This MLK Day, We Should Rediscover These Civil Rights Heroes

An Underground Railroad conductor who was martyred for his work. A congressman born into slavery. A senator who broke barriers and defeated Democrat machinations. The first black actor to receive an Academy Award. These are just a few of the underrated U.S. heroes who fought for abolition and civil rights against all odds.

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Martin Luther King Jr. was undoubtedly a powerful speaker, an influential leader, and a history-shaping figure. But since he also had very severe moral issues, including serial plagiarism and adultery, I think we should take today’s holiday as an opportunity to rediscover some of the more virtuous but under-appreciated heroes of America’s civil rights history.

There were numerous black heroes of the Underground Railroad, among them the Railroad’s “General Superintendent,” Elijah Anderson, an