-
Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play major league baseball
Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and this broke the racial barrier in major league sports. Jackie Robinson went on to become one of the greatest players of all time. -
Executive Order 9981 signed by President Truman
President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 and this mandated the desegregation of the United States military. This ended segregation in the military not just on race but also on religion and national origin. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Brown v. Board of Education that segregation in schools was not constitutional. This decision reversed the "separate but equal" doctrine that had been established in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. -
Emmett Till is murdered
Emmett Till was a 14 year old African-American boy who was kidnapped and brutally lynched on accusations of whistling at a white woman in her family store. At his funeral he had an open casket so the world could see what they had done to Emmett. -
Rosa Parks is arrested
Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist who is most known for refusing to give up her seat to a white person in protest. This sparked the Montgomery bus boycott. -
Montgomery bus boycott
The Montgomery bus boycott was a 381 day protest in where African-Americans and other people who supported the movement did not ride any buses in Montgomery, Alabama. This boycott sparked when Rosa Parks was arrested for giving up her seat on a bus. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was a bill signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and was meant to protect black voters rights. This bill helped outlaw Jim Crow laws in the South. -
The Birmingham Children's March
People didn't think the police would show brutality towards children so they organized a peaceful protest and marched through the city of Birmingham. They were wrong and it backfired because the police showed up and used force to end the protest. -
The March on Washington
The March on Washington was when a quarter of a million people gathered by the Washington Monument to peacefully protest and hear Dr. King speak. This is when Dr. King gave his "I have a Dream" speech.