The civil rights reformer was a passionate voice for desegregation and co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in Chicago in 1942. He was National Chairman in the organization's early years. A believer in innovative nonviolent protest, he helped organize sit-ins and Freedom Rides whose influence broadened the movement's appeal and led to significant legislative acts in the 1960s.
Image: James Farmer, 1963. Walter Albertin, photographer. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.