Encyclopedia subject

20th-century activists

119 published records, arranged alphabetically. Each entry is published only where a named source supports it.

Abigile SperberPerson · Film memorabiliaAvigail Sperber (born August 24, 1973) is an Israeli cinematographer and film and television director. She is founder and owner of Pardes Film Productions.
Adejoke TugbiyeleArtist · SculptureAdejoke Aderonke Tugbiyele (born December 4, 1977) is a Nigerian-American multidisciplinary visual artist and activist.
Alaa Abd El-FatahAuthor · BooksAlaa Ahmed Seif al Islam Abd El-Fattah (ʕæˈlæːʔ ˈæħmæd ˈseːfalislæːm ʕæbdelfatˈtæːħ), known professionally as Alaa Abd El-Fattah (born 1981), is an Egyptian-British software developer,…
Alan StivellPerson · Music memorabiliaAlan Stivell (born Alan Cochevelou on 6 January 1944) is a French Celtic musician and singer, songwriter, recording artist, and master of the Celtic harp from Brittany.
Alexandra PaulPerson · Film memorabiliaAlexandra Elizabeth Paul (born July 29, 1963) is an American actress and activist.
Aliza OlmertArtist · SculptureAliza Olmert (Richter; born 1946) is an Israeli artist, photographer, author, and social worker. She is married to former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert.
Ama Ata AidooAuthor · BooksAma Ata Aidoo (23 March 1942 – 31 May 2023) was a Ghanaian author, poet, playwright, politician, and academician.
Andrea JenkinsAuthor · BooksAndrea Jenkins (born May 10, 1961) is an American politician, writer, performance artist, poet, and transgender activist.
Aretha FranklinPerson · Music memorabiliaAretha Louise Franklin (March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer-songwriter and pianist.
Ashley BidenDesigner · FashionShe was born in Wilmington.
Ashur Bet SargisPerson · Music memorabiliaAshur Bet Sargis (born July 2, 1949) is an Assyrian singer, composer, guitarist and activist. He became famous in the Assyrian communities worldwide for his nationalistic songs in the 1970s.
Attiya DawoodAuthor · BooksAttiya Dawood (born April 1, 1958) is a Sindhi poet, writer, feminist and activist. She has been hailed as one of the most important feminist Sindhi writers of her time.
Axl RosePerson · Music memorabiliaHe has been the band's only constant member since its formation in
Ayaan Hirsi AliAuthor · BooksAyaan Hirsi Ali, Lady Ferguson (Somali: Ayaan Xirsi Cali; born Ayaan Hirsi Magan, 13 November 1969) is a Somali-born Dutch-American writer, activist, conservative thinker and former…
Aziza BrahimPerson · Music memorabilia
Bartosz StaszewskiPerson · Film memorabiliaBartosz (Bart) Staszewski (born 23 September 1990) is a Polish filmmaker and LGBT activist.
Bea ArthurPerson · Film memorabiliaBeatrice Arthur (born Bernice Frankel; May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009) was an American actress, comedian, and singer.
Beppe GrilloPerson · Film memorabiliaGiuseppe Piero "Beppe" Grillo (born 21 July 1948) is an Italian comedian, actor, blogger, and politician.
Bob BlandDesigner · FashionMari Lynn Foulger (born December 17, 1982), better known as Bob Bland, is an American fashion designer and activist.
Borislav PekićAuthor · BooksBorislav Pekić (Борислав Пекић; 4 February 1930 – 2 July 1992) was a Serbian writer and political activist.
Carel MoiseiwitschArtist · Comics and comic artCarel Moiseiwitsch (born 1941) is a London-born artist based in Fraser Canyon and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Carlos BulosanAuthor · BooksCarlos Sampayan Bulosan (November 24, 1913 – September 11, 1956) was a Filipino-American novelist and poet who immigrated to the United States on July 1, 1930.
Carol J. AdamsAuthor · BooksCarol J. Adams (born 1951) is an American writer, feminist, and animal rights advocate.
