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The Supreme Court Decision of Plessy v. Ferguson
The ruling in this Supreme Court case upheld a Louisiana state law that allowed for "equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races." -
The Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military pilots trained in the United States, known for their exceptional combat record and role in pushing for desegregation in the military. -
The Integration of Major League Baseball
The integration of Major League Baseball (MLB), a landmark event in American history, began on April 15, 1947, when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, becoming the first African American to play in the modern era. -
The Integration of the Armed Forces
The integration of the U.S. Armed Forces, mandated by President Truman's Executive Order 9981 on July 26, 1948, aimed to end racial segregation and establish equality of treatment and opportunity for all service members, regardless of race, color, religion, or national origin. -
The Supreme Court Decision of Sweatt v. Painter
n Sweatt v. Painter (1950), the Supreme Court ruled that the University of Texas School of Law must admit Heman Sweatt, an African American applicant, because the state's separate law school for Black students was not equal to the University's law school, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. -
The Supreme Court Decision of Brown v. Board of Education
In the landmark 1954 Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education, the Court unanimously ruled that state-sponsored segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson. This decision was a major victory for the Civil Rights Movement and paved the way for desegregation in other public facilities. -
The Death of Emmett Till
The brutal murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955, followed by the acquittal of his killers, brought international attention to the Civil Rights Movement by exposing the systemic racism and violence against Black people in the American South, galvanizing activists and sparking a wave of protests. -
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement, sparked by Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her bus seat, leading to a 381-day boycott of Montgomery's segregated buses that culminated in a Supreme Court ruling against bus segregation. -
The Integration of Little Rock High School
The integration of Little Rock Central High School, particularly the actions of the "Little Rock Nine," was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, demonstrating the federal government's commitment to enforcing desegregation and highlighting the deep-seated resistance to change in the South. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was a law that established a Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department and a Civil Rights Commission. It was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 9, 1957.
Purpose Protected voting rights, Investigated and prosecuted voting right infringements, and Recommended corrective measures for discriminatory conditions. -
The Greensboro Four Lunch Counter Sit-In
The Greensboro Four, Ezell Blair Jr. (later Jibreel Khazan), David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil, were pivotal in the Civil Rights Movement by initiating the Greensboro sit-ins, which sparked a nationwide movement against segregation and discrimination in public spaces. -
The Freedom Rides by Freedom Rides 1961
In 1961, the Freedom Rides, organized by CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), were a series of bus rides into the segregated South to challenge the non-enforcement of the Supreme Court's 1960 ruling in Boynton v. Virginia, which outlawed segregation in interstate transportation facilities. -
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment was a crucial piece of legislation because it abolished poll taxes as a requirement for voting in federal elections, ensuring that economic status could not be used to restrict the right to vote, a key step in expanding democratic participation. -
The Integration of the University of Mississippi
The integration of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in 1962 involved a federal court order for James Meredith, an African-American man, to enroll, leading to a violent riot and ultimately, Meredith becoming the first Black student to attend the university under federal protection. -
The Integration of the University of Alabama
The University of Alabama's integration, a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, occurred on June 11, 1963, when Vivian Malone and James Hood, two Black students, enrolled, prompting a confrontation with Governor George Wallace who initially blocked their entry. -
The March on Washington & "I have a dream" Speech by MLK
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, culminating in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963, was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, advocating for civil and economic rights and an end to racial discrimination. -
The Assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas
The assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963, was a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement because it galvanized the movement and led to the passage of landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 signed by President Johnson
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, was a landmark achievement for the Civil Rights Movement, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and ending segregation in public places, education, and employment. -
The Assassination of Malcolm X
Malcolm X's greatest contribution to the movement, beyond his own activism, was his martyrdom, which solidified his image as a powerful figure and inspired the Black Power movement and the pursuit of Black autonomy and independence. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act is a landmark federal law enacted in 1965 to remove race-based restrictions on voting. It is perhaps the country's most important voting rights law, with a history that dates to the Civil War. -
The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis,Tennessee
Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, sparked widespread outrage, leading to riots and unrest in over 100 cities, and ultimately, a period of national mourning and a push for further civil rights legislation. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1968
The Voting Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, color, religion, or national origin, expanding upon the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
The Selma to Montgomery March: "Bloody Sunday"
On March 7, 1965, "Bloody Sunday" saw peaceful civil rights marchers brutally attacked by law enforcement on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, during their attempt to march to Montgomery for voting rights, sparking national outrage and galvanizing the civil rights movement.