The Voices of the Civil Rights Movement project honors the legacy and impact of the people who championed racial equality in the United States. In the selection of videos below, NBC 7 invites you to hear icons recall gripping firsthand accounts and historical moments from the civil rights movement.
Navigating the Pressures of a Warrior: Al Attles
Crediting icons Muhammad Ali and Wilt Chamberlain, NBA player and coach Alvin Attles recounts his journey from New Jersey high school student to Philadelphia Warriors player and then coach of the Golden State Warriors. "It's not easy to do the things that you wanna do that goes against the grain of what people want you to do, but years later they will thank you for it," Attles said.
Bearing the Burden of Racial Intolerance: Rev. Amos Brown
"My grandfather was a slave," is how civil rights activist Rev. Amos Brown begins his story. His name alone signifies his contribution to the civil rights movement: "The prophet who bears the burden of the people." In this video, Brown reflects on a lifetime of bearing the burdens of African Americans – including the deaths of Emmett Till and the Rev. George Washington Lee. Those deaths led him to organize the youth council of the NAACP, and later become the President of San Francisco NAACP.
Bern Nadette Stanis, of 'Good Times'
Best known for portraying Thelma on the hit TV series "Good Times," actress Bern Nadette Stanis discusses the difficulties of pioneering the first black family show ever on television. Growing up in Brooklyn, Stanis also discusses how she became excruciatingly aware of discrimination as a young child.
You can view all 16+ hours of Voices content in full, for free at the Voices of the Civil Rights Movement website.
Video content owned and funded by Comcast Corporation, parent company of NBC 7 San Diego, an owned-and-operated NBCUniversal station.
