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Jim Crow Laws
This was a racial caste system which operated in southern and border states, between 1877 and the mid-1960s. Under Jim Crow, African Americans were relegated to the status of second class citizens. It promoted white superiority. Jim Crow represented the legitimization of anti-black racism. It shows the inequality blacks were faced with and that there was nothing they could do to stop it. The minority is constantly put down and has rights taken away from them by higherpowers -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
Homer Plessy, an African American, boarded a train in New Orleans and seated himself in a "whites only" car. He refused to move and was arrested for violating the Jim Crow Car Act of 1890. The Supreme Court Justice Harlem voted against him affirming the rights of states to have segregation laws. This shows how the minority was losing and higher power was more successful. Also shows how the segregation issue has been going on for a long time, and still continues, although has improved. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
This case is a consolidation of four cases to challenge the constitutionality of race discrimination in school districts. They stated how the schools were not and could not be separate but equal and should become integrated. This case is a US landmark since the ruling of separate schools being unconstitutional paved the way for integration. This connects to my topic since it challenges the race inequality that was going on in the past and occasionally continues in similar ways. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white bus rider in Montgomery, Alabama, defying a southern custom. When she was jailed, a black community boycott of the city’s buses began, lasting more than a year. This demonstrated the unity and determination of black residents and inspiring blacks elsewhere, similar to the protests that the people in Ferguson started after the shooting of Michael Brown. This lead to change including the first black police chief in Ferguson, Delrish Moss. -
Selma March
On March 7 an SCLC planned march from Selma to the state capitol in Montgomery took place, ending almost before it began at Pettus Bridge, when mounted police using tear gas and wielding clubs attacked the protesters. On March 9 King turned back a second march to the Pettus Bridge when it was blocked by the police. That evening a group of Selma whites killed a northern white minister, who had joined the demonstrations. This event shows how violent protests can become. -
Bloody Sunday- Selma March video
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Beating of Rodney King
On March 3, 1991, Rodney king was beating by the Los Angeles Police Department. The incident was videotaped and broadcasted around the world. The state prosecution of the four officers involved resulted in a complete acquittal. Within hours, riots broke out across Los Angeles that left 55 people dead and over 2000 wounded. Eventually they opened a new investigation and the officers were indicted. This shows the police brutality on blacks and how it leads to protests. -
Ferguson and shooting of Michael Brown
On August 9, a police officer shot and killed an unarmed black teenager named Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. In the days since his death, Ferguson has experienced multiple protests, some of which have turned violent. This connects to the current event since they occurred within the same town. The protests started a change in Ferguson leading to the first black police chief. -
Ferguson shooting news report video
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Young Black Men Killed by Law Enforcement
young black men were nine times more likely than other Americans to be killed by police officers in 2015, according to the findings of a Guardian study that recorded a final tally of 1,134 deaths at the hands of law enforcement officers this year. -
Freddie Gray Death
On April 12 Gray was arrested under false circumstances. He was treated with misconduct during the arrest and transportation. He was also denied request for medical attention. Gray died April 19 from a spinal cord injury he sustained during the arrest. Protests of black lives matter broke out in the streets of Baltimore and some caused property destruction. The prosecutor did press charges on all six officers. This shows the police brutality occurring and how it leads to protests. -
Delrish Moss becomes Ferguson's police chief (current event)
Delrish Moss will be Ferguson's first African American police chief in the city's history. The city and the surrounding areas are predominantly African American. Moss says he plans to focus on diversity in the ranks of the 54-member police force by recruiting more minority candidates and more women. -
Delrish Moss news video
