-
Plessy v. Ferguson
established the constitutionality of laws mandating separate but equal public accommodations for African Americans and white Americans -
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces -
Integration of Major League Baseball
Jackie Robinson stepped onto the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947 -
Integration of the Armed Forces
July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981 -
Sweaty v. Painter
The Supreme Court ruled that in states where public graduate and professional schools existed for white students but not for black students, black students must be admitted to the all-white institutions, and that the equal protection clause required Sweatt's admission to the University of Texas School of Law -
Brown v. board of education
the Supreme Court ruled that separating children in public schools on the basis of race was unconstitutional -
Death of Emmitt Till
because the original casket's condition, state law required the body to be reburied in a new casket -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
African Americans refused to ride city buses in Montgomery, Alabama, to protest segregated seating -
Intergration of Little Rock High School
The media coined the name “Little Rock Nine" to identify the first African American students to desegregate Little Rock Central High School -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
An Act to provide means of further securing and protecting the civil rights of persons within the jurisdiction of the United States -
Greensboro Four Lunch Counter sit in
The Greensboro sit-in was a civil rights protest that started in 1960, when young African American students staged a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, and refused to leave after being denied service. -
Freedom Rides of 1961
to challenge state laws that enforced segregation in transportation -
the 24th amendment
Constitutional Amendments – Amendment 24 – “Elimination of Poll Taxes” Amendment Twenty-four to the Constitution was ratified on January 23, 1964. It abolished and forbids the federal and state governments from imposing taxes on voters during federal elections. -
the integration of the university of mississippi
In 1962, a federal appeals court ordered the University of Mississippi to admit James Meredith, an African-American student. Upon his arrival, a mob of more than 2,000 white people rioted; two people were killed. -
the integration of the university of Alabama
The successful integration of The University of Alabama that began on June 11, 1963, opened doors not only to two Black students, but for decades of progress toward becoming an inclusive campus. -
I have a dream speech
The speech calls upon African-Americans to 'cash the check' that was written to all Americans by the country's founding fathers. Dr. King asserts that the promises of the Declaration of Independence should guarantee blacks the same rights to 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' that whites already enjoy. -
the assassination of john f kennedy
Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a motorcade with his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, Texas Governor John Connally, and his wife, Nelly Connally. The motorcade rushed to Parkland Hospital where, at 1 p.m., the President was pronounced dead. -
the civil rights act of 1964
This act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964, prohibited discrimination in public places, provided for the integration of schools and other public facilities, and made employment discrimination illegal. It was the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. -
assassination of Malcom x
On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X, a religious and civil rights leader, was assassinated during a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan. Malcolm X was just 39 years old and left behind his wife, Betty Shabazz, and six young daughters—including twins born after his death. -
the Selma to Montgomery march
The Selma Marches were a series of three marches that took place in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. These marches were organized to protest the blocking of Black Americans' right to vote by the systematic racist structure of the Jim Crow South. -
the voting rights act of 1965
When Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it determined that racial discrimination in voting had been more prevalent in certain areas of the country. Section 4(a) of the Act established a formula to identify those areas and to provide for more stringent remedies where appropriate. -
assassination of Martin Luther king jr
At 6:05 P.M. on Thursday, 4 April 1968, 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 act of 1968
The 1968 act expanded on previous acts and prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, and since 1974, sex. Since 1988, the act protects people with disabilities and families with children.