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Truman Issues Executive Order 9981
President Truman issued Executive Order 9981, which officially desegregated the U.S. military. This order stated 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.” Despite opposition from most southern states, it showed that living together was possible and set an standard for future reforms. This order influenced later policies promoting racial and social equality in the military. -
Brown Vs Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson. The Court ruled that segregated schools were unequal, violating the 14th Amendment. One primary source quote is when Chief Justice Earl Warren said “In the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” -
The Murder of Emmett Till
Emmett Till, a 14 year old Black boy from Chicago was brutally murdered in Mississippi after being accused of flirting with a white woman. He was kidnapped, beaten, shot, and thrown into the Tallahatchie River. His killers were tried and found innocent by a all white jury but later admitted to the crime. His murder highlighted the extent of racism in the South and caused outrage, after his mother called for an open casket funeral, causing the general population to see how brutal he was murdered. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
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Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycot
Rosa Parks, a black women was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger, breaking Montgomery’s segregation laws. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a 381 day protest organized by civil rights leaders, like Martin Luther King Jr. The boycott crippled the bus system and led to a Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. It demonstrated the power of nonviolent resistance in the Civil Rights Movement. -
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine Black students who enrolled in an all white High School in Little Rock Arkansas. They did this following the Supreme Courts Brown v Board of Education decision. Despite this, the students faced violent opposition from white citizens and were initially blocked from entering by the state governor. President Eisenhower sent federal troops to enforce integration and ensure their safety. This shows the impact of Brown v. Board of Education. -
Greensboro Four
Four Black college students who did a sit in at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, where segregation policies denied service to Black customers. The students sat peacefully at the counter, despite being denied service and facing verbal and physical abuse. Their actions sparked a wave of sit ins across the South, challenging segregation in public places like this. The sit ins were a key tactic in the nonviolent resistance movement, showing the power of direct action. -
Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges was a six year old African American girl, who became the first Black student to attend an all white Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was escorted to school by federal marshals for protection after white parents pulled their children out in protest. Despite facing harassment and threats, Ruby attended the school. By going to school, it marked a turning point in Civil Rights and was a direct effect of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. -
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Freedom Rides
The Freedom Rides were organized by the Congress of Racial Equality and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to fight segregation in bus travel. Groups of Black and white activists rode buses from the North into the segregated South, trying to test Supreme Court rulings that declared segregation on buses unconstitutional. Riders faced violent attacks, including bombings and beatings, but the rides gained national attention and helped create further civil right activism. -
Stand in the Schoolhouse Door
Alabama Governor George Wallace stood in the doorway of the University of Alabama to block the enrollment of two Black students, going against federal desegregation orders. This act of resistance to the civil rights movement occurred hours after President John F. Kennedy’s speech calling for national civil rights legislation. Wallace’s stand in the door way was an attempt to keep segregation, but he was forced to step aside after intervention by federal troops. -
The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
A bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killed four African American Girls during a Sunday morning service. The bombing, caused by the Ku Klux Klan, and was a brutal act of racial terrorism intended to intimidate activists and prevent progress toward racial equality. The attack drew national outrage and was Nationally televised, bringing even more activists into the Civil Rights Movement. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The act prohibited segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination. It was a major victory and movement for the Civil Rights Movement and a huge response to years of activism and violent resistance to desegregation. -
Malcolm X Assassination
Malcolm X was a civil rights leader and advocate for Black empowerment, he was one of the leaders of the Nation of Islam. He was assassinated while speaking at a Ballroom in New York City. Three members of the Nation of Islam were convicted for the murder, though some believe other party’s were responsible. Malcolm X’s assassination marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement, as it shifted focus away from his black empowerment ideas and more toward the general publics ideas. -
Bloody Sunday
On March 7, 1965, more than 600 peaceful protesters, led by John Lewis attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery to demand voting rights for African Americans. As they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, they were brutally attacked by state troopers and local police officers. The violent assault, left many protesters bloodied, and was broadcasted on national television, creating outrage and pushing the federal government to take action. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson to prohibit racial discrimination in voting. It banned literacy tests, poll taxes, and other tactics used to make it hard for Black voters, particularly in the South. The law also gave the federal government the power to oversee voter registration in states with histories of discrimination, ensuring more access to voting for African Americans. By doing this, it increased Black voter registration and participation. -
The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr, the mainleader of the Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated while standing on the balcony of a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. King was in Memphis to support striking sanitation workers when he was shot by James Earl Ray. His death sent fear and despair, and was a huge surprise to the entire nation, sparking riots in over 100 cities and leading to an urgent push for civil rights legislation. His death also is said to have led to the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.