The Preamble
Here's Where It Gets Interesting
159. Momentum: The Ripples Made by Ordinary People, Part 14
0:00
Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -31:36
-31:36

159. Momentum: The Ripples Made by Ordinary People, Part 14

On today’s episode in our special series, Momentum: Civil Rights in the 1950s, Sharon talks about some of the most important components of a successful movement: money and reputation. Movements take a lot of financial support and many of the organizers worked day jobs with humble salaries. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? He made $8,000 a year in his position as a minister. But organizing rallies and marches and lectures… filing lawsuits and traveling from city to city? It all costs money.

Learn who supported the work of some of the most influential Civil Rights leaders and organizations. Their celebrity status may surprise you!

Sharon also talks about the 1958 and 1959 Youth Marches for Integrated Schools. Hear how organizers planned effective, large-scale demonstrations, how they were received in Washington D.C., and what newly published book threatened the reputation of the marches and potentially had a hand in their outcomes.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discussion about this podcast

The Preamble
Here's Where It Gets Interesting
Here’s Where It Gets Interesting finds the stories of America you probably haven’t heard. Host Sharon McMahon, a longtime teacher and one of today’s most influential voices, will ignite your curiosity about the fascinating stuff that wasn’t in history textbooks. She’s joined by notable thought leaders who share insights about history, culture, and politics, and inspire us to grow into more thoughtful, well-informed citizens.