Called to Be Free

In 1964, the battle for Civil Rights in the United States reached a climactic moment, sparking a new wave of activism by politicians, thinkers, writers, preachers, and citizens that would challenge the nation to live up to the principles of its founding fathers. The movement remains a cultural touchstone for those who were part of it, for those who teach it, and for those who have been given opportunity because of it. And it remains an active struggle, the subject of Congressional legislation and Supreme Court decisions. Now, through oral history, exclusive photographs and commentary by Presidential biographer Jon Meacham and other eminent writers, TIME celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights movement and the many trailblazers who helped to re-shape America.