Carrie PrejeanAuthor · BooksCaroline Michelle Prejean Boller (born 13 May 1987) is an American conservative activist, and former model and beauty pageant titleholder.
Christine JorgensenPhotographer · PhotographyChristine Jorgensen was an American actor, entertainer, spokesperson, activist, lecturer and singer (1926–1989). He was born in The Bronx and died in San Clemente.
Coretta Scott KingAuthor · BooksCoretta Scott King (née Scott; April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006) was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader who was the wife of Martin Luther King Jr.
David BannerPerson · Music memorabiliaLavell William Crump (born April 11, 1974), known professionally as David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, and activist.
David McReynoldsAuthor · BooksDavid Ernest McReynolds (October 25, 1929 – August 17, 2018) was an American politician and social activist who was a prominent democratic socialist and pacifist activist.
Dennis BrutusAuthor · BooksDennis Vincent Brutus (28 November 1924 – 26 December 2009) was a South African activist, educator, journalist and poet best known for his campaign to have South Africa banned from the…
Ece TemelkuranAuthor · BooksEce Temelkuran (born 22 July 1973) is a Turkish journalist and author.
Ed SandersPerson · Music memorabiliaEdward Sanders (born August 17, 1939) is an American poet, singer, activist, author, publisher and longtime member of the rock band the Fugs.
Elizabeth MayAuthor · BooksElizabeth Evans May (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, lawyer, activist, and author.
Ella Marie Hætta IsaksenPerson · Music memorabiliaElla Marie Hætta Isaksen (born 25 April 1998) is a Sámi singer, songwriter, environmentalist, activist, and actress.
Emma WatsonPerson · Film memorabiliaEmma Charlotte Duerre Watson (born 15 April 1990) is an English actress. In the 2010s, she was ranked among the world's highest-paid actresses by Forbes and Vanity Fair, and was named one…
Erika AlexanderAuthor · Books1998 – NAACP Image Award; Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (Living Single)
Felicia LangerAuthor · BooksFelicia Langer (Hebrew: פליציה לנגר; 9 December 1930 – 21 June 2018) was a German-Israeli attorney and human rights activist known for her defence of Palestinian political prisoners in the…
Fredi WashingtonPerson · Film memorabiliaFredericka Carolyn "Fredi" Washington (December 23, 1903 – June 28, 1994) was an American stage and film actress, civil rights activist, performer, and writer.
Gioconda BelliAuthor · BooksGioconda Belli Pereira (born December 9, 1948) is a Nicaraguan-born novelist and poet known for her contributions to Nicaraguan literature.
Gloria SteinemAuthor · BooksShe was born in Toledo.
Govan MbekiAuthor · BooksGovan Archibald Mvunyelwa Mbeki (9 July 1910 – 30 August 2001) was a South African politician, military commander, Communist leader who served as the Secretary of Umkhonto we Sizwe, at its…
Grace Lee BoggsAuthor · BooksGrace Lee Boggs (June 27, 1915 – October 5, 2015) was an American author, social activist, philosopher, and feminist. She is known for her years of political collaboration with C. L. R.
Hana ElhebshiDesigner · DesignHana Elhebshi (Arabic: هناء الحبشي; born c. 1985) is a Libyan activist and architect.
Harriet WalterPerson · Film memorabiliaDame Harriet Mary Walter (born 1950) is an English actor of stage and screen.
Horst SöhnleinPerson · Film memorabiliaHorst Söhnlein (13 October 1942 – 23 March 2023) was a German activist convicted of arson in 1968, together with the future member of the Baader-Meinhof Group.
Ingrid NewkirkPerson · Film memorabiliaIngrid Elizabeth Newkirk (Ward; born June 11, 1949) is a British and American animal rights activist, author and the co-founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the…
Ion IliescuAuthor · BooksIon Iliescu (3 March 1930 – 5 August 2025) was a Romanian politician and engineer who served as the first and third President of Romania since the country's transition to democracy, from…
Irena KlepfiszAuthor · BooksIrena Klepfisz (born April 17, 1941) is a Jewish lesbian author, academic and activist.
