Civil Rights Timeline

  • Tuskegee Institute created

    Tuskegee Institute created

    The Tuskegee Institute is a private university that was created by Booker T. Washington to help provide black students with academic and vocational training. This university furthered the civil rights movement because it allowed many black Americans to get a good education.
  • Plessy v Ferguson

    Plessy v Ferguson

    This court case determined that segregation could be equal as long as segregated portions of an area were equal to their counterpart. This court case was controversial around the country because it upheld racist ideas. Also, Jim Crow laws, which promoted racial segregation, became more common after this court case. Additionally, this ruling of this case was a step back for the civil rights movement because it went against everything the movement fought for including equality and desegregation.
  • NAACP Founding

    NAACP Founding

    The NAACP stands for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. This organization was created in the hopes of bringing equality for colored people and ending discriminatory practices against African Americans. The NAACP helped with the advancement of the civil rights movement by fighting for equality and one notable achievement of theirs was lobbying for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  • 19th Amendment

    19th Amendment

    The 19th amendment was passed in order to allow women to vote. Women's suffrage was a right that many women around the United States fought for and finally received with the passage of the 19th amendment. Moreover, this amendment is significant to the civil rights movement because voting is a basic right that was finally given to women and this meant that women could now vote for things that mattered to them.
  • Executive order 9981

    Executive order 9981

    This order was issued by President Harry Truman and it ended segregation in the United States Armed forces. It allowed for equal treatment for all soldiers in the military. This order positively affected the civil rights movement as it broke down barriers for colored people in the military to succeed and it also integrated all races in the Armed Forces.
  • Brown v. Board of Education

    Brown v. Board of Education

    This court case resulted in the supreme court deciding that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional and allowed the mixing of white and black students. This played a large role in the step towards equality because it finally recognized that white and black students were to be treated equally.
  • Emmett Till's Death

    Emmett Till's Death

    Emmett Till was an African American boy who was lynched by Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam on August 28th, 1955. He died in Money Mississippi. Unfortunately, the killers were not charged with the crime they committed. This horrific killing strengthened the Civil Rights Movement as it brought the community closer together.
  • Montgomery Bus Boycott

    Montgomery Bus Boycott

    The Montgomery Bus Boycott was started by Rosa Parks in 1955. It started in Montgomery Alabama. It started when Rosa Parks refused to sit at the back of the bus and then got kicked out. This was a crucial part of the Civil Rights Movement as it showed that African Americans could band together to be a force that would be reckoned with.
  • Little Rock 9

    Little Rock 9

    The Little Rock 9 were a group of African American children who became the first-ever black students to enroll in a white school. This brought backlash from all over the country, however, those brave children paved the way to end segregation in schools. This event was a major step in achieving the goals of the civil rights movement because it helped promote equality among races and promoted integration among races in the American school system.
  • Civil Rights Act of 1957

    Civil Rights Act of 1957

    The Civil Rights Act was signed by President Eisenhower. It effectively prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, etc. Furthermore, this act prevented employers from discriminating against employees because of race or sex. This act was a great stride for the Civil Rights Movement as it helped African Americans get more rights/freedom.
  • Greensboro NC Sit-in’s

    Greensboro NC Sit-in’s

    The Greensboro Sit-ins were a series of non-violent protests which sought to end segregation. All in all, the sit-ins were successful as many stores started to remove racial segregation. These sit-ins made great strides for the civil rights movement as a genuine change was made by businesses to remove segregation in their establishments.
  • March on Washington – “I have a Dream Speech”

    March on Washington – “I have a Dream Speech”

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave the "I Have a Dream" speech to hundreds of thousands of people outside the capital. MLK hoped to instill the values of equality for all and desegregation with his words. This speech was very impactful to the civil rights movement as it inspired both white and black people to advocate for change. The words he used in his speech were also persuasive and moving.
  • 24th Amendment

    24th Amendment

    This amendment made it so that American citizens could vote in elections even if they failed to pay a poll tax or any other tax. This was a good step in the Civil Rights Movement because it allowed people who may be behind on their finances to still be able to vote. This amendment was also heavily beneficial to African Americans as poll taxes preventing voting negatively affected African Americans the most.
  • March from Selma Alabama

    March from Selma Alabama

    These marches took place over several days which were demonstrations of African Americans marching to the state's capital to exercise their right to vote. These marches were important to the civil rights movement as they were crucial to the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
  • Voting Rights Act of 1965

    Voting Rights Act of 1965

    This act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. The act prevented literacy tests from being given in order for colored people to vote and outlawed other discriminatory voting practices from being implemented. This was a fundamental step in the progress for African Americans because it allowed them to vote which allowed colored people to hold positions in office.
  • Black Panther Party Founding

    Black Panther Party Founding

    The Black Panther Party was created by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton in Oakland, California. The party's main purpose was to equip African Americans with weapons so that they could defend themselves from external threats. They didn't believe in non-violence and decided to use violence when necessary. This went against the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This party gave a new perspective on the civil rights movement as the black panther party stood its ground and didn't back down for anybody.
  • Thurgood Marshall appointed to Supreme Court

    Thurgood Marshall appointed to Supreme Court

    Thurgood Marshall was nominated by Lyndon B. Johnson to be the first-ever African American justice to serve on the Supreme Court. This event helped advance the civil rights movement because it showed that African Americans could be in positions of power. This gave a sense of hope for many across the country.
  • American Indian Movement Founding

    American Indian Movement Founding

    The American Indian Movement, founded in Minneapolis Minnesota, sought to fix issues that were troubling American Indians who were living in the United States. Some issues the movement wanted to fix were racism, poverty, and police brutality. This was a new step for the civil rights movement as previously civil rights were only focused on African Americans but now it is including American Indians as well.
  • Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

    Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis Tennessee. The assassination was racially motivated as James Earl Ray was an outspoken racist with an intent to kill MLK Jr. This event acted as a setback for the Civil Rights Movement because the movement lost a great leader, but it brought the community together and made the incentive for change greater than before.
  • Sonia Sotomayor appointed to Supreme Court

    Sonia Sotomayor appointed to Supreme Court

    Sonia Sotomayor currently serves on the supreme court and she is the first Hispanic and Latina person to do so. In addition, she was appointed by President Barack Obama. Her serving on the supreme court is a great leap for the fight for civil rights as it was not possible for a woman of color to hold a position in the supreme court just a few decades ago. Her being appointed into the Supreme Court shows how far America has come regarding civil rights just in the last few decades.