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The First African-American Baseball Player
In 1947, Jackie Robinson, a veteran of World War 2, became the first African-American to join the modern MLB since 1889. -
Harry Truman ends Military Segregation
Embarrassed by criticisms from civil rights activists, President Harry S Truman ends military segregation. -
The Supreme Court Rules Against Segregated Schooling
In the case of Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated schooling “generates a feeling of inferiority ... that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone.” Despite this, segregated schooling stayed a commonplace institution for much longer after the ruling was put into effect. -
Rosa Parks Ends the Segregation of Buses
The tailor Rosa Parks was arrested after sitting in a seat reserved for whites on December 1, 1955. Her name was quickly used as a rallying point for civil rights activists and after a year-long boycott, the Supreme Court ruled to desegregate all buses. -
SCLC Founded
In 1957, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference is founded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It proves to be an important part of the Civil Rights Movement. -
Freedom Riders
In order to test the Supreme Court's ruling that no interstate travel should be segregated and to protest the continuing segregation of travel, thousands of black Civil Rights activists rode on countrywide travels. Though many were lynched, tortured by police, or firebombed, they succeeded in putting mass support towards the Civil Rights movement and all drinking fountains, travel, and restaurants were desegregated by the Kennedy administration. -
March on Washington
After a summer categorized by increasing discontent within America and riots against Civil Rights activists, a protest was organized in which 300,000 civilians walked hundreds of miles to Washington D.C in order to protest inequality. It proved to be a resounding success, with Dr Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech becoming one of the most iconic speeches of the 20th century. -
Martin Luther King Jr is Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
After a long fight to raise awareness for the plight of African-Americans, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr is awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize for his works. He was assassinated 4 years later.