Irena VeisaitėAuthor · BooksIrena Veisaitė (9 January 1928 – 11 December 2020) was a Lithuanian theatre scholar, intellectual and human rights activist.
Isabelle Collin DufresneAuthor · BooksIsabelle Collin Dufresne (6 September 1935 – 14 June 2014), known professionally as Ultra Violet, was a French-American artist, actress, and writer.
Jacopo CamagniArtist · Comics and comic artJacopo Camagni (21 December 1977 – 1 March 2026) was an Italian illustrator and comic artist.
Jane JacobsAuthor · BooksJane Isabel Jacobs (Butzner; 4 May 1916 – 25 April 2006) was an American-Canadian journalist, author, theorist, and activist who influenced urban studies, sociology, and economics.
June WayneArtist · PaintingsJune Claire Wayne (March 7, 1918 – August 23, 2011) was an American painter, printmaker, tapestry innovator, educator, and activist.
Jusuf GërvallaAuthor · BooksJusuf Gërvalla (October 1, 1943 – January 17, 1982) was a Kosovo Albanian activist, writer, musician, the founder of the group called National Movement for the Liberation of Kosovo.
Karlheinz BöhmPerson · Film memorabiliaKarlheinz Böhm (16 March 1928 – 29 May 2014) was a German-born Austrian actor and philanthropist.
Kâzım KoyuncuPerson · Music memorabiliaKâzım Koyuncu (November 7, 1971 – June 25, 2005) was a Turkish singer-songwriter and activist of Laz origin.
Ken Saro-WiwaAuthor · BooksKenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa (10 October 1941 – 10 November 1995) was a Nigerian writer, teacher, television producer, and social rights activist.
Keny ArkanaPerson · Music memorabiliaKeny Arkana, is an Argentine-French rapper who is active in the alter-globalization and civil disobedience movements.
Laetitia KyDesigner · Modern designLaetitia Ky (born 1996, Abidjan) is a feminist artist from Ivory Coast who creates sculptures from her hair. She is seen by many as a figurehead in the natural hair movement.
Lea AckermannAuthor · BooksLea Ackermann (2 February 1937 – 31 October 2023) was a German Catholic nun of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, an activist fighting sex tourism and forced prostitution, first…
Lebogang MashilePerson · Music memorabiliaLebogang Mashile (born 7 February 1979) is an American-born South African performance poet, author, presenter, actress and producer.
Leslie FishPerson · Music memorabiliaLeslie Fish (March 11, 1944 – November 29, 2025) was an American folk musician, author, anarchist and political activist.
Lil' KimPerson · Music memorabiliaKimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and model.
Lilly BecherAuthor · BooksLilly Becher (Korpus, 27 January 1901, Nuremberg – 20 September 1978, Berlin) was a German writer, journalist and communist activist.
Lisa BellearPhotographer · PhotographyLisa Marie Bellear (2 May 1961 in Melbourne, Victoria – 5 July 2006 in Melbourne) was an Indigenous Australian poet, photographer, activist, spokeswoman, dramatist, comedian and…
M.I.A.Designer · FashionMathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam (born 18 July 1975), known professionally as M.I.A. (an initialism for both "Missing in action" and "Missing in Acton"), is a British rapper, singer,…
Maitreyi DeviAuthor · BooksMaitreyi Devi (or Maitreyī Devī; 10 September 1914 – 4 February 1990) was an Indian poet and novelist.
Maksim TankAuthor · Books
Malvina ReynoldsPerson · Music memorabiliaMalvina Reynolds (née Milder; August 23, 1900 – March 17, 1978) was an American folk/blues singer-songwriter and political activist, best known for her songwriting, particularly the songs…
Manuel PuigAuthor · BooksJuan Manuel Puig Delledonne (December 28, 1932 – July 22, 1990), commonly called Manuel Puig, was an Argentine author and LGBTQ activist.
