The Black Panther Party for Self Defense started as an organization to address racially-motivated police violence. They patrolled the streets in groups and carrying loaded weapons to interfere if they witnessed instances of police brutality. The organization quickly grew to include a wide variety of social safety programs, like free school lunches, free health clinics, and voter registration…
On September 8, 1954, Ruby Bridges was born, mere months after the Brown vs Board of Education ruling declared segregated schools to be unconstitutional. The Bridges family moved from Mississippi to New Orleans, Louisiana, when Ruby was a baby. Brown vs Board of Education and the Delay of Integration Following the Brown vs Board of…
What was COINTELPRO? Have you heard of COINTELPRO? The full name is “Counter Intelligence Program,” and was a project under the Federal Bureau of Investigations, or FBI. The project lasted between 1956-1971, when it was discovered after the Citizen’s Commission to Investigate the FBI broke into a Pennsylvania FBI office and stole files. The FBI…
The Dark History of Lake Lanier – Rooted in Racial Violence Did you know that Lake Lanier in Georgia is not a “lake” at all, but a man-made reservoir? And did you know that its history is steeped in racial violence? Racial violence is never a pretty part of history, but it is important history…
What Happened in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911? On March 25, 1911, a fire broke out in the building which housed the Triangle Waist Company. The company manufactured “shirt waists” (women’s blouses) on the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors. The fire was especially deadly because the owners had locked the doors and stairwells…
Activists of All Ages On March 2, 1955, fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin was riding the bus home when she was asked to move to the back – and she stayed seated. She was arrested and thrown in jail for violating segregation laws. In October 1955, eighteen-year-old Mary Louise Smith refused to give up her seat. She,…
Who Were the Freedom House Paramedics? Today, we are used to the sight of ambulances roaring past us on the highway, as emergency care is provided in the back by EMTs and paramedics. But before the Freedom House Paramedics team was founded in 1967, emergency hospital transport was provided by police or funeral homes. The…
The mission of The Radical Agenda is to show every child that they belong in the pages of history and they are capable of making a difference in their communities, and what better way than to highlight the lesser-highlighted Civil Rights activists? You are probably familiar with some of the biggest names of the Civil…
Today, over forty-two million people a year walk through Central Park in New York. The park itself is a beautiful oasis in the middle of the bustling New York City, however its history is less than sparkling. That same area used to be home to a thriving town called Seneca Village. It all started in…
When Is Pride Month? Pride Month is in June! On June 28, 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn (a popular gay bar) and hit a lesbian woman while trying to force her into a police car. The result was a full uprising of the queer community against the police officers. The Stonewall Uprising lasted…