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Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court issued in 1896. It upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities as long as the segregated facilities were equal in quality. Sources:
history.com
oyez.org
https://www.britannica.com/event/Plessy-v-Ferguson-1896 -
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Civil Rights Period
This period in American History marks huge progress in racial equality for African Americans and other ethnic groups. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a Supreme Court case in which the Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. It helped establish the fact that separate but equal education and other services were not equal at all. This was a huge step in the civil rights movement. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/brown-v-board-of-education-of-topeka -
Murder of Emmett Till
14-year-old Emmit Till an African American from Chicago is brutally murdered for allegedly flirting with a white woman four days earlier. An all-white jury gave him a verdict of "not guilty" which angered the black community. The murder of Emmet Till shook the conscience of the nation and helped spark the movement for civil rights for African Americans. http://famous-trials.com/emmetttill -
Rosa Parks & the Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery bus boycott was a 13 month mass protest. It ended with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that racial segregation on public buses is unconstitutional. The bus boycott demonstrated that nonviolent protest could challenge segeration. https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/montgomery-bus-boycott -
Founding of Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The organization was founded to assist local organizations who were working for full equality of African Americans. The organization was primarily operated in the south. It became a major player in the civil rights march on Washington along with early campaigns that spurred the passage of the federal Civil Rights Act. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Southern-Christian-Leadership-Conference -
Little Rock Nine
Nine African Americans enrolled into a former all white high school in Arkansas. When they arrived to the school, they were met by a mob of whites and the national guard which blocked the entrance of the school not allowing blacks to enter. President Eisenhower called in federal troops which had to escort them in the school. This drew attention to racism and civil rights along with a battle between state and federal government.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Little-Rock-Nine -
Greensboro Sit-In
Four African American men spurred by the Emmett Till staged a sit in at a whites only dinner and refused to give up their seats when they were denied service. These sit in spread across america into over 55 cities. The sit in ultimately spurred the integration of dinners across the south https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/the-greensboro-sit-in -
Freedom Ride/Freedom Riders
Freedom Ride/Freedom Riders: After the segregation of buses was found unconstitutional in an effort to test the decision by riding through the south on interstate buses. Along the way they went to whites only bathrooms and lunch counters, because of this they experienced violence from whites and police. Because of the ride Kennedy finally introduced regulations prohibiting the segregation in interstate transit terminals. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedom-rides -
March on Washington
The March on Washington was a massive protest march that occurred in August 1963. 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln memorial in Washington, D.C for Jobs and Freedom. The protest aimed to draw attention to continuing challenges faced by African Americans. This was the location where MLK made his famous "I have a dream speech" https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/march-on-washington -
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) & Freedom Summer
Freedom Summer was a 1964 voter registration drive sponsored by civil rights organizations such as the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The main goal of Freedom Summer was to expand black voting in the south. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedom-summer -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act, which ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It received strong opposition from southern members of congress but was signed by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. It paved the way for follow up laws such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-act -
Assassination of Malcolm X
In the early 1960s, Malcolm X began to develop a different philosophy than that of Elijah Muhammad. This caused outrage in the black Islamic community. He was assassinated on February 21, 1965 while speaking at a rally of his organization in NYC. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/malcolm-x-assassinated -
Voting Rights Act (1965)
The voting rights act of 1965 was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson to overcome legal barriers preventing African Americans from voting. This act banned the usage of literacy tests and other methods people used to keep blacks from voting. As a result, voter turnout increased. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/voting-rights-act -
Assassination of MLK
The next day after the speech King made in Memphis, Tennessee to support a sanitation workers strike, he was standing on the second floor balcony of the Lorraine motel and all of a sudden, a sniper bullet hit him in the neck. After his death, rioting sparked all across the country. Soon after, Lyndon B. Johnson passed the civil rights act. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr-assassination
