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Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a Supreme Court case in Louisiana in which a man by the name of Homer Plessy refused to follow the rule of sitting in the African-American train due to his skin color being White. This led to Plessy arguing that his constitutional rights were violated. On May 18, 1896, the US Supreme Court ruled against Plessy's argument stating that as long as the two races were equal, they could still be separate. -
Equality in Armed Forces
On July 26, 1948, President Truman signs Executive Order 9981. This states, "It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin." This was the first time in which the armed forces became equal for all personelle. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a famous Warren Court case that ruled for the integration of schools. Thurgood Marshall was teh lawyer who was in favor of integration. This case was a unanimous vote and a major victory for the Civil Rights Movement. -
Death of Emmett Till
14-year-old Emmett Till, an African American from Chicago, was brutally murdered for flirting with a white woman. The woman's husband and brother went to the home of Till's uncle early on August 28th. Till's body was found severley mutilated and dumped in the Tallahatchie River.
Death of Emmett Till -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott began in December of 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white woman and was arrested. This led to an African-American boycott of public transportation. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the pastor chosen to lead the boycott that created a group called MIA. -
First African-American graduates from Little Rock Central High School
In May of 1958, Ernest Green, a member of the Little Rock Nine, bacame the first African-American to graduate from Little Rock's Central High School. He was one of the first black students to attend the recently integrated Central High School. This led to a Constitutional crisis and discrimination, yet Green was still able to focus on his goal of graduating.
Little Rock Nine -
The Sit-In Movement
Four African American college students walked up to a whites-only lunch counter at the local Woolworth's store in Greensboro, North Carolina, and asked for coffee. When service was refused, the students sat patiently. Despite threats and intimidation, the students sat quietly and waited to be served.
"The Sit-In Movement" -
SNCC founded
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) is founded at Shaw University, providing young blacks with a place in the civil rights movement. The SNCC later grows into a more radical organization, especially under the leadership of Stokely Carmichael. SNCC was founded in April of 1960 -
Freedom rides begin
Over the spring and summer, student volunteers begin taking bus trips through the South to test out new laws that prohibit segregation in interstate travel facilities, which includes bus and railway stations. Several of the groups of "freedom riders," as they are called, are attacked by angry mobs along the way. The program, sponsored by The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), involves more than 1,000 volunteers, black and white. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington was one of the largest political rallies in US history. Estimates of the number of participants varied from 200,000 to 300,000, the majority of whom were black. The March on Washington is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have A Dream" speach.
"I Have A Dream" -
Civil Rights Act passed
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It is considered one of the crowning legislative achievements of the civil rights movement. First proposed by President John F. Kennedy, it survived strong opposition from southern members of Congress and was then signed into law by Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. -
Malcom X Assassination
Malcolm X, black nationalist and founder of the Organization of Afro-American Unity, was shot to death in Harlem, NY. It is believed the assailants are members of the Black Muslim faith, which Malcolm had recently abandoned in favor of orthodox Islam. -
March from Selma to Montgomery
On Sunday, March 21, 1965, nearly 8,000 people began the five-day march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights. Protesters attempted to march from Selma to the state capital of Montgomery, but were met with violent resistance by state and local authorities. President Johnson backed the marchers, going on national television to pledge his support.
Selma->Montgomery -
Black Panther Party formed
On this date in 1966, the Black Panther Party was founded. It was a Black political organization; originally known as the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. The BPP originated in Oakland, California, by founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. -
MLK assassination
Dr. King was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 39. King’s murderer, a small-time criminal named James Earl Ray, was sentenced to 99 years in prison for the death of Dr. King. King has remained the most widely known African-American leader of his era, and the most public face of the civil rights movement, along with its most eloquent voice.
