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The Desegregation of the Military
African Americans were angered by the fact that they went to fight in WW2 against the Axis Powers, specifically Germany, that discriminated against races that Hitler didn't consider as "German", yet when African Americans came home they were faced with discrimination. Congress was not in favor with the Committee of Civil Rights in providing equal treatment to African Americans, but President Truman refused to let this treatment proceed so he desegregated the military under his power. -
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Civil Rights
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Rosa Parks ignites the Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat (that was in the colored section of the bus) to a white man. This resulted in her arrest. -
Little Rock High School
The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine black students who enrolled at formerly all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in September 1957.On September 4, 1957, the first day of classes at Central High, Governor Orval Faubus called in the Arkansas National Guard to block the black students’ entry into the high school. Later that month, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent in federal troops to escort the Little Rock Nine into the school. -
Kennedy Becomes the President and Proposes the "New Frontier"
Became President in January 1961, and proposed the New Frontier, which was his plan to improve the economy, fight racial discrimination, and explore space. -
Lyndon B. Johnson becomes the President of the United States
Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson assumed the presidency when John F, Kennedy was assassinated in November 22, 1963. He showed his condolences when he stated: "John F. Kennedy was the victim of hate that was part of our country. It is a disease that occupies the minds of few but brings danger to many". He upheld Kennedy's support of the civil rights movement by passing the civil rights bill though the Senate didn't approve of it, the bill eventually was passed and enacted on. -
Letter from Birmingham Jail
A letter written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr while he was imprisoned in Birmingham City Jail. In the letter, King defends non-violent strategies and states that people have a responsibility to take direct action against unjust laws. -
March on Washington
A march to fight for economic and civil rights. This is the match where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr made his "I Have a Dream" speech. -
Kennedy is Assassinated
Kennedy was riding in a presidential motorcade in Dallas, Texas, when a bullet fired by Lee Harvey Oswald (a former US Marine), and conspiratorially others. -
The creation of the Great Society
The Great Society was President Johnson's goal of improvement in certain aspects of the American life. Johnson increased the access to health care by implanting Medicaid and Medicare, invested in education, enacted less restrictive immigration policies, and aimed to protect the environment and consumers. -
Twenty-Fourth Amendment Ratified
On January 23, 1964, the Twenty-Fourth Amendment was ratified, banning poll taxes as a requirement to vote. -
Freedom Summer
A summer project where a group of college students (both black and white) classed and helped African Americans register to vote. This is the time when Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney disappeared and were later found murdered by KKK members. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
After years of struggle and setbacks, advocates for equality celebrate the passage of sweeping legislation that prohibits racial discrimination. -
Immigration and Nationality Act
President Johnson passed this act in hopes of reducing the restrainments in immigration laws. Immigrants provided the country with new ideas and offered a variety of new skills and talents. Nearly 170,000 Eastern Hemisphere and 120,000 Western Hemisphere immigrants were allowed into the country. Later on, came the Latinos and the Asians. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
A law signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson that focuses on overcoming the legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote as guaranteed under the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. -
Malcolm X
An activist and outspoken public voice of the Black Muslim faith, challenged the mainstream civil-rights movement and the nonviolent pursuit of integration championed by Martin Luther King Jr. He urged followers to defend themselves against white aggression “by any means necessary.” -
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Selma to Montgomery March
In a 54-mile march, more than a thousand people set out to enforce their right to vote and tried to end segregated voting in the South. -
Fair Housing Act of 1968
Also known as the Civil Rights Act of 1968, provided for equal housing opportunities regardless of race, religion, or nation of origin, and made it a federal crime -
Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination
Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. He had led the civil rights movement since the mid-1950s, using a combination of impassioned speeches and nonviolent protests to fight segregation and achieve significant civil-rights advances for African Americans. His assassination led to an outpouring of anger among black Americans, as well as a period of national mourning that helped speed the way for an equal housing bill during the civil rights era. -
Tinker V. Des Moines School
The Supreme Court ruled that other means of free speech like wearing black armbands in school to protest the Vietnam War and empowered students to protest in other ways. It established the nation's students right for the First Amendment. Abraham Fortas, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the US stated: "It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate". -
George Wallace's Stance On Civil Rights
Governor of Alabama from 1963 to 1967. He ran for president in 1968 on the American Independent Party ticket, championing states rights and winning five southern states in the election. Serving three more terms as governor (1971–1979, 1983–1987), he eventually renounced his segregationist beliefs.
