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Creation of the NAACP
The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was founded on February 12, 1909, by an interracial group of activists in New York City. It was established in response to widespread racial violence and discrimination against Black Americans, particularly in the aftermath of the Springfield Race Riot of 1908. -
Scottsboro Boys
The "Scottsboro Boys" refers to nine African American teenagers who were falsely accused of rape and was subjected to a series of trials and convictions based on flimsy evidence and racial prejudice in Alabama. The case became a landmark symbol of racial injustice and legal malfeasance in the United States. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson. The Court declared that separate educational facilities were inherently unequal and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. -
Jackie Robinson Breaks the Color Barrier
Jackie Robinson became the first African American player in modern Major League Baseball history when he stepped onto Ebbets Field to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. This event broke the color barrier that had segregated baseball for over 50 years. Robinson faced significant racial hostility and pressure but excelled on the field, leading the Dodgers to success and earning the title of Rookie of the Year. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a civil rights protest where African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to ride city buses to protest segregated seating. It began on December 5, 1955, and lasted until December 20, 1956, after a Supreme Court ruling declared bus segregation unconstitutional. The boycott was sparked by Rosa Parks's refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger, leading to her arrest. -
The Murder of Emmitt Till
Emmitt Till was a black teenager from Chicago, was visiting family in Mississippi. He was at a store where he was abducted, beaten, and shot by two white men, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, after being accused of whistling at Bryant's wife. Emmitt's body was later found in the Tallahatchie River. The men were tried in court and later confessed to the crime. Till's murder sparked outrage and became a symbol of racial injustice, playing a key role in the Civil Rights Movement. -
The Little Rock 9
The Little Rock Nine were nine African American students who volunteered to enroll at Little Rock Central High School in 1957, becoming the first Black students to attend the all-white school. Their courageous act sparked the Little Rock Crisis, a national event that highlighted the challenges of racial integration in the South. -
Ruby Bridges desegregate elementary school in New Orleans
In 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges became the first Black child to desegregate William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. This event took place after a federal court order mandated that New Orleans schools be integrated. -
Letter from a Birmingham Jail
In "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Martin Luther King Jr. responds to criticisms of his Birmingham civil rights campaign. He defends nonviolent direct action, arguing it's necessary to create the tension needed to force change. King also criticizes white moderates for their inaction and expresses his belief in the supremacy of moral law over unjust legal codes. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964, is a landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It outlawed segregation and discrimination in public places, schools, and federally assisted programs. The act also established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). -
Assassination of Malcolm X
On stage at the Audubon Ballroom on February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was gunned down as his pregnant wife and four daughters took cover in the front row. Three members of the Nation of Islam, Mujahid Abdul Halim, Muhammad A. Aziz and Khalil Islam were soon charged with first-degree murder. -
Creation of the Black Panthers
The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (BPP) was founded in Oakland, California in October 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. Originally focused on community patrols to protect against police brutality, the organization evolved into a broader revolutionary movement advocating for Black liberation and self-determination. -
Thurgood Marshall Named Supreme Court Justice
Thurgood Marshall was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice on August 30, 1967, becoming the first African American to serve on the court. President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated him on June 13, 1967, and the Senate approved his nomination by a vote of 69 to 11. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr was the most prominent civil rights leader in the United States in the 1960s. He was shot by an assassin in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. After the shooting he was taken to a local hospital where he had an unsuccessful resuscitation for a right subclavian artery transection. -
Election of Barack Obama
Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 4, 2008. The Democratic ticket of Barack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, and Joe Biden, the senior senator from Delaware, defeated the Republican ticket of John McCain, the senior senator from Arizona, and Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska.