An American Icon Who Dreamed of Justice
In May of 1964, the historic Civil Rights Act was under attack by segregationists in Congress. In a school paper, Andrew Goodman wrote, “the Senators could not persist in this polite debate over the future dignity of a human race if the white Northerners were not so shockingly apathetic.” Within days of writing those words, Andrew asked for his parents’ permission to join Freedom Summer, a voter registration project aimed at registering Black Americans to vote in Mississippi.
On Andy’s first day, he and two other civil rights workers, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner, were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. The story of these three young men struck a public chord that contributed to the eventual passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
“I am one of the many who stand on the shoulders of giants like Andy. His death forever changed our Nation, and in his example, we are reminded of the difference we each can make when we summon up the courage to lift up the lives of others.”
President Barack Obama
Goodman, Chaney, and Schwerner embodied the coalitions of Black and white, Jewish and Christian, young and older Americans working together to form a more perfect union for all. Now a historic figure and role model to many, Andrew Goodman was first a beloved son, brother, friend, theater student, and passionate advocate for fairness and equality. The timeline below highlights notable moments from Andy’s life as told through selected photos, personal correspondence, and other media.
