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The Supreme Court ruled that segregated public schools were unconstitutional. It overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. The decision accelerated the Civil Rights Movement.
Quote: “This historic decision marked the end of the "separate but equal" precedent set by the Supreme Court nearly 60 years earlier in Plessy v. Ferguson and served as a catalyst for the expanding civil rights movement during the decade of the 1950s.” -
African Americans in Montgomery boycotted city buses after Rosa Parks’ arrest. The boycott lasted over a year and ended bus segregation. It launched Martin Luther King Jr. as a national leader.
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Nine Black students integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. They faced violent resistance and required federal troop protection. The event tested federal enforcement of desegregation.
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Four Black students sat at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter. Their peaceful protest sparked sit-ins nationwide. It energized youth participation in the movement.
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Interracial groups rode buses to challenge segregation in interstate travel. Riders faced brutal violence across the South. Their actions prompted federal enforcement of desegregation laws.
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Over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C. to demand civil and economic rights. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. The march pressured lawmakers to act on civil rights.
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Civil rights leaders organized nonviolent protests against segregation in Birmingham. Police responded with dogs and fire hoses, shocking the nation. The campaign helped build support for civil rights legislation. “a moral witness to give our community a chance to survive,”
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The act outlawed segregation and discrimination in public accommodations, employment, and education. It became a major legal victory of the movement. It strengthened federal enforcement powers.
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The act banned discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests. It placed federal oversight on states with histories of suppression. It dramatically increased Black voter registration.
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Protesters marched to demand voting rights for African Americans. They were attacked by state troopers on “Bloody Sunday.” The nation’s reaction helped push forward voting rights legislation.
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A protest against the southern states that still used still used literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation, and violence to stop Black citizens from registering to vote -
Congress renewed and expanded protections for minority voters. These extensions strengthened federal oversight. They responded to ongoing discrimination.
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Policies were created to address racial inequality in education and employment. Universities and employers considered race among admissions or hiring factors. These programs sparked legal and political controversy.
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Economic gaps between Black and white Americans persisted. Deindustrialization harmed many Black workers. Structural inequalities contributed to long-term disparities.
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More Black Americans were elected to local, state, and federal offices. Major cities elected Black mayors for the first time. Political representation expanded significantly after civil rights reforms.
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Table 1: Black Officeholders during Reconstruction by states -
Table 1: Black Officeholders during Reconstruction by states
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Courts ordered busing to integrate schools more effectively. The practice aimed to reduce racial segregation caused by neighborhood patterns. It sparked major public debates nationwide.
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Warren K. Library of Congress U.S. News World Report Magazine Photograph Collection
Black and white schoolchildren riding a school bus from the suburbs to an inner city school in Charlotte, N.C., in 1973. -
At the time the people of the United States of America belived that the government or the cia was purposly flooding black neighborhoods with drugs to “worsen them”
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The graph shows the spike in drug usage in black neighborhoods during the CIA’s intervention -
Racial gaps continue in wealth, housing, education, and criminal justice. Structural inequality remains a central national issue. Many policies aim to reduce these disparities.
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Democratic president Barack Obama waves to supporters by his wife Michelle and his daughters by his side ahead of making his presidential acceptance speech at a rally -
Barack Obama is elected the 44th president of the United States. He was the nation’s first Black American president. He was reelected in 2012.
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The Supreme Court struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act. States no longer needed federal approval to change voting laws. The ruling led to new restrictive voting measures.
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The movement formed to protest police violence and systemic racism. George Floyd’s 2020 killing sparked global demonstrations. It led to renewed calls for reform and accountability.