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14th Amendment
The 14th amendment to the Constitution was adopted, which addresses citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws to former slaves following the American Civil War. -
15th Amendment Ratified
The 15th Amendment granted blacks the right to vote, including former slaves. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1875
The Civil Rights Act of 1875 prohibited cases of racial discrimination in business facilities and guaranteed equal access to public accommodations regardless of race or color. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The ruling stated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution dealt with political and not social equality. Plessy v. Ferguson gave a broad interpretation of "equal but separate" accommodations. -
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded by a multi-racial group of activists in New York, N.Y. This association was made to improve the aspects of education, employment, etc. for African Americans. -
Executive Order 9981
Truman signs Executive Order 9981, which states, "It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin." -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court rules on the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kans., unanimously agreeing that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. -
Bus Boycott- Rosa Parks
NAACP member Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat at the front of the "colored section" of a bus to a white passenger. In response to her arrest the Montgomery black community launches a bus boycott, which will last for more than a year, until the buses are desegregated Dec. 21, 1956. -
The Montgomery Bus Boycott Concludes
The Montgomery Bus Boycott finally ends in December, and results in Montgomery buses being fully integrated. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
This act creates the Civil Rights Commission and also authorizes the Justice Department to look into cases of African Americans being deprived of their voting rights in the South. -
"Freedom Riders"
Student volunteers begin taking bus trips through the South to test out new laws that prohibit segregation in interstate travel facilities. Several of the groups of "freedom riders," are attacked by angry mobs along the way. -
First African American Student at University
James Meredith becomes the first black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi. Violence and riots surrounding the incident cause President Kennedy to send 5,000 federal troops. -
Martin Luther King Jr. Speech
Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his famous "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington D.C. at the Lincoln memorial. About 200,000 people joined the March on Washington congregation. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment abolishes the poll tax, which originally had been instituted in 11 southern states after Reconstruction to make it difficult for poor blacks to vote. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This legislation outlawed major forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic, national and religious minorities, and women. It ended unequal voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace, etc.
