacks in the South during this era — that they were often beaten, arrested, killed without any provocation. The fact that these young people felt they could and would justifiably defend themselves is a testament to the success of the movement, but none of them had heard any relatives or older friends talk about the difficult times and what life was like for 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

I have shared this website with my fellow new teachers, and I hope that they will teach their students about the inequality, the unfairness, and the degradation that happened. Because, like the Holocaust, I believe we should never forget what this was like and the cost of ensuring these young people live as full and participating citizens in this country.

 —  Robin Kabrich, Hampton, VA USA, 8-3-05

I turned to the Rainbow Coalition for help. My father, deceased, had authored a book dedicated to Dr. King in 1968. This caused so much hatred towards me that white supremacists attacked me and left me deaf and brain damaged for life. I was left too confused and humiliated to explain to anyone what had happened. My poor mother was forced to sell our home. I was a child; yet when I pleaded for intervention later, when they began stalking me as an adult, from Rev. Jackson, his only concern was to humiliate me. He contracted for hotwired conversations, attack prostitutes and stirred up so many defamations that he succeeded in getting my retarded and deaf girlfriend raped. Then, together at last, they laughed in my face. I would like to know why destroying and humiliating me was the priority of the King Family.

 —  Mac Crary, Seattle, 08-01-05

I am the Manager, Marketing, for the Mississippi District and we will be hosting a stamp unveiling on August 30, 2005, at Jackson State University. If you are interested in attending, please feel free to provide me your name and address so that I can add you to our mailing list. The featured stamp for this date will be the "Freedom Riders."

I can be reached at: hazel.p.sanford@usps.gov

 —  Hazel P. Sanford, Jackson, MS, July 29, 2005

As a 63 year old stamp collector, I entered your site looking for photos to be used for a set of personal stamp cachets for the upcoming "To Form a More Perfect Union". I was given much more. You've taken me back to such an important time in my life, back to an important time in history. Your sacrifices changed our world. I only wish the Civil Rights Story were remembered daily with such clarity. Those of us that lived through these times have forgotten just how tremulous they were. Todays youth can't begin to fathom your courage. Thank you so much for this site and the power of your commitment

 —  Stephen Kistner, Columbia, CA, july 27, 2005

This site compliments my study of Black America. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

 —  Ricarter S Broomes, Killeen TX , 10 July 05