-
13th Ammendment Ennacted
The 13th Amendment was made as better alternative to the Emancipation Proclamation made by Lincoln back in 1863. This amendment outlawed slavery and freed all slaves, which became a major milestone in getting black people to be equal to white people. -
Jim Crow Laws
Racist laws that limited Black People freedoms. -
1906 Atlanta Riot and Lynching Problems
Fabrications of black on white violence cause whites to attack blacks. In response, blacks built up an arsenal of weapons to protect themselves. Lynches were common and eventually lead to the NAACP being founded. -
NAACP Founded
This organizations' full name is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It was made fight racial discrimination and segregation through legal action and public advocacy, and the organization is still doing work to this day. -
Executive Order 8802
President Theodore Roosevelt issued this order. It banned discrimination in the defense industry and led to a greater amount of black workers during WWII. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
After the arrest of Rosa Parks for her stunt on a bus, there a 13 month long protest against the segregated busses. Eventually, Congress ruled segregated busses as unconstitutional. -
The Greensboro Sit-In
4 black students sat in a white only designated section. They were there all day, getting refused service during that time, and stayed until the place closed. This sparked peaceful protests across Greensboro. -
Freedom Rides
A challenge made by the Congress of Racial Equality to end segregation on buses and bus terminals. -
Jim Crow Laws abolished
Racist laws abolished and a huge milestone in the movement. -
Founding of the Black Panther Party
A party formed in Oakland, California which challenged police brutality and provided community aid. -
The Fair Housing Act
Prohibits discrimination in housing based on race or color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or familial status. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr
His death sparked riots and mourning across the U.S., deepening the urgency of civil rights reform. "The time is always right to do what is right."
- Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., activist -
Extension of the Voting Rights Act
President Richard Nixon signs to extend the Voting Rights Act, after the initial signing by President Lyndon B. Johnson -
Equal Employment Opportunity Act
Federal law that amends Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, strengthens protections against employment discrimination based on color or race, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, etc. -
Another extension of the Voting Rights Act
was extended for another 7 years, and provisions were broadened to address discrimination in voting against language minority groups -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke Court Case
Supreme Court decided ruled that universities could use race as a factor (for diversity) but they could not use racial quotas -
Vanessa Williams crowned Miss America
Vanessa Williams was the first Black Miss America, significant because it showed progress towards greater equality for Black Americans -
Jesse Jackson runs for President
Democratic nomination, didn’t win but surprised many when he placed 3rd in 1984, ran again in 1988 -
Martin Luther King Jr. statue unveiled in U.S. Capital
Powerful symbol of the civil rights movement and MLK’s legacy, was the first time the U.S. capital recognized an African American individual in this light -
Colin Powell reaches the highest levels of military
Appointed Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, highest military position ever held by an African American -
Clarence Thomas reaches the highest levels of government
Appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court , was the second African American to serve on the nation’s highest tribunal -
Barack Obama becomes first African American president
First inauguration on January 20, 2009. First African American president, meant even more progress, served 2 terms 2009-2017. “The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift” -
Black Lives Matter Movement
founded in 2013, resurged in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, social movement that highlights racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people, mainly focusing on police brutality and racially motivated violence against black people