Since 1916, the American people have entrusted the National Park Service with the care of their national parks. With the help of volunteers and park partners, we safeguard these more than 400 places and share their stories with more than 275 million visitors every year. Find a few of those stories here. Explore the following National Park Service units affiliated with the struggle for civil rights.
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We Hold the RockAlcatraz IslandFrom November 20, 1969 to June 11, 1971, Richard Oakes, a Mohawk Indian, and his Indian supporters claimed the island for the Indian people.
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National Woman's Party HeadquartersBelmont Paul HouseVisit the house where the National Women's Party and Alice Paul developed strategies and tactics to secure women's rights to vote!
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Birthplace of a LeaderBooker T. Washington National MonumentBorn enslaved, Booker T. Washington became one of the country's most prominent African American educators.
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The Road to JusticeBrown v. Board of Education SiteThe story of Brown v. Board of Education, which ended legal segregation in public schools, is one of hope and courage.
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Worker and Latino RightsCesar E. Chavez National MonumentCésar E. Chávez led farm workers and supporters in the establishment of the country's first permanent agricultural union.
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Learn about Buffalo SoldiersCharles Young Buffalo Soldiers NMSoldier, diplomat, park superintendent and civil rights leader, Charles Young overcame inequality to become a leading American figure.
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Signer of the 1957 Civil Rights ActEisenhower National Historic SiteSigner of the civil rights act of 1957 and sent troops into Little Rock to enforce school desegregation.
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The Power of Women to AchieveEleanor Roosevelt National Historic SiteLearn about Eleanor Roosevelt and her life and influence on civil rights.
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Where John Brown Took His StandHarpers Ferry National Historical ParkHarpers Ferry witnessed John Brown's attack on slavery and is the home of one of the earliest integrated schools in the US.
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"Discrimination is a disease" - HSTHarry S. Truman National Historic SiteBy acting on his personal views, President Truman succeeded in bringing the issue of civil rights to the forefront of national attention.
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Where it all beginsIndependence National Historical ParkWhere both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted.
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A Community of IsolationKalaupapa National Historic SiteKalaupapa National Historical Park protects the site of the forced isolation from 1866 until 1969 of people with Hansen's Disease (leprosy).
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Defending a Way of LifeLittle Bighorn Battlefield NMThe Sioux and Cheyenne battle the US.Army's 7th Cavalry in one of the Indian's last armed efforts to preserve their way of life.
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Desegregation of Public SchoolsLittle Rock Central High School SiteLittle Rock Central High School is recognized for the role it played in the desegregation of public schools in the United States.
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Japanese-Americans IncarceratedManzanar National Historic SiteManzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were interned during WWII.
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MLK National Historical ParkA dreamer is moved by destiny into leadership of the modern civil rights movement…This was Martin Luther King, Jr. Come hear his story.
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National Council of Negro WomenMary McLeod Bethune Council HouseMary McLeod Bethune achieved her greatest recognition at the Washington, DC townhouse that is now this National Historic Site.
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National Mall and Memorial ParksDiscover stories of civil rights on the National Mall.
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Freedom in the 'promised land'Nicodemus National Historic SiteIt is the oldest and only remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River.
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The Worst WWII Homefront DisasterPort Chicago Naval Magazine MonumentOn the evening of July 17, 1944, 320 mostly African-American men were instantly killed in an explosion.
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54 Miles to Freedom!Selma to Montgomery TrailTrace the footsteps of those who walked this 54-mile trail to freedom!
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Commemorating Cherokee SurvivalTrail of Tears National Historic TrailRemember and commemorate the survival of the Cherokee people, forcefully removed from their homelands.
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The Largest Internment CampTule Lake UnitThe largest and most controversial of the sites where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II.
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Fighting for Freedom & CountryTuskegee Airmen National Historical ParkAfrican-Americans shattered sound and social barriers when they took to the skies in WWII.
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Discover the Home of Women's RightsWomen's Rights National Historical ParkWomen’s Rights National Historical Park tells the story of the first Women’s Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, NY on July 19-20,1848.
Last updated: May 13, 2020