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13th Amendment
On December 6th, 1865, the 13th Amendment was ratified; therefore prohibited slavery from that point on. Slaves were freed and to no longer be considered property. -
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment gave equal protection to all citizens, including recently freed slaves. Also, it prevents citizens from being illegally deprived of life, liberty, or property (due process). -
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment guaranteed rights to all male citizens to vote regardless of race or color. The 15th Amendment, as well as the 13th and 14th, were later referred to as the Reconstruction Amendments. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation. "Separate but equal" remained relevant for almost 60 years after Plessy v. Ferguson. -
Founding of the NAACP
The NAACP was formed in 1909 by a group of African Americans, including W.E.B. Du Bois, with the following purpose: "To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination." -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education declared that it was unconstitutional to segregate schools. This decision overturned the decision in the Supreme Court case Plessy v Ferguson. Desegregation of school began in 1957. -
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Civil Rights Movement
This was a time span where people were fighting for the rights and equality of all citizens. Almost 100 years past the prohibition of slavery and after the desegregation of school, it didn't seem like things were very "Equal" at all. There were several (some successful, others not) protests, marches, riots and boycotts throughout these years. There were several Key leaders in these movements including Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X. -
Rosa Parks
In 1955, Rosa Parks was on a bus when the "white only" section was filled. She ignored orders given to her to give her spot to a white passenger. She was arrested for this, but her brave act led to several powerful protests (Montgomery Bus Boycott). -
Rodney King
In 1991, a big event happened that is still referenced and relevant in America today. Rodney King was beaten by police after being pulled over early in the morning on March 3rd. This was a major event because it caused several protests and riots fighting against police brutality. The beating was caught on camera and shows king being beaten by several officers with batons, kicks and even Tasers. -
Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick was the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. Before a game, during the national anthem, he took a knee in protest of the oppression of black citizens and social injustice in America today. He has stated that kneeling is in no way supposed to be a form of disrespect to the military. He uses his platform to shed light on problems American citizens face every day.
