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Desegregation of the Military
Executive order 9981 was the order made by President Trueman to desegregate the Military. This meant that fair employment practices were used to ensure that everyone would have equal opportunity. The order said that "there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services." This meant that race color religion or ancestry did not affect military opportunities. -
Brown Vs. Board of Education
Schools were legally segregated because of the court ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson. Brown argued that the schools were not equal. The court realized that segregated schools could never be equal and this was against the separate but equal clause of the 14th amendment. Schools had officially been desegregated but they have no way for schools to be integrated together. The integration of schools was not received the best as seen with the little rock nine and ruby bridges. -
Emmett Till Murder Continued
After these claims, he and her husband demanded to see him. They took him, beat him, and dumped him into the Tallahatchie River. The police found his mutilated body three days later. His mom decided to have an open casket funeral to show how bad this racist hate crime was. Later the store clerk confesses to the murder and is quoted in a book by Tim Tyson saying “Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him.” -
Emmett Till Murder
Emmett Till grew up in Chicago. One day he wants to a candy store and bought some candy, as he left he said bye to the woman running the store. There was nobody else there and later she claimed that he "grabbed her, made lewd advances and wolf-whistled at her as he sauntered out." -
Montgomery Buss Boycott
The Montgomery bus boycott was a civil rights movement where they didn't ride the busses because of the unjust segregation and treatment on the busses. Rosa Parks was riding a bus in the first row of the colored section of a buss. When the section for whites filled up the driver told her and three others to give up their seats so that the white people could sit down the other two people did what they were told but Rosa Parks refused to move. SHe was then arrested. -
Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom
There were an estimated 25,000 people that marched on Washington. They did this on the 3rd anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education. During the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom Martin Luther King Jr. gave his Give Us the Ballot speech. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
This act was made to ensure eligible citizens had the ability to vote. It also gave the government the power to investigate any suspected violations of this act. This bill showed effort towards a more fair and equal America. -
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine were the first African American students to go to a traditionally white public school. They had to go through counseling for the anticipated push back that they would receive. The governor said he would call in the national guard because the desegregation of the school would endanger the students. It was not until September 25th that the students got to go to school and they would the victims of harassment throughout the year. -
Greensboro Four
These four started a series of sit-ins that started in the Woolworth retail store. This store was known to refuse to serve African Americans. After the first day, this movement grew and there were people everywhere, it got soo big that there were bomb threats. After a long five and a half months of sit-ins, they were finally served. The four that started the movement became knows as the Greensboro Four and there was a statue made to commemorate them. -
New Orleans School Desegregation
in 1960 the New Orleans school board started the desegregation of their schools. They did it on a one grade per year basis starting with first grade. One of the first grades is very well known her name is Ruby Bridges. She was escorted into school by four marshals on her first day. Norman Rockwell was commissioned to do a painting of this event. Their ware rioters in protest of the integration of the schools and that was why Ruby needed marshals to escort her into school. -
Freedom Riders
These civil rights activists were both white and black. They rode trains throughout the south against the segregation of trains. There was much violence directed towards the freedom riders one train was even bomber, but that was the worst of the violence. John Lewis was a freedom rider and he became a member of the house of representatives. -
March on Washington
250,000 people gather in the capital they were there peacefully. This was when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his I have a Dream speech. It was about his dream for a better America. This better America would not be segregated and there would be a fair opportunity to everyone. There was also singers including Marian Anderson, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Mahalia Jackson. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act bans the discrimination of employment based on race, color, religion, gender or, origin. This ended segregation in public places and was a huge set towards equal rights. JFK was the president to the act but because of southern resistance, it was Lyndon B. Johnson that passed the act. -
Bloody Sunday
There was a group of 600 people about to peaceful march for voting rights and they were violently attacked by state troopers hoping to stop the march for voting rights. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act was made to help voters have a fair opportunity. It removed literacy tests that were often used to disqualify African Americans from voting because of the many years of poor schooling they had received. This act was effective because of the voter turnout in the south rises after this act was put into effect. -
Robert Lawrnce
Robert Lawrence was the first African American astronaut. When he was told that he had been chosen to be on the MOL Mission he responded very humbly saying “This is nothing dramatic. It’s just a normal progression. I’ve been very fortunate.” The mission he was selected for was MOL that stands for Manned Orbiting Laboratory They would be two-man crews that would be there for 30 days at a time. On December 8th, 1967 Robert Lawernce died in a plane crash. -
Fair Housing Act
This act protected people from being discriminated against because of their color, race religion or gender when buying or renting a home. This made it easier for African Americans to get housing and was another step in creating the dream that Martin Luther had or an America that had a fair opportunity for everyone. -
John Lewis
John Lewis was one of the original 13 freedom riders. He went to become part of the house of representatives. It was a big deal to have an African American in the house of representative because it showed growth in the desegregation of the nation. -
Congressional Medal of Honor
The Little Rock Nine were given the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Clinton. This award is the highest honor a civilian can receive. There are less than 320 people that have received this medal some of which being Mother Teresa and George Washington. They received this medal for there bravery in attending the Little Rock school. -
Greensboro Four Statue Dedication
This monument is a huge statue that commemorates the actions of the four brave college students that sat-in at Woolworth's. The statue depicts the students walking out after they were finally served after many months of sit-ins. -
Barack Obama
Barack Obama did something that had never been done before. He was the first African American president. He started his political career in the Senate then moved to the house of representatives. Then in 2007, he ran for the office of the president. An early success in Iowa put him near the front of the race, he then went on to win the race.
