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Executive Order 9981
On July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman issued the Executive Order 9981 which ended segregation in the Armed Services. This allowed African Americans to join any branch of the armed forces without the previous segregation that was occurring before this executive order. This grew and strengthened America's Armed Services which would help during the Korean and Vietnam War. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education is five court cases built into one, which ended racial segregation in public schools. Even though these cases made segregation in schools illegal, many public schools refused. Before this case, it was legal to segregate schools both the white and black schools were equal. This was very rarely the case, which led to Brown v. Board of Education which was a large step to stopping segregation. -
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks is one of the most well-known Civil Rights Advocates and was the cause of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It started when Rosa Parks said no. She refuses to give her seat on the bus to a white man. She inspired leaders in the Black community to start the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott lasted more than a year and made it unconstitutional to segregate the buses. Rosa Parks became the face of the Movement which started to end racial segregation. -
Little Rock Nine
The "Little Rock Nine" were nine African Americans that enrolled in Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. September 4, 1957, was their first day of school, but they were blocked by the Arkansas National Gaurd. But later that month, federal troops were sent in by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to escort the children into the school. The "Little Rock Nine" was one of the first tests on the "Brown v. Board of Education" ruling, that declared segregation in schools unconstitutional. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was signed by Dwight D. Eisenhower in order to protect voter's rights. This new law established the Civil Rights Section of the Justice Department and also allowed federal prosecution of those who restricted someone else's right to vote. This would protect African American voters from prosecution by white men. -
Ruby Bridges
"Don't follow a path, go where there is no path, and begin a trail - Ruby Bridges." Ruby Bridges did exactly that on November 14, 1960, she was escorted into school by federal marshals for her first day of school. Ruby and her mom would walk through the furious crowd and she was forced to sit in the principal's office for the first couple of days because of the chaos. Ruby would go on to graduate from a desegregated high school and become a travel agent. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington is most known for Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Over 250,000 people took part in this protest for Jobs and Freedom. Dr. Martin King Jr. spoke about finally having true equality and living to the ideal of the country. He wanted a country that didn't judge by the skin color but the content of their character. The March of Washington and the "I Have a Dream" speech, is one of the most well-known events of the Civil Rights Movement and started change. -
Bombing of Birmingham
On September 15, 1963, right before the church sermon, a bomb exploded at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. This bomb killed four girls and injured several more African Americans. The FBI started its investigations quickly narrowed down the suspects to Robert E. Chambliss, a member of the KKK. This bombing was an act of racial hatred but also showed the government's involvement in ending racism. -
Civil Rights Act of of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to prevent any type of employment discrimination or segregation. This Act established the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commision (EEOC) to prevent employment discrimination. Both the Act and EEOC supplied equality for not only African Americans, but anyone in the workplace. -
First African American Supreme Justice
Thurgood Marshall was the first African American Supreme Court Justice on August 30, 1967. Before this Thurgood was an important figure in African American politics and court cases. Thurgood made his mark by winning 29 of 32 he had argued for, one of them being the "Brown v. Board of Education", which made segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Having an African American in the supreme court shows how the Civil Rights Movement started to move the country in the right direction. -
Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination
Martin Luther King Jr. Was one of the most well-known leaders during the Civil Rights Movement. He is most known for his speeches, such as "I have a Dream". But on April 4, 1968, when he was standing on his balcony in Tennessee, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. This event shocked the world and led to riots in more than 100 cities in America. But his death also sparked change throughout America and helped gain equality. -
Shirley Chisholm Runs for President
The rise of both the civil rights movement and the feminist movement is created an African American women's movement. And one of the biggest faces of this movement was Shirley Chisholm. She led the way for many others by being the first major-party African American and first female candidate for president. This shows the equality in the government that came from the Civil Rights Movement. -
Rise of Black-Oriented TV Shows
TV was one of the biggest forms of media during the 1980s. With that start and success of the sitcom "The Cosby Show," but focus on the average life of a middle-class African American. It helped redefine the persona of black characters on American television. Once The Cosby Show was a success it lead to more African American-oriented shows such as "The Oprah Winfrey Show". This shift of television allowed African Americans to be seen for who they are, not past stereotypes. -
Rodney King Case and the LA Riots
The Rodney King trials were caused by the cruel beating that King got when we tried to resist arrest. This beating was caught on camera and was broadcasted across America. It led to riots and the burning of buildings. But it ended with 2 of the 4 officers convicted in federal court and King received $3.8 million from the city in a settlement. This trial changed African American lives because it showed that people aren't convicted because of their race or gender. -
What Happened After For The "Little Rock Nine
After schooling the "Little Rock Nine" went their own ways and many got good jobs and helped in civil rights movements. In 1999, each member was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for their works during the Civil Rights Movement. The hardships and trials that the nine students had to face led to freedom and safety for future African American students in schools and jobs. -
The Ruby Bridges Foundation
Ruby Bridges founded the Ruby Bridges Foundation in 1999 to create change through educating people. Ruby also wrote award-winning books that received the Carter G. Woodson Book Award. Unlike Rosa Park or the "Little Rock Nine", Ruby wasn't awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for her work in the Civil Rights Movement. Ruby was made honorary deputy marshal in a ceremony in Washington, D.C. -
Rosa Parks earning the Congressional Gold Medal
Rosa Parks said, "You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right." After the Montgomery Bus Boycott, she co-founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development for youth. After her retirement, she lent support to civil-rights events and wrote her autobiography. Because of her fearlessness, she was given the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States. This shows how African Americans are being awarded for their work during the Civil Rights movement. -
Colin Powell Becomes The First African American Secretary of State
Colin Powell was a Vietnam veteran and the four-star U.S. general, and eventually became the first African American Secretary of State. In 2001, George W. Bush appointed Colin Powell as Secretary of State. Powell also was talked about serving as a U.S. presidential candidate. Colin Powell showed how African Americans were able to serve as America's diplomats, without any discrimination in the way. -
Obama Becomes The First African American President
Barack Obama was inaugurated on January 20, 2009, as the 44th U.S. president. Obama started as one of three African Americans to join the U.S. Senate and then became the first African American president. Obama gave confidence to African Americans and empowered them to get jobs in the government. -
Growth in African American Voters
The 15th Amendment allowed African Americans and all other races to vote, but because of segregation and racism, the number of African American voters hasn't been to its full potential. But ever since the Civil Rights Movement, the number of African American voters has increased. The voting turnout was very low until the 1960s and then more African Americans, both male, and female were safer and more protected when voting. -
George Floyd Case
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed by an officer in Minneapolis. The officer was Derek Chauvin and after handcuffing Floyd he was filmed kneeling of Floyd's neck for 8 minutes, which eventually killed him. Chauvin was fired and then convicted of second-degree unintentional murder and many more. This racial act led to riots all around that country that destroy many stores and homes. Because of the Civil Rights Movement, the jury wasn't making a racial decision but a truthful one. -
Kamala Harris Becomes First African American Vice President
Kamala Harris is a good example that race and gender don't matter when running for office and ever since the 1960s, more and more African Americans are taking positions in any role of the office. Kamala Harris became the first woman and first African American to become vice president in U.S. History. She inspires many to do what very few could before the 1906s. She is one of many women that have paved a way for future generations to suceed.