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Executive Order 9981
Truman promotes equal rights for all races by stating "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." http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1688862/Executive-Order-9981 -
Period: to
Racial Tensions Settle
During this period, caused by the signing of the order by President Truman, the racial tensions became concentrated within each individual region. The effect of these heightened feelings was the spark of many national-level conflicts, like ones starting with Brown V Board of Education -
Brown V. Board of Education
Supreme Court rules the segregation of blacks and whites in different facilities as unconstitutional. -
Emmett Till
Young black boy is murdered by a pair of white men for whistling at a white woman, the men are aquitted by the jury. http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/till/tillaccount.html -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on the bus to a white man and gets arrested. -
"Little Rock Nine"
Nine black students attempted to go to an all-white school; upon being denied, Eisenhower sends troops to make sure the students were able to go to classes. -
James Meredith
James Meredith enrolled as the first black student at the University of Mississippi; many riots started and Kennedy had to send in troops to suppress the segregation favoritists. -
"I Have a Dream"
Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers a speech that promotes racial equality; gains tons of support among the civil rights activists. -
Bomb Explosion
Four young black girls are killed in a bomb explosion while attending Sunday school http://www.nps.gov/subjects/civilrights/16th-street-baptist-church.htm -
Amendment 24
Amendment 24 eliminates poll taxes, making it more possivle for poor blacks to vote -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964, banning all forms of racial discrimination. -
Malcom X
Popular black nationalist, Malcom X, is shot to death. -
Executive Order 11246
Executive order 11246 enforces affirmative action for the first time. It requires government contractors to "take affirmative action" toward prospective minority employees in all aspects of hiring and employment. LBJ stated that "We seek not just freedom but opportunity. We seek not just legal equity but human ability, not just equality as a right and a theory but equality as a fact and equality as a result." http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-eeo.htm -
Martin Luther King, Jr. Shot Dead
Martin Luther King, at age 39, is shot as he stands on the balcony outside his hotel room. -
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Supreme Court rules that blacks must be integrated with whites in many aspects of schools, primarily busing and integrated public schools. http://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/402/1
