The invention provides for the use of antimicrobial chemical entities based on a nitrothiazolide backbone that exhibit anti-mycobacteria activity, including the mycobacterium causing tuberculosis. Multiple compounds were synthesized and screened for anti-tuberculosis activity. Disclosed herein are a series of compounds with anti-tuberculosis activity, including six leads that completely inhibited bacterial growth at 5 micrograms per ml or less. Three of these compounds were tested to determine MIC and these ranged between 1 and 4 micrograms per ml against both drug susceptible Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains and strains that are multi-drug resistant (MDR) including XDR strains. The compounds developed are derived from parent compound nitazoxanide, which had no inhibitory activity in the stringent testing format used herein. The derivatives were synthesized using a di-nitro-thiophene or 4-Chloro-5-Nitro-thiazole scaffold and R groups connected via a peptide bond (NHCO) to cyclic compounds such as benzene, thiophene or furans. Many of these compounds have broad spectrum activity against Gram positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Several of these lead compounds were not toxic for mice at 200 mg/Kg doses administered over a period of three days.