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1948 - US military is desegregated
President Truman issued executive order 9981 in 1948, essentially desegregating the military. This was an incredible victory for African Americans, who had been barred if not forbidden from the military altogether. The executive order integrated a critical part of the country's defense, history, and identity, directly advancing civil rights significantly. This advancement can't really be considered as civil disobedience or self-defense for African Americans. -
1954 - Brown v. Board of Education Makes Segregation Unconstitutional
In a landmark case, the Supreme Court's decision in Brown V. Board of Education overturned its decision in Plessy V. Fergusson, effectively outlawing segregation. This case was a massive victory for civil rights activists, as it provided a pathway towards ending racial segregation once and for all in America. -
1955 - Rosa Parks' Arrest Commences the Montgomery Bus Boycott
After refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man, civil rights activist Rosa Parks was arrested. This led to a significant backlash that soon kicked off the Montgomery bus boycott, a year-long protest that eventually led to Montgomery's public transit being desegregated. Rosa Parks' refusal was an example of civil disobedience. -
1963 - March on Washington
During the height of the civil rights movement, hundreds of thousands gathered in Washington D.C. to protest racial inequality. It was here that Martin Luther King Jr. gave his legendary "I Have a Dream" speech before the Lincoln Memorial. This march was an act of civil disobedience. -
1964 - President Johnson Signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964
This landmark civil rights legislation banned segregation and workplace discrimination on the basis of religion, race, sex, and nationality. It was one of the most important acts signed into law for the civil rights movement, with the act providing several critical protections. -
1966 - Black Panther Party is Founded
Founded by California college students, the Black Panther Party was one of the primary black power organizations in the US. Abandoning the non-violent tactics of their predecessors, the party's members sought to achieve change through violence when necessary. The party's founding could be considered an act of self-defense. -
1967 - Loving V. Virginia is Decided
The Supreme Court's decision in Loving V. Virginia outlawed anti-miscegenation laws, which prohibited interracial marriage, in the United States. The decision gave African Americans and Whites the freedom to marry each other, as the court felt that it was unconstitutional to regulate marriage. -
1967 - Thurgood Marshall is Appointed to the Supreme Court
As the advancements of the Civil Rights movement peaked, President Johnson decided that it would be wise to appoint an African American justice to the Supreme Court. Taking office in the fall of 1967, justice Marshall served on the bench until 1991. -
1968 - Martin Luther King Jr. is Assassinated
In the Spring of 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee by James Earl Ray. This senseless murder shocked the black community and resulted In riots nationwide. -
1968 - President Johnson Signs The Civil Rights Act of 1968
Shortly after MLK's assassination, President Johnson signed the civil rights act of 1968, also known as the fair housing act, into law. The law prohibits discrimination in the sale and rental of homes to racial and religious minorities. Though housing continues to be somewhat unequal even to this day, the act was a critical part of the fight towards achieving total equality between Whites and African Americans.