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The Thirteenth amendment of the united states constitution abolished involuntary servitude and slavery. The only exception to this amendment would be for someone who is serving a prison sentence for a crime. This amendment is significant because it freed many enslaved African Americans who were slaves, and made it unconstitutional to enslave anyone against their will. However it wasn’t entirely successful, as some states still held slaves. -
Rights of citizenship, due process of law, and equal protection of the law. The 14th amendment has become one of the most used amendments in court to date regarding the equal protection clause. -
The Fifteenth amendment of the U.S. Constitution makes it unconstitutional to deny a citizen their right to vote based upon their ethnicity, color, or past enslavement.. This was a hugely significant amendment, as it allowed African Americans and other minorities the right to vote, and provided a foundation for future activism on Black civil rights. -
The supreme court case of Plessy V Ferguson was about a lawsuit questioning the legality of racial segregation. The overall outcome of the trial was the ruling of “separate but equal,” meaning that segregation was legal, as long as both parties were treated equally. This case is extremely important because for many years to come, segregation between “Whites” and “Colored” people would continue, and the latter would not be treated equally compared to the former. -
The NAACP, or National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was created by W.E.B Du Bois and Ida B. Wells. It is designed to be a civil rights organization advocating for continuous justice for African Americans, and fights for them to be equal under the justice system, and the law. It is an important organization as it has fought in the past for the abolition of segregation, and discrimination. As well as voting rights and other constitutional issues. -
The nineteenth amendment of the United States constitution prohibited the government from denying any citizens the right to vote on the basis of their sex. This was an extremely significant amendment, as it gave women the right to vote, and exercise their legal opinions. This was also a huge step in the women's suffrage movement, and women continued to push for equality under the law, and in their society. -
The Executive Order 9981 was president Harry S. Truman’s declaration that no one in the armed forces should be discriminated against based upon race, color, nationality or religion. This desegregated the military, and allowed people of all denominations to fight together. This was an important order, because once African Americans got back from the war, they started fighting for the same sort of equality in their own states. (The Double V campaign). -
Brown V the Board of education was a supreme court case that made segregation in schools illegal. This was a massively significant ruling because it effectively desegregated schools, and provided a basis for future advocacy for desegregation of everyday places, like the busses or businesses. It also repealed the decision of Plessy V Ferguson, which was the idea of “separate but equal." -
(January) The Southern Christian Leadership conference is an African American civil rights organization most notably led by Martin Luther King Jr. It’s headquarters were founded in Atlanta, Georgia and is known for being the main organization force behind the Montgomery bus boycott, which successfully ended in the desegregation of the bus system in Montgomery Alabama. It also Advanced civil rights in a nonviolent manner. -
In September 1957, The Little Rock, Arkansas school board won a court order that allowed nine African American Students to be integrated into an all white school, Central High School. The Governor of Arkansas (Orval Faubus) sent out the National Guard to stop the students from entering the school, but Eisenhower sent out troops from the U.S. Army to protect the students, and escort them to the school for the entire school year. -
(February)The Greensboro, North Carolina Sit-ins were a peaceful civil rights protest when Young African American students organized a “Sit-in” at a segregated “whites only” lunch counter in Greensboro entitled Woolworth's. This specific protest sparked numerous similar ones in college towns through the South United States. These specific protests were significant, as they brought the battle for civil rights to the national spotlight, and highlighted the power of civil disobedience. -
(April) The student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was the main outlet for student dedication to the battle of civil rights in the 1960’s. The goal of the organization was to organize non-violent, youth lead campaigns fighting against segregation and other types of racism in the states. This organization is important because it provided the students with an outlet to become involved in their political opinions, and have the ability to fight for equality. -
The chicano mural movement was Artists using the walls of Mexican-American barrios throughout the Southwest (including city buildings, housing projects, schools, and churches) to depict Mexican-American culture. The movement was targeted towards the political and social equality for the hispanics in America, especially those who have had families there for numerous generations. -
Freedoms Riders were activists for civil rights who rode interstate buses into the segregated South as a form of protest towards the continued discrimination against African Americans, and challenged and protested the lack of enforcement of the supreme court rulings and local laws that ignored integration. -
The “I have a Dream” speech was given by Martin Luther King Jr, a political and social activist for racial equality during the March On Washington. In the speech, King advocated for civil and economic rights, and the end of racism in the United States. The speech was significant because it would play a significant role in helping get the Civil rights act of 1964 passed, and would provide momentum to future battles against racial discrimination. -
The Marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, Led by MLK, were a collective of three marches held in 1965 that were a nonviolent demonstration of African Americans towards their desire to vote without hindrance, and their defiance towards racial segregation. These marches were significant because they directly led to the ratification of the Voting Rights act of 1965, and further empowered African Americans to use nonviolent protests to fight for racial justice. -
The Black Panther Party was an African-American political organization formed in 1966 by the political activists Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in the efforts to fight police brutality and provide services in the ghetto to the community. The party itself was extremely significant because they revolutionized the ideas of Black Nationalism, socialism and armed self- defense- especially against police brutality. -
The American Indian Movement, or aim, was founded in Minneapolis minnesota, and attempted to address Native American affirmation, treaty issues, spirituality, and systemic issues of poverty and police brutality facing the native Americans. Their objective is to create “real economic independence for the Indians.” This group was significant because it promoted the interests of Native Americans. -
Sandra Day O’ Conner was appointed to the supreme court by President Ronald Reagan on August 19th 1981. She was the first woman to ever be appointed to the highest court in the United States. -
Sonia Sotomayor was appointed to the supreme court by President Barack Obama on August 8th, 2009. She is the first Hispanic and Latina member of the Court.