List of civil rights leaders
Civil rights leaders are influential figures in the promotion and implementation of political freedom
and the expansion of personal civil liberties and rights. They work to protect individuals and groups from political repression and discrimination by governments and private organizations, and seek to ensure the ability of all members of society to participate in the civil and political life of the state.
List
People who motivated themselves and then led others to gain and protect these rights and liberties include:| Name | Born | Died | Country | Notes |
| George Mason | 1725 | 1792 | wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights and influenced the United States Bill of Rights | |
| Thomas Paine | 1737 | 1809 | English-American activist, author, theorist, wrote Rights of Man | |
| Elizabeth Freeman | 1744 | 1829 | also known as Mum Bett – first former slave to win a freedom suit in Massachusetts | |
| Olaudah Equiano | 1745 | 1797 |  NigeriaGRBFRAGRB |