-
Brown v Board of Education
Many schools at this time were segregated, many African Americans were not happy about this. So Thurgood Marshal challenged the federal court to make schools equal. After a long fight, the judge of this case, Earl Warren, ruled that "separate but equal" has no place in the education system and schools were now legally desegregated. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
It all started when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white male on a crowded bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She was arrested for this. To boycott the transportation system, many African American refused to ride the bus until they had equal seating. Some walked MILES to work and back. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the boycott and earned himself a position in the civil rights movement. -
Little Rock 9
9 black students tried to integrate a public white school in Arkansas. They were selected to go there because they had good grades and never any behavioral concerns. Many people were angered by this and met at the school to try and keep them out. The National Guard was set to keep them from coming in but, protected by troops sent by Eisenhower, they made it into the school. While there, they received harsh treatments and were always picked on. If they fought back they would be expelled. -
JFK becomes president
President John F. Kennedy was young and energetic, he promised to bring America to a New Frontier and supported Civil Rights. During his presidency he will pass many acts to give African Americans more rights. He also promised an economic boom and made a national goal to get man to the moon before 1970. -
Birmingham Church Bombing
A church in Alabama that was the headquarter for Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), was bombed and 4 young African American girls were killed. This opened the eyes of many Americans because they were seeing how out hand the violence was getting. -
March On Washington
Many Americans were shocked at how poorly African Americans were treated. At first protests were nonviolent but now police would use dogs and fire hoses on crowds. Because of this violence hundreds marched on Washington to pressure the government into giving African Americans more rights. This is where Dr Martin Luther King Jr gave his famous "I have a dream" speech. -
JFK gets assassinated
While riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas, President Kennedy was shot twice and killed from a nearby building. Many Americans were saddened by the news that their president had been assassinated. Thankfully, in the case of civil rights, Vice President Johnson agreed with Kennedys push towards civil rights and followed in his footsteps. -
Civil Rights Act
This was the act the officially banned segregation in public places like restaurants, bathrooms and waiting rooms. There was no more "separate but equal" everyone was one. It would still be years until African Americans will be treated fairly. -
Freedom Summer
During this summer, about 1,000 volunteers were sent to the south to help African Americans earn the right to vote. Many of these volunteers were young, white college students. The efforts often resulted in violence and at least 3 volunteers were murdered. Many Americans were mad that protesters were being attacked and urged Johnson to do something. -
Voting Right Act
African Americans were allowed to vote but faced many challenges when trying to register. Southern states used literacy tests, poll taxes and intimidation to keep them from voting. After the violence of freedom summer, President Johnson demanded voting rights. The Voting Rights of 1965 act banned literacy tests and gave the federal government the power to oversee voting registration. -
The Supreme Court, in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
It upheld busing as a legitimate means for achieving integration of public schools. Although largely unwelcome (and sometimes violently opposed) in local school districts, court-ordered busing plans in cities such as Charlotte, Boston, and Denver continued until the late 1990s. -
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke'
The Supreme Court rules that the admissions process at the University of California at Davis is unconstitutional. While the decision upholds affirmative action, it rejects fixed racial quotas and the separate admissions process used by the university for minorities. The justices decided that a school could not set aside places for students from particular minorities at the exclusion of other races. -
Voting Rights Act is extended
President Ronald Reagan extends the Voting Rights Act for an additional 25 years, increasing minority representation in Congress. -
Overriding President Ronald Reagan's vet
Congress passed the Civil Rights Restoration Act, which expanded the reach of nondiscrimination laws within private institutions receiving federal funds. -
Decision since the 1978 Bakke case
It upheld the University of Michigan Law School's policy, which ruled race could be one of factors colleges consider when selecting students because it furthered "a compelling interest in obtaining the educational benefits that flow from a diverse student body. -
Congress calls for a memorial to MLK
The House and Senate pass joint resolutions to authorize the building of a memorial in Washington honoring Martin Luther King Jr. President Bill Clinton signs the resolution in 1998. -
Supreme Court upholds affirmative action
The Supreme Court upholds the University of Michigan Law School's policy of using race as a factor in the admissions process to create a more diverse student body. -
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is dedicated
Thousands of people throng the Mall for the star-studded dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. In President Obama's keynote address, he says King was the "black preacher with no official rank or title who somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams and our most lasting ideals." -
Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act is struck down
The Supreme Court rules that Section 4 of the act, which requires certain states to obtain clearance before changing voting laws or practices to ensure that they do not discriminate against minorities, is unconstitutional. Only Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg dissents. -
University is ordered to reexamine affirmative action policy
In Fisher v. University of Texas, Abigail Fisher, who is white, said her application was rejected because of an admissions policy that includes race as a factor for consideration. The Supreme Court rules that a lower court must rehear the case to "verify" that the policy is necessary and that no race-neutral alternative would offer the same benefits of diversifying the student body.
