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The Supreme Court Decision of Plessy v. Ferguson
originally upheld the constitutionality of “separate, but equal facilities” based on race. it violated the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection by allowing racial segregation, even if the separate facilities were deemed "equal," as this discriminated against African Americans, -
The Tuskegee Airmen
the first African American military pilots in the United States. They served in World War II and were a key part of the Allied bomber effort. -
The Integration of Major League Baseball
nearly 60 years baseball was a segregated sport as the American and National Leagues that formed Major League Baseball unofficially banned African-Americans from their ranks. That all changed when Jackie Robinson stepped onto the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. -
The Integration of Armed Forces
Truman signed Executive Order 9981 on 26 July 1948 stating, "There shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed forces without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin." The order also established an advisory committee to examine the rules, practices, and procedures -
The Supreme Court Decision of Sweatt v. Painter
the court ruled that the University of Texas Law School must admit Heman Sweatt, an African American applicant, because the separate law school created for Black students was significantly unequal and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment -
The Supreme Court Decision of Brown v. Board of Education
ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, effectively overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson and marking a major milestone in the Civil Rights Movement; this decision declared that separating children in public schools based on race -
The Death of Emmitt Till
his death brought immediate and significant international attention to the American Civil Rights Movement, effectively acting as a catalyst that galvanized public awareness and spurred widespread activism, -
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. Her act of defiance became a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement. a 13-month mass protest that ended with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses is unconstitutional. -
The Integration of Little Rock High School
Governor Orval Faubus mobilized the Arkansas National Guard in an effort to prevent nine African American students from integrating the high school.large crowds gathering to intimidate and protest against them. Governor Faubus initially mobilized the National Guard to block their entry, leading to significant violence. -
The Civil Rights act of 1957
first significant measure to address African-American civil rights since 1875—established the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for two years, created a civil rights division in the U.S. Justice Department, and authorized the U.S. Attorney General to seek federal court injunctions to protect -
The Greensboro Four Lunch Counter Sit-In
led to the F. W. Woolworth Company department store chain removing its policy of racial segregation, this provided a template for nonviolent resistance and marked an early success for the civil rights movement. -
The Freedom Rides by Freedom Riders of 1961
a series of protests during the Civil Rights Movement where activists, known as "Freedom Riders," intentionally rode interstate buses through the segregated Southern United States to challenge the non-enforcement of Supreme Court rulings that declared segregated bus terminals unconstitutional -
The Twenty-Fourth Aendment
prohibited the federal and state governments from imposing poll taxes before a citizen could participate in a federal election -
The Integration of the University of Mississippi
a federal appeals court ordered the University of Mississippi to admit James Meredith, an African-American student -
The Integration of the University of Alabama
opened doors not only to two Black students, but for decades of progress toward becoming an inclusive campus. -
The March on Washington & " I Have a Dream" Speech by MLK
an estimated 250,000 people marched to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington where they heard Martin Luther King Jr. give a speech destined to resonate through the ages. this was to protest segregation and discrimination in the U.S. military and the U.S. defense industry and to pressure the White House to take action -
The Assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas
it spurred a renewed sense of urgency and national focus on passing civil rights legislation, as Kennedy had been a vocal supporter of the movement, and his death prompted President Johnson to aggressively push for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Signed by President Johnson
prohibited discrimination in public places, provided for the integration of schools and other public facilities, and made employment discrimination illegal -
The Assassination of Malcolm X
signaled the beginning of bitter battles involving proponents of the ideological alternatives the two men represented. contributed to the development of Black nationalist ideology and the Black Power movement -
The Selma to Montgomery March : " Bloody Sunday"
, Alabama state troopers attacked civil rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The massacre in St. Petersburg, Russia, of peaceful demonstrators marking the beginning of the violent phase of the Russian Revolution of 1905. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. -
The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee
Martin Luther King was shot dead while standing on a balcony outside his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. News of King's assassination prompted major outbreaks of racial violence, resulting in more than 40 deaths nationwide and extensive property -
The Voting Rights of 1968
prohibited states from imposing qualifications or practices to deny the right to vote on account of race. The Fair Housing Act was a major victory for the civil rights movement. While progress has been made, many of the law's promises have gone unfulfilled. More than half a century later