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14th Amendment Ratified
When this amendment passed after the civil war, there was a lot of outrage, mostly in the south. This amendment gave black people equal rights, freeing them from slavery, which deprived the white southerners of their slaves. -
15th Amendment Ratified
The passing of this amendment is a big deal, as it allows black people the right to vote for the first time ever in America. The 15th Amendment states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” -
Jim Crow Laws Begin
During this time of reconstruction from the civil war, many southern whites were still mad about not being able to have slaves legally; since the 14th and 15th amendments had just passed. -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
In this important trial in 1896, it took the stance of racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as the segregated facilities were equal in quality – a doctrine that came to be known as "separate but equal". -
Executive Order 8802
Executive Order 8802 was signed by FDR to prohibit racial discrimination in the nation's defense industry. This was important because until then, black people had not been able to serve in the american forces. -
Executive Order 9981
This order was signed by President Truman, and it abolished discrimination by color, race, etc. in the American armed forces. This was important because even though black people were able to join the forces, they were still being mistreated greatly. -
Rosa Parks Incident
This event was very important for the civil rights movement, as she refused to sit at the back of the bus when told to. This was a huge outrage at the time, as black people were supposed to sit at the back of the bus, especially when there was a lot of white people on it. -
Rosa Parks Ruling
This date has as much of an impact as the day when Rosa Parks decided to be arrested rather than give up her seat, as it is when the supreme court decides that segregated bus seating is unconstitutional. -
Little Rock Nine
In 1954, The United States Supreme Court made segregation illegal in public schools in the case of Brown v. Board of Education. To prove a point, the previously segregated school of Central High School asked nine black students to come there. When they showed up on this date, they were met by screaming crowds, and the Arkansas national guard. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
On September 9, 1957, President Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 into law, the first major civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. This act basically cut down on voting fraud, since it was known that whites had tried unfair methods against black people. -
March on Washington
More than 200,000 people, black and white, congregated in Washington, D. C. for the peaceful march with the main purpose of forcing civil rights legislation and establishing job equality for everyone. -
Fair Housing Act
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, providing equal housing opportunity regardless of race, religion or national origin. -
Congressional Black Caucus
The CBC was established on this date, and it is still running today. Its main purpose is to ensure that African Americans and other marginalized communities in the United States have the opportunity to achieve "the american dream." -
Attica Prison Riot
On this day, minority inmates of Attica Prison rebelled against their harsh treatment by taking over the prison by force. Their conditions were horrible in that prison; which shows that even though black people's rights were improving, they were still being treated unfair in places. -
First National Black Political Convention held
Most of the delegates agreed that African-American communities faced a social and economic crisis, and that nothing short of fundamental changes in the political and economic system could bring an end to this crisis. So they formed the NBPC, furthering black people's rights from the 60's -
Barbara Jordan joins House of Representatives
She joined a majority of the committee members in passing three articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon. She was known as saying, “I’ll only be one of 435. But the 434 will know I'm there.” -
Third World Coalition Founded
In the early 1970s, most people of color held support positions, not program or leadership roles. So, in 1971; a group of people of African-American, Asian, Latino, and Indigenous heritage formed the Third World Coalition. -
Martin Luther King Jr.
After years of campaigning by activists, members of Congress, and Coretta Scott King, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S. federal holiday in honor of King. This is important because he among others fought so hard for equal rights, and now all of the african american community's lives have changed since then. -
Rosa Parks Publishes "My Story"
In 1992, Rosa Parks was enjoying retirement in Detroit, Michigan. She published her autobiography and was going to receive the congressional gold medal in a few years. This is different than what she had been through in the last decades, as she had fought hard for black rights through the 60's. -
Million Man March
Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, organized the Million Man March for Washington, D.C. to promote African American unity and values and to bring about a spiritual renewal that would instill a sense of personal responsibility in African American men for improving the condition of African Americans. -
Birmingham National Monument
This monument was opened in 2017, and it commemorated the gruesome scenes in Birmingham Alabama. In 1963, images of snarling police dogs unleashed against non-violent protesters and of children being sprayed with high-pressure hoses appeared in print and television news across the world, so this project was long overdue.