Marcelo BrodskyPhotographer · PhotographyMarcelo Brodsky (born 1954, Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an Argentine photographer, visual artist and human rights activist.
Margaret RandallPhotographer · PhotographyMargaret Randall was born in New York City, she lived for many years in Spain, Mexico, Cuba, and Nicaragua, and spent time in North
Marlo ThomasAuthor · BooksMargaret Julia "Marlo" Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, producer, author, and social activist.
Marlon BrandoAuthor · BooksMarlon Brando (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential performers in the history of cinema, he received numerous…
Matthew Hassan KukahAuthor · BooksMatthew Hassan Kukah (born 31 August 1952) is the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto.
Maureen DuffyAuthor · BooksMaureen Patricia Duffy (21 October 1933 – 27 May 2026) was an English poet, playwright, novelist and non-fiction author.
Maurice BardècheAuthor · BooksMaurice Bardèche (1 October 1907 – 30 July 1998) was a French art critic and journalist, better known as one of the leading exponents of neo-fascism and Holocaust denial in post–World War…
Michael AlbertAuthor · BooksMichael Albert (born April 8, 1947) is an American economist, speaker, writer, and political critic. Since the late 1970s, he has published on a variety of subjects.
Michael CallenPerson · Music memorabiliaMichael Callen (April 11, 1955 – December 27, 1993) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, author, and AIDS activist.
Munroe BergdorfPerson · Film memorabiliaMunroe Bergdorf (' Beaumont; born 11 September 1987) is an English model and activist. She has walked several catwalks for brands including Gypsy Sport at both London and NYC Fashion Weeks.
Murray RothbardAuthor · BooksMurray Newton Rothbard (March 2, 1926 – January 7, 1995) was an American economist of the Austrian School, economic historian, political theorist, and activist.
Musa AnterAuthor · BooksMusa Anter (1920 – 20 September 1992), also known as "Apê Musa" (Apê Musa, literally "Uncle Musa"), was a Kurdish writer,[1][2] journalist and intellectual.
Nahla El Fatiha NailiArtist · SculptureNahla El Fatiha Naili (in Arabic: نهلة الفاتحة نايلي, in Amazigh: Nahla El-Fatiḥa Naili, in Tifinagh: ⴻⵍ ⴼⴰⵜⵉⵃⴰ ⵏⴰⵉⵍⵉ, born 14 November 1986) is an Algerian sculptor.
Narisa ChakrabongseAuthor · BooksNarisa Chakrabongse (born 2 August 1956) is a writer, publisher, and environmental activist.
Oscar Zeta AcostaAuthor · Books
Padma LakshmiAuthor · BooksPadma Parvati Lakshmi (née Vaidynathan; born September 1, 1970) is an American television host, model, author, entrepreneur, and activist.
Pete DohertyPerson · Music memorabiliaPeter Doherty (born 12 March 1979) is an English musician. He is best known for being co-frontman of the Libertines, which he formed with Carl Barât in 1997.
Rahul BosePerson · Film memorabiliaRahul Bose (born 27 July 1967) is an Indian actor, sports administrator and former rugby player who works in Hindi films. Bose serves as the president of Rugby India since 2021.[1]
Rashid JahanAuthor · BooksRashid Jahan (25 August 1905 – 29 July 1952) was an Indian writer and medical doctor known for her Urdu literature and trenchant social commentaries.
Ravindra KelekarAuthor · BooksRavindra Kelekar (7 March 1925 – 27 August 2010) was an Indian author who wrote primarily in the Konkani language, though he also wrote in Marathi and Hindi.
Rebecca SolnitAuthor · BooksRebecca Solnit (born 1961) is an American writer and activist. She has written on a variety of subjects, including feminism, the environment, politics, place, and art.
René YañezArtist · PaintingsRené Yañez (19 September 1942 – 29 May 2018) was a Mexican-American painter, assemblage artist, performance artist, curator and community activist located in San Francisco, California.
Rodolfo GonzalesAuthor · BooksRodolfo "Corky" Gonzales (June 18, 1928 – April 12, 2005) was a Mexican-American boxer, poet, political organizer, and activist.
