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Dunbar High School
Dunbar High School was the first public high school for African Americans in the United States and the first public school in Washington DC. Dunbar High School is important because it attracted many great and influential African American educators, because most schools would not hire African American teachers Dunbar was able to assemble an outstanding staff. The school also graduated some of the most influential black leaders who would go on to make an impact in America's history. Image -
The Civil Rights Act
A Massachusetts Senator named Charles Sumner introduced the bill of rights to congress outlawing segregation in many places including schools. The bill was watered down over time to help it pass so desegregating education was not part of the bill when it passed. Even though this bill did not include the desegregation of schools and would be overturned in 1883 it did bring the subject of segregation to congress and started the changes that would eventually take hold. Image.history.house.gov -
Plessy v. Ferguson
In the supreme court case of Plessy v. Ferguson, the court upheld the separate but equal striking down the civil rights act that deemed segregation in many places unconstitutional. Even though this was a step in the wrong direction it was a pivotal point in history, the country was going back and forth over the topic of segregation and landed on equal but separate. Though the law did separate African Americans and whites in schools they were far from equal. photo.thirteen.org/wnet/supremecourt -
The United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) was founded by Frederic D. Patterson to raise money for struggling African American universities around the country as well as impoverished African American students. This was a big step for the funding of African American schools and students who often were forgotten, the first annual fundraising effort generated $760,000 (K,2009). The UNCF is also still around today still raising money and making an impact on African American education. photo.blackpast.org -
Brown V. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was the supreme court case that ended the up and down debate of weather segregation was constitutional or not. Over the years the civil rights act and Plessy v. Ferguson debated this subject and finally, Brown vs Board of Education, equal but separate, was considered unconstitutional. This legislature changed history and gave African Americans more opportunity in their education as well as set the stage for a more equal educational system as a whole.photo.gse.harvard. -
The Clinton 12
The Clinton 12 were the first African American students to desegregate a state-run high school in the south. In Clinton, TN this was a major step for the civil rights movement, bills had been passed but these students put them into practice and were on the front lines of desegregating the education system.
Photograph. African American Registry. https://aaregistry.org/story/the-clinton-12-desegregate-tennessee-schools/