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Brown vs. Board of Education
A man named Oliver Brown filed a class action lawsuit against the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, for his daughters denied entrance to the all-white elementary schools. Thurgood Marshall was a plaintiff attorney who later became the first Black Supreme Justice, famously argued in the Brown vs Board of Education case along with 4 other cases. The Supreme Court passed a verdict effectively ending racial segregation in public schools. Some schools still faced segregation issues. -
Murder Of Emmet Till
In Mississippi, an African American 14-year-old boy named Emmett Till was brutally murdered for whistling at a white woman in a store. He was kidnapped and beaten, then shot in the head. He was thrown into the Tallahatchie River with a fan tied around his neck with barbed wire. His mother held an open casket to show the horrible abuse her son faced. This horrible event helped build the Civil Rights Movement. -
Rosa Parks: Bus BoyCott
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white man in Montgomery. She was arrested and lost her job due to this incident. Rosa Parks not giving up her seat encouraged the Montgomery Bus Boycott to become larger and was a very impactful moment of the Civil Rights Movement. It also encouraged many other people to stand up to the discrimination. -
"The Little Rock Nine"
The "Little Rock Nine" a group of nine African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School after Brown v. Board of Education was passed. The nine students showed up to the all-white school and faced a significant amount of discrimination by white mobs. Around 270 Arkansas National Guard troops were sent to keep peace. One of the students was MinneJean Brown-Trickety, she went on to be a social worker and talk about when she was part of the Rock Nine to bring awareness to it. -
Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges was a six-year-old girl when she became the first African American Student to integrate a white school. She was escorted by several U.S. Marshals to ensure her safety due to violent mobs. Ruby Bridges went on to be a activist who paved the way for many during the Civil Rights Movement. -
Freedom Riders
The Freedom Riders were a group of White and African American civil rights actisivist protesting segragation. These Activists went on bus trips throughout the U.S. protesting segragation by using "White only bathrooms", and sitting at the lunch counters in Alabama. Many of the Freedom Riders faced much hate and violence but brought a great amount of attention to the Civil Rights Movement. -
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was a horrific event that happened in Birmingham, Alabama. A white terrorist group planted 19 sticks of dynamite beneath the steps on the east side of the church. The Explosion killed 4 young girls and injured around 20 people. Mr. Luther King Jr. said this event was vicious and tragic against humanity. -
Assination of Malcolm X
Malcolm X was one of the civil rights era’s most prominent advocates. Malcolm believed the Nation of Islam should join in civil rights protests, but leader Elijah Muhammad disagreed. He had a falling out with the Islamic group. He went to speak in front of a large group, and three men shot him continuously. All three men were members of the Nation of Islam and were charged with first-degree murder. Over 20,000 people went and mourned his death at a Harlem funeral home. -
Martin Luther King Jr. Assasination
Martin Luther King Jr. Was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. He was standing on a 2nd-floor balcony when a sniper’s bullet pierced his neck. He was quickly rushed to the hospital but died an hour later. People were terribly upset over his death, and this led to rioting. President Lyndon B. Johnson urged Americans to stop violence because King was nonviolent in all his protests. Martin Luther King Jr’s death led to big social changes for the African American Community. -
Fair Housing Act of 1968
During this time, many africran americnas were facing discrimination while trying to live in their homes. Making it very difficult to buy or rent new homes just due to the color of their skin. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 was to prohibit discrimination regarding the sale, rent, and finance of housing based on race, sex, or religion. The Act was quickly passed after the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. and is known as one of the final acts of legislation during the Civil Rights Era. -
Henry "Hank" Aaron
Henry Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record by hitting his 715th homerun. He was the first black baseball player to get white Southerners to cheer for a black baseball player. He became the league's all-time homerun leader. President Jimmy Carter called him out for advancing civil rights for the country. -
Guion Bluford Jr.
Guion Bluford Jr. became the first black man to go to space. He was a part of the Challenger Space shuttle crew. He had lots of flight experience. He was a flight engineer and mission specialist. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and the International Space Hall of Fame. -
Vanessa Williams
Vanessa Williams was crowned Miss America 1984 on September 17, 1983. She was the first African American recipient of the title. She gave up her crown and title when a magazine published unauthorized nude photos of her. She is now a actress and singer. -
Beating of Rodney King
The Beating of Rodney King took place in Los Angeles, California when Rodney King was leading the police on an 8-mile car chase when he chose to stop his vehicle. The 4 police officers harshly beat and struck King. He obtained numerous injuries and the whole beating was caught on camera. This caused an uproar in the city of Los Angeles. Violent riots started, and by the end of the riots, more than 60 people were killed, 2,000 injured, 12,000 arrested and, $1 billion worth of property damage. -
Mae Jemison
Mae Jemison was the First Black woman to go to space. She was a science mission specialist. She was on the Space Shuttler Endeavour. Today she’s a scientist and public speaker. She noted that people should recognize how much women and members of minority groups contribute to society when given the opportunity. -
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison is the first Black woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize for literature. She is an American Novelist and editor. She won her Nobel Peace prize to a book called Jazz. -
Colin Powell
Colin Powell was the first Black US secretary of state. He was elected by George W. Bush in 2001. He died in 2021 due to complications with COVID-19. -
Barack Obama Elected President
Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States, and the first African American to hold office. He was elected on January 20th, 2009, and continued to stay in office until January 20th, 2017. Barack pressed for a fair pay act for women, financial reform legislation, and efforts to protect consumer rights. He signed many landmark bills only in his first two years, including affordable care (Obamacare) this affected and still affects and helps many. -
George Floyd
George Floyd was a 46 year old black american murdered on may 25th, 2020 in minneapolis. This death, caused by Chauvin kneeling on Floyds neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. This caused rioting and people flooded the streets during the global pandemic. Chauvin was sentenced to over 20 years in prison. George Floyd was one of the over 1,000 lives taken every year at the hands of law enforcement. This death affected many people everywhere and started the Black Lives Matter Movement. -
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first female vice president also making her the first South Asian Black American to hold the position for our country. She also served as attorney general of California and was the second woman who was African American to serve in the U.s. Senate.