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1940
Prior to World War II, most blacks were low-wage farmers, factory workers, domestics or servants. By the early 1940s, war-related work was booming, but most blacks weren’t given the better paying jobs. They were also discouraged from joining the military. -
1941
More than 3 million blacks register for service during the war, but according to War Department policy, blacks and whites were organized into separate units. Frustrated blacks were forced to combat racism even as they sought to further U.S. war aims; this became known as the “Double V” strategy. -
1943
In the spring of 1943, graduates of the first all-black military aviation program, created in 1941. Their commander, Captain Benjamin O. Davis Jr., later became the first African American general. He was a great source of pride for many blacks in America. -
1948
As the Cold War began, President Harry Truman initiated a civil rights agenda, and in 1948 came order 9981 to end discrimination in the military. he said, “there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.” -
1951
Black students in Virginia protested against the segregated educational system. Some leaders of the NAACP tried to make them stop, but they didn’t. This turned into an even bigger battle, The NAACP proceeded with five cases challenging the school systems; these were later combined under what is known today as Brown v. Board of Education. -
1952
The first direct actions for civil rights start to take place. Three black men successfully made a boycott against a gas station that didn’t provide restrooms for black people. After that, they encouraged other blacks to make other actions like that. -
1954
The civil rights movement began, and ened in 1968 -
1955
A 15 year old girl refuses to give her seat to a white man on a bus and gets arrested. Months later Rosa Parks did the same and started the Bus Boycott. She got very famous for that and was later hailed as “the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement”. -
1957
Blacks had the right to vote, but some states still made it really difficult for them. But, on September 9, 1957, President Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 into law, the first major civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. It allowed the federal prosecution of anyone who tried to prevent someone from voting. It also created a commission to investigate voter fraud.
