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Civil War Amendments
After the Civil War Amendments 13, 14, and 15 were ratified. These Amendments abolished slavery, gave equal protection of the laws to everyone, and giving African American males the right to vote. This was the first step, for African Americans', to becoming equal. -
Jim Crow Laws
The Jim Crow Laws were racial segregation laws enforced between 1876 and 1965. Many White Americans wanted African Americans to be "separate but equal", however this was not the case. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The United States Supreme Court stated that "separate but equal" was okay. The Supreme Court said that segregation was legal as long as conditions were the same. This case was overturned by the case Brown v. Board of Education. -
NAACP
In 1909, W.E.B. Dubois founded the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). Members increased drastically during the 1940's and the 1950's. Their goal is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. -
Integration
In 1947 an African American played on the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball, his name was Jackie Robinson. In 1948 President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered black and white soldiers to fight side by side during the Korean War. -
Brown v. Board of Education
In the 1954 case of Brown v. Board of Education the Supreme Court stated that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. Thurgood Marshall defended Oliver Brown during this case. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks, an African American and a member of the NAACP, was arrested for being civilly disobedient. African Americans then refused to ride the buses. In 1956 the Supreme Court banned segregation on public transportation. -
Little Rock Nine
In 1957, nine African American students were chosen to be enrolled in an all-white school in Arkansas. The Arkansas governor called the National Guard to prevent the students from entering. However President Eisenhower sent federal troops to enforce integration. -
Freedom Rides
The first Freedom Ride left Washington, D.C., on May 4, 1961, and was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on May 17. During freedom rides, white and black Americans would travel throughout the South to force integration. -
March on Washington
On August 28,1963, 200,000 people to Washington D.C. to persuade Congress to pass laws that would end discrimination. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech there. -
Malcolm X is assassinated
Malcolm X was assassinated on February 24, 1965. Malcolm X was preparing to address the Organization of Afro-American Unity in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom when someone ran up to him and shot him in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun. He was confirmed dead at 3:30 pm. -
Selma to Montgomery March
In 1965 the Selma to Montgomery March occurred. Two Civil Rights workers were murdured in Selma because they were encouraging African Americans to vote. Many Civil Rights workers were attacked by police officers using billy clubs and tear gas. However soon MLK joined the march and the Alabama State Police protected the marchers. -
The Black Panthers Party
The Black Panther Party was formed in the United States in 1966. Their goal was to grant equal rights to African Americans using more violent tactics compared to Martin Luther King Jr. The party was founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. -
First African American Supreme Court Justice
An African American named Thurgood Marshall was appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson to be a Supreme Court Justice in 1967. He was a lawyer before a Supreme Court Justice and he was known for the Brown v. Board of Education resulting in desegregation of public schols. -
Assassination of MLK
On April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 39. Martin Luther King Jr. was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement. He used civil disobedience and non-violent protests to fight for equality. James Earl Ray was the man acused for assassinating Martin Luther King on March 10, 1969.
