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De-segregation of the MLB
Jackie Robinson, an African-American star baseball player, joins the all-white MLB. He endures many racial slurs and deals with much profanity throughout his seasons in the MLB. He quickly became a star on the Brooklyn Dodgers. His career paved the way for many other African-Americans to make the MLB. -
Executive Order 9981
United States President Harry Truman issues Executive Order 9981, which de-segregates the United States Army. This comes three years after the US had a segregated army in World War 2. -
End of school segregation
The supreme court officially ends racial segregation in the Public School system in America on May 17, 1954. The NAACP's push for equal education for all races would give African-American children all across the country access to a truly equal education. Although, some schools in the deep south remained segregated despite the law. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white man on a Montgomery city bus. She would later be arrested and had to be bailed out by E.D Nixon, another civil rights activist. This one action led to a bus boycott for the next year. Rosa Parks said on the matter: “At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this. It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in.” -
Start of 'sit-ins'
On February 1, 1960, four college students in North Carolina refuse to leave a 'white-only' lunch counter. This sparks other 'sit-ins' all across the country. -
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. arrested
MLK is arrested during anti-segregation protests in Birmingham. It is during his time in jail he wrote his famous letter "Letter from Birmingham Jail" that would inspire people all across the country to stand up to injustices and to fight for what they believe is right. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an example to people of perseverance and honor all across the country. -
March on Washington
Over 200,000 people met at the Lincon Memorial to listen to Martin Luther King give his famous 'I have a Dream' speech. The March on Washington was to protest the unequal job opportunities and freedoms. It was here where MLK said "I still have a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the American dream – one day this nation will rise up and live up to its creed, "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
—Martin Luther King Jr. -
Birmingham Church Bombing
Just one month after the March on Washington, a bomb explodes at 16th Street Baptist church in Birmingham. The church was a popular place for civil rights meetings. The city erupted in angry protesting, which would kill two more people, bringing the death total to 6. -
Civil Rights Act
President Lyndon B. Johnson officially signs the Civil Rights Act. This massive new law made employment discrimination of race, gender, religion, or ethnicity illegal. This was a large change for the United States and brought us much closer to equality. -
Dr. Martin Luther King assassinated
Dr. Martin Luther King was on a hotel porch in Memphis, Tennessee when he was fatally shot by ex-convict James Earl Ray. The loss of one of the greatest leaders in American history would not be forgotten, as people nationwide showed respect for the man whose ideology and theology changed the nation. -
New Busing rules
Integration of the public school system was fully accomplished when the Supreme court ordered bus routes to communities all across the country that were historically African-American, who were not going to school previous to the new bus route. -
Jackie Robinson dies
One of the all-time great baseball players and the first person to break the color barrier in professional sports, Jackie Robinson died in 1972. Jackie died a hero for equality and is someone to look up to when it comes to overcoming even the hardest of obstacles. He paved the way for many other civil rights movements far beyond sports. His impact on this country was great. -
Oprah Winfrey's show begins
Oprah's show began in an era of white-dominated television. She promoted equality with race, gender, and religion during her years on TV. -
Civil Rights Act revisited
After many heated debates and protests, President Bush signed the Civil Rights Act of 1991. This act strengthens the existing civil rights laws, as well as help prevent employment discrimination. -
Rodney King case
Rodney King, an average African-American in Los Angeles, was speeding on a highway when the L.A. Police tried to pull him over. He led them on a high-speed chase that would end up in the police having to tase him. The police also severely beat him after they had already caught him. A bystander caught the whole thing on tape, and all of America could see an example of racial profiling by the police. Rodney King would take the case to the courts, where they found the police not guilty. -
L.A Riots
The verdict of the Rodney King case was wildly unpopular. Just days after the court closed, riots began in some Los Angeles neighborhoods. The riots killed 55 people. Over 2,300 people were injured, and over 1,000 buildings were burned. These violent protests were the first of their kind in decades and affected Los Angeles for years to come. -
Million Man March
Minister Louis Farrakhan called for a million African-Americans to march on Washington to show that black Americans were responsible men. Farrakhan wanted to remove the negative connotations of African-Americans enlarged by America's recent war on drugs. -
Rosa Parks dies
A civil rights leader and an inspiration to many, Rosa Parks stood up for what she believed. America grieved over her death and remembered how far America has come during her life. -
Barack Obama becomes President
Barack Obama, a mixed-race American, became the first black president in America's history. Obama's presidency was a big step for civil rights, as it showed that there was no position too high for a minority. It showed America's equality and how in just 70 years America has come full circle from its racial ways. -
M.L.K Monument finished in Washington D.C
In Wahington D.C, construction on a Martin Luther King Jr. statue was finished. The Martin Luther King Jr. statue was put there to remind all people of all of the work MLK has done and what the pioneers of the civil rights movement had done.
