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Rosa Parks and The Bus Boycott
December of 1955, Rosa Parks decided to board a bus, but instead of going to the back like segregation forced her too, she decided that she would sit up front with the white people. She'd had enough. The driver told her to move but she simply refused, and her resistance caused one of the biggest social movements in history, the Montgomery Bus BoyCott. This move was very influential because it gave fuel to the African Americans to fight back against segregation and to fight for equality. -
Mapp vs. Ohio
in March of 1961, Dollree Mapp had an illegal police search conducted on her home for a fugitive and they instead found obscene materials so they arrested her. She decided to appeal her conviction because they violated her right to privacy and that you can not search a person's home without a warrant. This is still influential because it has put into place that you may not search someone's home without a warrant or wrongfully searching someone. -
Betty Friedan and The Feminine Mystique
Betty Friedan, a mother of three, became bored of her social status of being a stay at home mother. she wanted to know if other women felt as bored of their social status' are she did. Surveying other graduates from her college, she found they were tired of being stay at home moms too. This inspired her book called The Feminine Mystique. This book inspired many, it shows that women weren't happy with their status' and encouraged women to get what they want in life. Starting the uproar for women -
Gideon v. Wainwright
Clarence Earl Gideon was charged with breaking and entering in the Florida state court. They got him to appear in court but without a lawyer. He requested that he have one, but it was turned down as they said it was only for "indigent defendants in capital cases." He was found guilty but filed a habeas corpus, saying that the court violated his right to be represented by counsel. This is also influential, with this case comes the influx of cases that the gov. has denied these peoples rights. -
Martin Luther King Jr. "I have a dream" Speech
August of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I have a dream" speech. He asked the government to give rights to the African Americans and to finally accept them and to not segregate them. This was extremely influential because Martin brought us closer to freedom for African Americans and for the desegregation of them. -
Griswold V. Connecticut
In connecticut, at the time of 1965, it was illegal to use any drug against contraception, any medical device and or other instrument to stop to help contraception. Estelle Griswold decided to challenge this and opened a planned parent hood. She was arrested for violating the law. This is impactful because this case shows what we are still struggling to accept today about birth control and abortion, and this showcases one lady who's had quite enough of the governments insanity on women. -
Miranda vs. Arizona
Ernesto Miranda was arrested on the charge of Kidnapping and rape in 1963. The police got a confession out of him but without telling/informing him of his right to an attorney. This violates the amendment that we all have a right to an attorney, this is influential because it's the start of the accused standing up for themselves when they've had their rights taken away from them. -
Kathrine Switzer, First woman to officially run the boston marathon.
Kathrine Switzer, officially ran the boston marathon as race officials tried to stop her. She made history that day becoming the first woman to run that marathon.This is extremely significant because after they had to start allowing women to run it and she paved the path so that many of us girls can participate in the marathon and be taking seriously as a runner. -
Ella Baker.
Ella Baker decided to advise student activist to promote group centered leading instead of leader centered groups. This was influential because she joined in on Martin Luther Kings movement but made it her own to help kids to join together to lead and this has helped our generation to lead in groups. -
Stonewall Uprising
Gatherings of Homosexulas were banned in 1969. For many. Gay Bars meant safety for gay men and lesbians yet, were the victim of constant police harassment. Stonewall Inn was one of them. On June 28, 9 policemen attacked the Stonewall Inn, arresting and throwing patrons out. This time, patrons were rioting, causing the policemen to barricade themselves. Police set fire to the bar. Riots happened there for five days. This is significant because this is the start of the uproar for gay rights. -
Gay Marriage Movement
Jack Baker and Michael McConnell, a gay couple decided they wanted to get married. They were rejected by the government, but Baker who was a law student decided to take them to court to argue why they should be allowed to marry. Even though their case was dismissed, this was very influential because it allowed for gay marriage to be legalized in 2015. -
Roe v. Wade
In 1970 Jane Roe (A fictional name to respect victims privacy) went against a district attorney named, Henry Wade. She decided she'd challenge the abortion laws in Texas by stating that they were unconstitutional and vague and that they disrespected her right to privacy. They went to court in 1971. This is still heavily impactful on our society because we are still challenging this today and fighting for women's right to abortion. This is just the icing on the cake. -
Title IX Law
In 1972, a federal civil rights law was passed named Title IX, It's stated that this law protects others from discrimination based on what your sex is in education programs. This is still impactful today because this came after all the uproar of women wanting their rights, and now they finally had a law that would protect them and allow them to rise up to the same status as men or however close they could get to it at the time. We still have a ways to go until we are equal. -
Death Penalty outlawed vs. reinstated (Furman vs. Georgia)
Breaking and entering into a private home, a family member discover Furman. He started to run, tripped and fell, his gun went off on accident and killed the resident of the home. They convicted him of murder and sentenced Furman to death. This is very influential because we are still deciding today if the death penalty is a good way to deal with murder and rape or if it isn't. Especially if you are wrongfully convicted. -
Regents of the University of California vs. Bakke
Allan Bakke was rejected twice at the university of California Medical School. His grades exceed many minority students there so he took to the court that he was excluded from admission because of his race. This is influential because it starts on this path for colleges that they can not discriminate between races, that they must be fair with admissions. -
Bowers vs. Hardwick
In 1986, Michael Hardwick was caught by a police officer while having consensual homosexual sex with another adult in his own home. He was charged with violating a Georgia law that made sodomy criminal. Michael decided to challenge this in the federal district court. This is impactful because this was the start of the fight to get gay rights and gay marriage legalized. -
Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeir
A newspaper at The Spectrum school, received it's pages to proof when the principal stated that they were too inappropriate to publish. They students decided to take the school to court over it for the lack of respect for the freedom of speech amendment. They lost and the school one. This was a big setback for students rights as they were basically told they could not speak their minds. -
Matthew Shepherd
On October sixth, 1998, Matt Shepard was planning with his friends the LGBT Awareness for their campus, he tried to get them to go have drinks, but couldn't so he went alone. It was there he was lured out by two straight men, robbed, beaten, and tied to a fence, left for dead for 18 hours straight until a biker found him. This is extremely impactful as it brought crowds together over him and showed people what the LGBT+ has to go through everyday, and what kids still do go through. -
Lawrence vs. TX
In 2003, Houston police came in to John Lawrence's apartment and caught him in the act of consensual homosexual sex. They arrested the two men in criminal violation deviate sexual intercourse. Texas forbides that two persons of the same sex engage in sexual intercourse.This is very impactful because 2003 was not that long ago and it shows we are still trying to fight for gay rights, and it's sad that by now we still have to fight it. -
Obergefell vs. Hodges
Same sex couples started to sue their states for bans on same sex marriage. James Obergefell took Ohio to court and In 2015, gay marriage was finally legalized. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in his decision that, "They (LGBTQ+) ask fro equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right." This is extremely impactful and amazing because after years of fighting, the court finally allowed gay marriage which means we are moving towards a safer world for our LGBTQ+ people.
