An influential American statesman and thinker noted for his contradictory writings on race; he both fought against British rule and enslaved people, while maintaining complex racial ideologies.

A passionate abolitionist whose advocacy influenced U.S. policy, initially viewing abolitionism as apolitical but later connecting it closely to politics, especially around the time of the Civil War.

A scholar and activist who evolved from an assimilationist to a radical antiracist thinker, influencing civil rights movements with his critical views on respectability and race.

A prominent antiracist thinker, known for founding the black feminist movement and advocating against the prison-industrial complex, who was deeply influenced by Black Power ideologies.

An abolitionist who coined the idea that slavery caused black inferiority, and was notable for exhibiting educated black people and using medical practices learned from them.

An influential American intellectual who connected various historical figures, noted for his pragmatic view of slavery as uneconomical, and his secular influence on Cotton Mather.

A Khoi woman from South Africa exhibited in England due to her physical appearance, subject to scientific scrutiny posthumously which reflects racial exploitation and objectification of her time.

A prodigious poet and enslaved African woman who faced skepticism about her literary abilities, having to travel abroad to find a publisher willing to promote her work.

An abolitionist famous for writing Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which influenced public perceptions of slavery while receiving both praise and criticism from different sections of society.

An intersectional black feminist known for advocating for black women's rights in suffragist movements, challenging sexist attitudes from black men in these conversations.

A Southern politician instrumental in the push for secession, who coined the concept of southern slavery as a "positive good."

The 16th President of the United States recognized for signing the Emancipation Proclamation and his efforts to reunite the nation during and after the Civil War.

A former enslaved man who became a prominent abolitionist leader, known for his dual role in supporting assimilationist ideas while advocating for black men's rights.

A segregationist leader and educator who publicly supported separate but unequal policies but privately harbored different views, drawing criticism from various racial ideologies.

A Jamaican immigrant and racial separatist who promoted black nationalism and positive identification with Blackness, establishing a foundation for future separatist movements.

An American author and antiracist who challenged assimilationist narratives and critiqued mainstream racial discourse through his writings and public statements.

A civil rights leader and one of the founders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, known for popularizing the term "Black Power" and redefining its significance.