Ronen RubinsteinPerson · Film memorabiliaRonen Rubinstein (ʁoˈnen ʁubinˈʃtejn; born 1993 11 7) is an Israeli-American actor and frontman of the rock band Nights in Stereo. He is best known for his roles as T. K.
Rose McGowanPerson · Music memorabilia2018–present (social media personality; activist; podcaster)
Rosie KingIllustrator · IllustrationRosie King (born c. 1998) is a British writer, public speaker and autism advocate.
Sakena YacoobiAuthor · BooksSakena Yacoobi is an Afghan activist known for her work for promoting access to education for women and children.
Sandra MoránPerson · Music memorabiliaSandra Morán Reyes (born 29 April 1960) is a Guatemalan politician who served as deputy of the Congress of Guatemala from 2016 to 2020, following her electoral win in the 2015 general…
Sarah MaldororPerson · Film memorabiliaSarah Maldoror (19 July 1929 − 13 April 2020) was a French filmmaker of European and Guadeloupean descent.
Shahidul AlamPhotographer · PhotographyShahidul Alam (disambiguation)
Shane ClaiborneAuthor · BooksShane Claiborne (born July 11, 1975) is an American evangelical Christian and founder, an author and organizational leader.
Shirien DamraDesigner · Modern designShirien Damra (born c. 1987) is an American illustrator, designer, artist, and activist.
Sinéad BurkeDesigner · FashionSinéad Burke (born 1990) is the CEO and Founder of Tilting the Lens, a strategic accessibility consultancy that creates system change, and the conditions for Disabled people to be…
Sonia Nassery ColePerson · Film memorabiliaSonia Nassery Cole (born 1965) is an Afghan-born American human rights activist, filmmaker, and author.
Stav ShaffirAuthor · BooksStav Shaffir (born 17 May 1985) is an Israeli politician and former member of the Knesset.
Suheir HammadAuthor · BooksSuheir Hammad (Arabic: سهير حماد) (born October 25, 1973) is a Palestinian-American poet, author, and political activist.
Talib KweliAuthor · BooksTalib Kweli Greene (born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He is one half of the hip-hop duo Black Star, which he formed in 1997 with fellow Brooklyn rapper Yasiin Bey.
Temple GrandinAuthor · BooksMary Temple Grandin (born August 29, 1947) is an American academic, inventor, and ethologist.
Tenzin TsundueAuthor · BooksIllustration — Tenzin Tsundue in 2025
Tippi HedrenPerson · Film memorabiliaNathalie Kay "Tippi" Hedren (born January 19, 1930) is an American former actress.
Titus KapharArtist · PaintingsTitus Kaphar is an American contemporary painter and filmmaker whose work reconfigures and regenerates art history to include African-American subjects.
Tupac ShakurAuthor · BooksTupac Amaru Shakur (Spanish: Túpac; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor.
Vito RussoPerson · Film memorabiliaVito Russo (July 11, 1946 – November 7, 1990) was an American LGBT activist, film historian, and author.
Vivienne WestwoodDesigner · FashionDame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (Swire; 8 April 1941 – 29 December 2022) was an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions…
Winona LaDukeAuthor · BooksWinona LaDuke (born August 18, 1959) is a Native American environmentalist, writer, and industrial hemp grower, known for her work on tribal land claims and preservation, as well as…
Yasiin BeyPerson · Music memorabiliaHe was born in Brooklyn.
Yun Hyon-seokAuthor · BooksYun Hyon-seok (August 7, 1984 – April 26, 2003) was a South Korean LGBT poet, writer, and activist.
Zindzi MandelaAuthor · BooksZindziswa "Zindzi" Mandela (23 December 196013 July 2020), also known as Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane, was a South African diplomat and poet, and the daughter of anti-apartheid activists and…
Zoe LeonardEngraver · PrintsZoe Leonard (born 1961) is an American artist who works primarily with photography and sculpture.

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Activists146
American activists57
19th-century activists24

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