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The Ratification of the 13th Amendment
Proceeding the ratification of the 13th amendment, which gives slaves freedom, the Senate passed the 13th amendment in April of 1964, in response to an active abolitionist petition. Due to opposition by the Democrats, the bill eventually failed. Lincolns reelection in 1964 encouraged him to put as much effort as he could towards passing the bill, and soon gained the vote of the Democrats, which then enacted the 13th amendment in 1865. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 provides protection to freed African Amercian slaves due to the Emancipation Proclamation. This act also prohibited Black Codes, such as freed African Americans not being allowed to own property of freely seek employment. Although these codes were prohibited, some survived the act such as vagrancy laws that would incarcerate blacks that are unemployed and terrorization by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. -
The National Association of Colored Women's Club
This women's club began to unite colored women to have a positive outlook on women's suffrage, just like the white women groups were advertising. These women were not only fighting for gender equality, but for racial equality as well. Their movement focused on uplifting the black community and stressed the controversial topics of not only African American disenfranchisement, but also for women being allowed to vote as well. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
This case began with an African American man named Homer Plessy who refused to ride in a Jom Crow car on a train, which broke a Louisiana law. This case upheld the constitutionality of "separate but equal" by rejecting Plessy's argument. The Supreme Court stated that a law that implies a legal distinction between whites and blacks does not conflict with the constitution. This law would not be overturned until 1954 in the case Brown v. Board of Education in Topeka. -
Niagara Movement
The Niagara Movement was a civil rights group organized by W.E.B. DuBois and William Monroe Trotter. This movement was sparked by these men experiencing discrimination by not being allowed in hotels in Buffalo, NY. This group consisted of 29 educated black men whose main focus was to challenge the authority of Jim Crow. This led to the production of race riots that eventually threatened this group, making them feel they needed a more powerful and interracial organization to combat racism. -
Scottsboro Boys
The Scottsboro Boys were a group of nine young African American males who were falsely accused of raping two white women on a train near Scottsboro, Alabama. The men were originally on the train illegally looking for work. Two weeks after the women accused them, eight of the men were sentenced to death, and the youngest, which was 13, received life in prison. The Supreme Court eventually took on this case in 1937 and found them not guilty after Ruby Bates came forward about the lie. -
African Americans in WWII
African Americans were ready to fight in WWII for Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms". Over three million African Americans registered for service, but even with the war, segregation was still upheld in the service by hosting black and white soldiers separately. Pride was given to the black community though in the form of war hero Dorie Miller, who manned a machine gun post and carried wounded crewmembers to safety. In the end, little change was made as blacks still faced discrimination. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a protest against segregated seating where African Americans refused to ride the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This protest went from December 5th, 1955 to December 20th, 1956. This protest was influenced by the arrest of Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat to a white male.This also influenced Martin Luther King Jr. to become the prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement. -
Selma to Montgomery March (Bloody Sunday)
The reason for this march was to bring attention to Alabama's resistance towards African Americans voting. This march was led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis. On March 7th, 1965, six hundred marchers crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Just before they finally crossed it though, the marchers found themselves blocked by Alabama state troopers and police. As the marchers persisted, they were then teargassed and beaten until they retreated. This event was televised around the world. -
Los Angeles Riots
The Los Angeles Riots sparked after an African American man named Rodney King led police on a high-speed chase, which led to the officers to taze and severely beat him. This outraged the African American community and the riots began after the officers were found not guilty of excessive force. It is estimated that by the end of the riots, 55 people were dead, 2,300 injured, and more than 1,000 buildings burned. The next year two of the officers were tried again, and eventually convicted. -
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter is an anti-Black racism movement that began in 2013, sparked by police brutality against black people. This is an ongoing organization whose main focus is to connect African Americans and to encourage social engagement. Although this is mainly focused on African Americans, people of all races are allowed to support this group. The group utilizes a jugdement free zone, so that members may express their ideas freely and ultimately have one huge support system.
