Showing titles in Social Activists

The world's greatest classics retold for children. Mahatma Gandhi is best known as the father of the Indian nation and a charismatic leader in the fight for justice for all. But who was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, and what made him the phenomenon he became? Born into a middle-class family, Gandhi's thirst for truth was evident from an early age, and his insistence on speaking and living his truth often got him into trouble.

What is looked upon as an American dream for white people has long been an American nightmare for black people. Malcolm X - born Malcolm Little - experienced that nightmare firsthand even as a small boy, when white supremacists firebombed his family home. Such terrifying moments, along with years of daily racist insults and barriers, shaped Malcolm's life, transforming him into one of the most articulate and rousing black nationalist leaders of all time.

From a young age, Stephen Hawking had a strong sense of wonder and was full of questions about the world around him and the stars above. He would spend his whole life trying to figure out how the universe worked, including discovering truths about black holes and energy. And when he was diagnosed with a rare disease called ALS that destroys the nerve cells in the body, he would find his own mental energy to carry on with his studies even after his limbs and vocal chords stopped working. He became one of history's most influential scientists.

Verbannt und geächtet. Der Ketzer der Neuzeit Martin Luther will die Kirche verändern. Die Bibel soll für jeden Gläubigen erfahrbar werden. Akribisch macht er sich an die Übersetzung der lateinischen Schriften. Luther kritisiert das kirchliche Leben: Er wettert gegen den Ablasskauf, gegen das Bild eines strafenden Gottes, führt Kirchenlieder im Gottesdienst ein. Er will die Kirche revolutionieren - doch am Ende spaltet er sie auch.

This eye-opening memoir tells the story of a young girl's life in Syria, her family's wrenching decision to leave their home, and the upheaval of life in a refugee camp. Though her life had utterly changed, one thing remained the same. She knew that education was the key to a better future—for herself, and so that she could help her country. She went from tent to tent in the camp, trying to convince other kids, especially girls, to come to school. And her passion and dedication soon had people calling her the "Malala of Syria."

Having lost her mother at a young age, Ella Fitzgerald struggled as a child, especially during the Great Depression. But after winning over the audience with her singing at an Amateur Night at the Apollo, Ella's career began, and she eventually went on to become a world-renowned singer known as the First Lady of Song.

In 1956, one year before federal troops escorted the Little Rock 9 into Central High School, 14-year-old Jo Ann Allen was one of 12 African American students who broke the color barrier and integrated Clinton High School in Tennessee. At first things went smoothly for the Clinton 12, but then outside agitators interfered, pitting the townspeople against one another. Uneasiness turned into anger, and even the Clinton Twelve themselves wondered if the easier thing to do would be to go back to their old school.

The law said America kept the black and white races separate but equal. Growing up in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Ada Sipuel learned that separate was never equal. Once she asked her father why the world was divided by race. He said it shouldn't be. "There's only one Constitution, only one Bible." He also taught her not to be afraid to challenge injustice. Years later, Ada hoped to fight for equality by becoming a lawyer. But Oklahoma's law school would not admit her because of the color of her skin.

You may never have heard of him, but you've probably heard of the many people civil rights activist Bayard Rustin influenced. He was a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and refused to move to the back of the bus many years before Rosa Parks did. The son of a freed slave, Bayard Rustin grew up during the peak of the Jim Crow laws, which segregated Blacks and Whites.

When Wangari Maathai learned about how many trees had been cut down in Kenya, where she was from, she was horrified. So she founded the Green Belt Movement and got friends, family, and even strangers to help her plant trees and respect the environment - and she received a Nobel Peace Prize for her work.

The American boxing champ and vocal civil rights activist Muhammad Ali is the 27th hero in the New York Times best-selling picture book biography series for ages 5 to 8. Muhammad Ali was the leading heavyweight boxer of the 20th century and a charismatic, beloved public figure. His objection to the military draft during the Vietnam War made him an icon for a generation, and his impact in sports and the Civil Rights movement is still felt today.

Helen Keller lost her sight and hearing after a childhood illness, but she didn't let that stop her from learning to read, speak, and make a difference. She was the first person who was both deaf and blind to go to and graduate from college, and she continued to write books and articles, speak in public, and stand up for the rights she believed everyone should have, inspiring others to do the same.

In 1964, Nelson Mandela was sentenced to a lifetime in jail. His crime? Attempting to overthrow a government that openly discriminated against its Black citizens. After spending 27 years behind bars, Mandela was released, allowing him to continue his struggle for equality in South Africa - and to become the country's first Black president. In this biography audiobook for kids ages eight to 11, learn all about Mandela's incredible life, his fight against apartheid and how he helped bring peace to his nation.

It was April 5, 1943, and the Gestapo would arrive any minute. Dietrich Bonhoeffer had been expecting this day for a long time. He had put his papers in order - and left a few notes specifically for Hitler's men to see. Two SS agents climbed the stairs and told the boyish-looking Bonhoeffer to come with them. He calmly said good-bye to his parents, put his Bible under his arm, and left. Upstairs there was proof, in his own handwriting, that this quiet young minister was part of a conspiracy to kill Adolf Hitler.

Even as a child, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shocked by the terrible and unfair way African-American people were treated. When he grew up, he decided to do something about it - peacefully, with powerful words. He helped gather people together for nonviolent protests and marches, and he always spoke up about loving other human beings and doing what’s right. He spoke about the dream of a kinder future, and bravely led the way toward racial equality in America.

Long ago, Muslim women rode into battle to defend their dreams. They opened doors to the world’s oldest library. They ruled, started movements, and spread knowledge. Today, Muslim women continue to make history. Once upon a time, they were children with dreams, just like you. Discover the true stories of 19 unstoppable Muslim women of the 21st century who have risen above challenges, doubts, and sometimes outright hostility to blaze trails in a wide range of fields.

Every activist started out as a kid‚ and in some cases, they were kids when their activism began! But even the world's greatest champions of civil liberties had relatable interests and problems‚ often in the middle of extraordinary circumstances. Martin Luther King, Jr., loved fashion and argued with his dad about whether or not dancing was a sin. Harvey Milk had a passion for listening to opera music in different languages. Dolores Huerta was once wrongly accused of plagiarizing in school.

Malala Yousafzai was a girl who loved to learn but was told that girls would no longer be allowed to go to school. She wrote a blog that called attention to what was happening in her beautiful corner of Pakistan and realized that words can bring about change. She has continued to speak out for the right of all children to have an education. In 2014, she won the Nobel Peace Prize.

On the outskirts of the Milky Way, floating slowly through space, there hangs a planet unlike any other. It has oceans, deserts, jungles and mountains. It has life that swims, life that soars and life that swings through the trees. It is a place of dazzling variety and infinite wonder - and it's the only world we've got. Climate change is happening, now. But it's not too late to change the story. Meet the humans, from around the world, who are fighting to save our planet. This is your call to arms.

Dr. William Edward DuBois pioneered the science of sociology. His detailed long-range study of an African American community in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the first of its kind. DuBois hoped that knowledge, and the ensuing understanding, might lessen the prejudice against African Americans. Later DuBois sought more radical methods of countering racism. DuBois helped found the Niagara Movement and the NAACP, and became the editor of Crisis, the NAACP's journal.