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Plessy v. Ferguson
In 1896 the Supreme Court ruled aganist Homer Plessy's plea against Louisana's ''Separate Car Act" stating that segregation is legal if the facillities were "separate but equal. -
Executive Order 9981
President Truman desegregates the armed forces, via executive order. -
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kans.
In 1954 The Warren Court rules that the "seperate but equal" doctrine stated in the Plessy v.Ferguson case was unconsitutional.Thurgood Marshall,the NAACP prosectuting lawyer in the case,would later become the first African American Supreme Court Justice. -
Rosa Park refuses to give up her seat on the bus.
Rosa Parks,member of NAACP,is arrested for not giving up her seat to a white man.Because of this eventthe NAACP organized the Montgomery Bus Boycotts.Reveand Martin Luther King Jr defends her in court. -
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
Following Rosa Parks' arrest the NAACP organizes a city wide boycott of the buses in Montgomery,Alabama by African Americans. lasting 13 months.Martin Luther King Jr was a major player in this event. -
SCLC is established
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is established by Martin Luthor King Jr and others.The Conference becomes a major fighter for Civil Rights and racial equality by using "soul force".Martin Luthor King Jr is elected president of the group.They also had a part in multiple civil rights protests such as Freedom Summer, the sit ins and the Freedom Rides -
Little Rock Nine
9 students in Little Rock,Arkansas are denied entry into a high school by the National Guard,under order from the local govenor to keep them out.This violated the recent desegregation ruling in Brown vs Board.This forced president Eisenhower to have the students escorted into the school by the army. -
Sit ins begin
Starting at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College with four African American students,many African Americans all across begin sit ins in public faculities like libraries and diners to promote integration. -
SNCC Begins
At Shaw University The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee is created by African American students.The organization,despite becoming more radical later on,helped organize or aided many efforts for racial equality.They were large part of the march to Washington in 1963 and in the freedom rides ,sit ins and the Freedom Summer. -
James Meredith enrolls at the University of Mississippi.
University of Mississippi finally becomes desegregated with the enrollment of James Meredith.Due to the multiple riots against the action to desegregate the school.President Kennedy is forced to send 5,000 troops inorder to escort Mr. Meredith. -
Medgar Evers is assassinated.
NCAAP Activist for civil rights and WWII veteran Medgar Evers becomes a martyr for the civil rights movement when he is assassinated at his home in 1963.It takes 25 years before Ever's asssassin Byron De La Beckwith is convicted.Evers is buried in Arlington Cemetary with full honors for his military service. -
The Great March on Washington
250,000 people march to Washington in support of the Civil Rights movement.It is known to be one of the largest demonstrations ever in Washington DC.Two famous speeches are made in DC, one by John Lewis of SNCC and the Martin Luthor King "I Have a Dream" speech. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
In 1964 after many long years of fighting for civil equality the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is finally signed into law by LBJ.The act prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, or nationallity.It also legally ended segregation in public establishments as well such as parks,schools and libaries. -
Malcolm X is assassinated
Former member of the Nation of Isam and African American rights activist Malcolm X is assassinated in 1965.Nation of Isam members shot Malcolm X multiple times at an event where he was going to give a speech.Malcolm X was pronounced dead on arrival after he was rushed to the hospitial. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
In 1965 the Voting Rights Act is passed by Congress.It was the second Civil Rights act sigined into law by LBJ durring his presidency.The Bill prohibited "...any voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure ... to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color."(VRA65) -
The Black Panther Party is founded
Huey Newton and Robert Seale create the Black Panther Party in 1966.The group respresented the Black Power movement occuring at the time.In contrast to the "Soul Force" of MLK Jr,the Black Panthers were willing to use violence in order to stop unfair arrests or police brutality against African Americans. -
Martin Luther King Jr is assassinated
Durring his travel to Memphis,Martin Luther King Jr is shot by James Earl Ray outside the hotel where he was staying.He was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead after attempted emergency surgery.April 7th is made a national memorial day by President Johnson in honor of King.
