Civil Rights 1946-1964

Civil Rights Congress

Jan 1, 1946

The Civil Rights Congress was formed from the merger of the International Labor Defense, the National Negro Congress, and the National Federation for Constitutional Liberties. The CRC focused on legal defense and mass political action for people that were victims of frame-ups.

Freedom Riders

Apr 9, 1947

The Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode buses into the southern United States to challenge the local laws and customs that enforced segregation. Their actions were against the law in the south so they would often get arrested.

Jackie Robinson

Apr 15, 1947

Jackie Robinson became the first black professional baseball player in sixty years. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Executive Order 9981

Jul 26, 1948

Harry S. Truman issues Executive Order 9981 to end segregation in the Armed Forces.

First Day of School

Sep 4, 1952

Eleven black students are the first to go to a public white school, Claymont High School, in Delaware.

14th Amendment

May 3, 1954

The Supreme Court of the United States rules that all racial groups are entitled to equal protection under the 14th Amendement of the U.S. Constitution.

Rosa Parks

Dec 1, 1955

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus which started the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The U.S. Congress called her "the first lady of cilvil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement."

Motown

Jan 12, 1959

Berry Gordy, a black man born in Detroit, Michigan, founded Motown records.

JFK Civil Rights Speech

Jun 11, 1963

President John F. Kennedy made a civil rights speech which promised a bill to Congress the next week. In the speech he asked for "the kind of equality of treatment which we would want for ourselves."

I Have a Dream

Aug 28, 1963

Dr. Martin Luther King made the speech "I Have a Dream" on August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. He asked for racial equality and no more discrimination. It was a defining moment in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Jul 2, 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was landmark legislation that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation. It ended inequality in voting, segregation in schools, at work and by facilities that served the general public.

Nobel Peace Prize

Dec 10, 1964

Dr. Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.