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Emancipation Proclamation
Event Description: Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves in confederate states
Significance: Marked a critical step towards freedom, but it did not end slavery nationwide, It just shifted the Civil War’s purpose to include the fight against slavery
Key Players: Abraham Lincoln, enslaved African Americans
Sources and References: National Archives, Library of Congress -
13th Amendment Ratified
Event Description: The U.S. Constitution was amended to abolish slavery!
Significance: Officially ended slavery in the United States, but it didn't stop segregation :(
Key Players: Congress, Abraham Lincoln, African Americans
Sources and References: U.S. National Archives -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Event Description: Supreme Court case upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.
Significance: Legally sanctioned racial segregation and impacted African Americans by legitimizing discriminatory laws.
Key Players: Homer Plessy, U.S. Supreme Court
Sources and References: Legal Information Institute, U.S. Supreme Court archives -
Harlem Renaissance
Event Description: A cultural, social, and artistic movement celebrating Black culture (Hooray!)
Significance: Gave power to African American voices in literature, music, and art; which helped shape a unique Black cultural identity.
Key Players: Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Duke Ellington
Sources and References: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture -
Brown v. Board of Education
Event Description: Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional (Hooray again!)
Significance: Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, beginning the process of desegregation in education.
Key Players: Thurgood Marshall, U.S. Supreme Court
Sources and References: Legal Information Institute, National Archives -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Event Description: Law that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Significance: important legislation for civil rights, addressing systemic racism in voting, employment, and public accommodations.
Key Players: Lyndon B. Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr., Congress
Sources and References: National Archives, Library of Congress -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Event Description: Federal legislation that banned racial discrimination in voting practices (another win in the books)
Significance: Secured voting rights for African Americans, impacted political representation
Key Players: Lyndon B. Johnson, civil rights activists
Sources and References: National Archives, Library of Congress -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Event Description: Civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee (Not good)
Significance: Shook the nation, prompting widespread protests and renewed focus on civil rights issues (Good)
Key Players: Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights activists
Sources and References: National Civil Rights Museum, news archives -
Election of Barack Obama
Event Description: Barack Obama was elected as the first African American President of the United States.
Significance: A historic milestone in American politics, symbolizing progress in racial equality and representation.
Key Players: Barack Obama, American voters
Sources and References: News archives, U.S. government records -
Black Lives Matter
Event Description: Movement founded to combat systemic racism and violence against Black individuals.
Significance: Addresses ongoing issues of police violence and systemic injustice, revitalizing the fight for equality.
Key Players: Black Lives Matter activists, civil rights advocates
Sources and References: News articles, Black Lives Matter website