Unsung Heroes
This mixed media artwork was created for the New Hampshire Center for Justice and Equity to honor the overlooked trailblazers of the civil rights movement—those who dedicated their lives to justice, not for recognition, but for the belief that human rights belong to all.
At the forefront stand three powerful figures: Clyde Warrior, an Indigenous activist who championed Native sovereignty; Claudette Colvin, a courageous teenager whose act of defiance on a segregated bus helped spark the Montgomery bus boycott; and Dolores Huerta, a Latina leader whose organizing efforts advanced labor rights and social justice across the nation. Together, they embody the resilience and vision of countless individuals who paved the way for the work we continue today.
Behind them, layered imagery weaves together voices and moments from the broader movement. Historic clippings trace milestones of progress, while additional civil rights leaders are depicted as a collective force, symbolically “supporting the movement.” Intertwined with these histories are words of empowerment drawn from the 2025 NHCJE Annual Meeting, connecting past struggles with present commitments to equity and justice.
This piece is both a tribute and a call to action—reminding us that the fight for human dignity has always been carried forward by many hands, often unseen, yet essential in shaping a more just America.
Created by
Manuel Phelany Ramirez, Christian Ramirez & Cecilia Ulibarri
Positive Street Art
2025
"I just couldn't move. History had me glued to the seat." Claudette Colvin
While sitting on the Montgomery bus and being told to give up her seat and move to the back, Colvin described feeling as though Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth were pushing her down onto the seat. Prior to Rosa Parks Colvin was 15 when she refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus on March 2, 1955.
“Let’s Raise Some Hell”: Clyde Warrior and the Red Power Movement
Clyde Warrior and others display the Red Power sign at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) parade, 1966. Courtesy of the Department of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries.
Click on Image for Full article By Paul McKenzie-Jones of The Authorization of American Historians
Dolores Huerta,
Si Se Puede
(Yes We Can)
Dolores Huerta is a labor leader and civil rights force of nature. She co-founded the United Farm Workers, helped win safer conditions and fair pay for farmworkers, and coined the rallying cry “Sí, se puede.” For decades she has braided labor rights, feminism, and Latino civil rights into one relentless movement, proving that real power is built through organizing, persistence, and collective action.
Dolores Huerta is the fearless labor activist who coined the positive protest slogan 'si se puede'
