Ruby Bridges’ walk to school became a symbol of the Civil Rights struggle 

By Greg Tucker

(The following post previously appeared on the National Service Blog in 2015.)

In 1960, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges’ daily walk to class took her past an angry mob and into Civil Rights history when she became the first African American child to attend an all-white elementary school in the South.

Though she only lived five blocks from her new school, Ruby previously attended an all-black segregated school several miles away. After the Louisiana State Legislature exhausted all its options in a long battle against a federal court order to integrate the schools, Ruby was allowed to attend the classes near her home.

Keep reading

Admiral Earl Gay knows a lot about inspiring others from 33 years of Navy service

January is National Mentoring Month and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is supporting our friends at MENTOR by sharing some advice from a man who, among his many achievements, has made mentoring his mission: retired Navy Admiral Earl Gay.

Admiral Gay (pictured above, right) is the Senior Advisor for Wounded Warrior and Veterans and Military Families Initiatives at CNCS and says a lot of what he does is rooted in establishing trust, building relationships, and leading change, all of which fall under his concept of mentorship.

These traits come naturally to the Admiral as a leader of men and women in the armed forces. He willingly shares his life story, using wall-mounted photos of family and friends to illustrate his points, “I like people to have the whole story; it extends an arm of trust.”

Keep reading

By Robert Bisi, CNCS Office of External Affairs

Mucking homes ravaged by hurricanes and floods, feeding the hungry, reading to children, cleaning riverbeds, and mentoring are just some of the ways that volunteers prove they are the backbone of our nation’s ability to do good and change lives.  Throughout October, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) focused on how national service mobilizes volunteers and connects them to opportunities to serve. 

Keep reading

By Wendy Spencer

Serve your community during Monday’s national day of service

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service is an opportunity for all Americans to demonstrate the value and power of service by answering what Dr. King called life’s most persistent question: “What are you doing for others?”

Keep reading

By Scott Ganske, YSA’s Senior Director of Education

Keep reading

National Service News Week In Review

Keep reading

Flip through our Storify to see some of the great images and messages from across the nation

Keep reading

By Greg Tucker

Congressman John Lewis played an integral role in the Civil Rights movement

Keep reading