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Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells was a journalist and activist who fought against lynching and racism in the late 1800s and early 1900s. She wrote articles and gave speeches to show how unfair and violent life was for Black people. Her work was important because she brought national attention to these problems and inspired others to stand up for justice. She helped lay the groundwork for the civil rights movement by fighting for equal rights and truth. -
Pleesy v Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) was a Supreme Court case that made segregation legal in the U.S. Homer Plessy, who was African American, sat in a white-only train car and got arrested. He said that it wasn’t fair, but the Court decided that keeping Black and white people separated was fine as long as the places were “separate but equal” (even though they weren’t actually equal). This decision enabled Jim Crow laws and kept segregation going. -
The green book
The Green Book came out in 1936 and helped African Americans travel safely during segregation. Back then, lots of places wouldn’t serve Black people, and it wasn’t safe for them so this book showed where they could go eat, sleep, and get gas without being discriminated. Victor Hugo Green made it so people didn’t have to worry as much about getting treated badly on trips. It was printed every year until 1966, when segregation finally ended and people didn’t need it anymore. -
Executive order 981
Executive Order 981 was signed by President Harry Truman on July 26, 1948. It ordered the U.S. military to end segregation and treat all service members equally, no matter their race. Before this Black soldiers were forced to serve in separate units and faced unfair treatment. After WW2 they saw the heroic acts of African Americans and earned it. This order was a big step toward civil rights and helped start the process of desegregating other parts of American life. -
Montgomery bus boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott started in December 1955 after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, stopped riding buses to protest. The boycott lasted over a year and affected the bus profit since most riders were African American. In the end, the Supreme Court ruled bus segregation was illegal. -
Little Rock 9
The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine Black students who tried to attend Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Many white people didn’t want them there and even took their kids out of class and the governor even sent soldiers to block them. But President Eisenhower sent the U.S. Army to protect the students and help them get to class. The Little Rock Nine showed how hard it was to end school segregation even after it was ruled illegal. -
Greens bro sit-ins
The Greensboro sit-ins started on February 1, 1960, when four Black college students sat at a whites-only lunch counter in Greensboro North Carolina and just sat there. They were attacked and arrested but stayed peaceful. More people joined each day, and sit-ins spread to other cities. The protest helped push for the end of segregation in restaurants and other public places, showing that nonviolent action could lead to big changes. -
I have a dream speech
Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream speech, August 28, 1963, at the March on Washington. He talked about wanting a world where everyone is treated the same, no matter their skin color. And His speech inspired a lot of people and helped get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 pass, which made segregation illegal. It’s one of the most famous speeches ever and still reminds people to stand up for fairness and equality. -
March on Selma
The March on Selma happened in 1965. Protesters tried to peacefully march from Selma to Montgomery, but police attacked them on a day called “Bloody Sunday.” The media saw this and saw it was messed up of the cops to do. After more marches and support from across the country, the government finally listened. This helped lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which made it easier for Black people to vote. The march showed how people standing together could make big changes. -
Miscegenation laws
