Diane Nash is one of the most important icons of the civil rights movement, although her contributions were often overshadowed by more well-known male figures. Though she preferred a low profile and never sought the spotlight, Nash is a living Black heroine who continues to work for equal rights for all.
Nash was born May 15, 1938 and raised primarily in Chicago, Ill. She started her college career at Howard University in Washington, D.C. then transferred to Fisk University in Nashville. In Tennessee, Nash experienced the impact of racism for the first time.