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Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a supreme court case that ruled it was not unconstitutional to separate the races if they were equal. This is where the popular saying, "separate but equal" comes from. This was very influential to the Civil Rights Movement because it continued to justify the separation of blacks and whites, and the separation was NOT equal. Blacks had a disadvantage at life simply because of their skin color. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. This amendment was influential to the Civil Rights Movement because it laid out the groundwork for people of color. -
Executive Order 9981
Executive Order 9981 abolished racial segregation in the military. This is influential to the Civil Rights Movement because segregation was now abolished in the military, which is a huge step for people of color in America. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a Supreme Court case that ruled it was unconstitutional to separate children by race in public schools. This was vital for the Civil Rights Movement because it was another win, slowly increasing the rights for all future people of color. -
Emmett Till's Death
Emmett Till was a 14 year old boy who was murdered for allegedly flirting with a white woman. The white woman's husband and brother beat Emmett to death and then disposed of his body by throwing it in the river. This horrific story showed how dangerous it was for people of color during these times, and that a CHILD was brutally murdered. This lit a flame in the Civil Rights Movement. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott occurred in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. People of color refused to ride buses in order to protest against segregated seating. This shows how numerous people gathered together to fight for something they believed in. The Civil Rights Movement was growing. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 created the Civil Rights Section of the Justice Department and encouraged federal prosecutors to "obtain court injunctions against interference with the right to vote." (Eisenhower Library). This was vital for the Civil Rights Movement because it was another step at obtaining freedoms, because at this time there were many ways states would attempt to prevent black people from voting -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment abolished poll taxes, which was a small fee American citizens had to pay in order to vote. This is influential to the Civil Rights Movement because many people of color could not afford to pay the poll tax due to the unequal opportunities granted in this nation. -
March on Washington – “I have a Dream Speech”
Martin Luther King Jr. infamous speech, "I have a Dream", was given in support of the Civil Rights Movement. This speech called for both equality and freedom for Black Americans. In addition, this speech was influential to the Civil Rights Movement because of the emphasis of the phrase "I have a dream" in King's speech. This lit another fire for the Civil Rights Movement. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based off of race, sex, religion, color, or national origin. This Act was extremely important for the Civil Rights Movement because it was a huge step for people of color, making it a law saying that one could not discriminate on another based on race. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 made it illegal to discriminate against voters and potentially prevent specific voters from voting. This Act was influential for the Civil Rights Movement because many Black Americans were prevented from voting because they were a different color. -
Thurgood Marshall appointed to Supreme Court
Thurgood Marshall was the first African American appointed to Supreme Court. This was a huge stepping stone for African Americans and the Civil Rights Movement. As long awaited, black Americans are finally getting the representation they deserve. -
MLK assassinated
Martin Luther King Jr, a Civil Rights Activist and influential spokesman of the Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated on April 4, 1968. This was a devastating loss to millions of black Americans, and led to an outpour of anger within the black community in America. -
Sandra Day O’Connor appointed to Supreme Court
Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman appointed as a Supreme Court Justice. This was influential to the Civil Rights Movement because the Women's Suffrage laid out the stepping stones for the Civil Rights Movement. Both movements were advancing in their goal for equal rights. -
Sonia Sotomayor appointed to Supreme Court
Sonia Sotomayor was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice by President Obama, the first black president in America. This was significant to the Civil Rights Movement because this shows America is changing, with the first black president in history nominating a woman to be a Supreme Court Justice.