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Jim Crow Laws
Jim Crow Laws went into effect in 1865, restricting African Americans of their freedom. The law segregated schools, transportation, restaurants, and other public facilities. When Jim Crow Laws went out of effect in 1965, African Americans still had to deal with the impact of the law in their daily lives. Jim Crow Laws influenced American society by changing the law, allowing segregation to be equal. It also resulted in blacks social life shifting. -
Plessy V. Ferguson
Plessy V. Ferguson was a Supreme Court case where Plessy was fighting for his rights as he felt Ferguson violated his 13th and 14th amendments rights when he was thrown off a train for sitting in a white section. When taking the case to court the court ruled 7-1 that segregation was fine and things were “separate but equal”. This changed American society because it made segregation legal, effecting the lives of all minorities. -
Lynching Of Jesse Washington
Jesse Washington was a black, mentally disabled 17 year old who just recently moved to Waco Texas with his family. On May 8th, 1916 Jesse’s employer Lucy Fryer was found dead on the doorway of the work house. Washington was quickly blamed and arrested. When taken to court he was found guilty after 4 minutes, then dragged outside and brutally beaten to death. This shows the significance of Jim Crow laws and the extent on Americans social society, due to how harsh people were to African Americans. -
Brown V. Board of Education
During Brown v. Board of Education the Supreme Court ruled that separating children in public schools based on race was unconstitutional. This event ended the “separate but equal” statement that was decided during the Plessy v. Ferguson case. While this legally stopped the segregation in schools it didn’t make it any easier for black students, mostly due to de facto segregation. Brown v. Board of Education affected American society by changing the legal status of segregation in schools. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
On December 1st 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested when she refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white man. Rosa Parks confidence quickly led to the Montgomery bus boycott. The boycott was a 13 month nonviolent protest against segre of transportation. The protest ended when the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. This impacts American society by showing the legal and social lengths African Americans had to go to just to sit where they want on a bus. -
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine is a group of nine voluntary students who enrolled and desegregated Little Rock Nine High School in 1957. The media at the time caught the struggles the students went through and the significance of their battle. This affects American society by showing the students courage and how that impacted society for the good. There boldness changed America and the social lives of so many African Americans. -
Anniston Bus Bombing
On May 14 1961, a Greyhound bus carrying freedom riders arrived at the Anniston bus station. Soon after the building was locked shut. KKK leader and 50 other armed men smash windows, slash tires, and dent the sides of the bus. The freedom riders refused to exit the bus, but one of the mob members tossed a firebomb through the window. The freedom riders quickly escape from the windows. This event impacts American society by showing the lengths people would go to, to harm African Americans. -
Children’s Crusade - Birmingham
The Children’s Crusade was a nonviolent protest led by Martin Luther King who decided to let students to participate. Over 1,000 students skipped school and marched to downtown Birmingham. Police brought out fire hoses, batons, and police dogs using them to attack the young kids. The children continued to protest for what they believe. This affected American society by changing the views on segregation laws. Media finally saw the impact and reality of what Jim Crow laws were creating. -
March on Washington
On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King led the March on Washington and stated his famous I had a dream speech. Over 250,000 people were in attendance, to protest racial discrimination and demand an end to segregation. This impacted American society by showing how many people stand for civil rights. This speech resulted in The Civil Rights Act of 1964 going into effect and outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, or sex. -
16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
During a Sunday school in 1963, one of the Ku Klux Klan members planted a bomb in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. The bomb exploded in the basement of the church, killing four young girls and injuring many others. The bombing was a huge surprise to the public and drew international attention to the civil rights movement. This was one of the major events that led to the Civil Rights bill being introduced, as it showed the resistance and hate people had towards African American. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 proposed by John F Kennedy and signed by President Lyndon outlawed the discrimination in employment, public places and education based on race, color, gender, religion, or national origin. This allowed for equal voting rights, equal public accommodations, and overall desegregation. This changed American society legally by creating a law for all minorities to have equal opportunities. -
Bloody Sunday
On March 7th 1965 around 600 civil rights activists gathered at Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma to protest the denial of voting rights. As the protesters crossed the bridge, they met a line of sheriffs, who then released tear gas and violently attacked them with whips. The brutal protest was broadcasted nationally, showing the nation what lengths people would go to, to put down African Americans and resist the Civil Rights movement. This led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
Assassination of MLK
On April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King was shot while standing on a balcony outside of his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. MLK was the leader of the American Civil Rights movement, he led to the change of The Civil Rights act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. All his movements resulted in a life changing aspect of life for all minorities. His assesination left all of America devastated and violence erupted. This was a huge, unexpected national social change. -
Black Lives Matter
The Black Lives Matter protest was a social media movement to raise awareness on racial discrimination. The movement all started in response to George Zimmerman, a man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin. The movement is meant to showcase a bright, strong future for minorities and embrace the joy of different cultures. This protest helped lead to more modern awareness towards minorities and an attitude shift that resulted in policy changes. This then led to the opposing All Lives Matter movement. -
Murder of George Floyd
George Floyd was arrested by Minneapolis police officers after a store clerk reported Floyd using a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. When the police officers arrived at the scene they immediately handcuffed him and attempted to put him in the cop car. When he refused one of the officers proceeded to kneel down on Floyd’s neck for over 9 minutes laying him face down on the street. This story shows how racism still exists today, even when we have so many laws forbidding it.