Civil Rights Timeline

  • Executive Order 9981

    Executive Order 9981

    President Harry S. Truman signed this executive order which established the president’s committee on equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed services.
  • Montgomery Bus Boycott

    Montgomery Bus Boycott

    Rosa Parks, an African American was arrested for disobeying a law which required black passengers to exchange with white passengers when the bus was full. Also, blacks were only allowed to sit in the back. This resulted in a year long boycott.
  • The Greensboro Sit-In

    The Greensboro Sit-In

    Four black college students refused to leave a “white only” lunch counter at a store after they are denied service.
  • March On Washington

    March On Washington

    Approximately 250,000 people took part in the march for jobs and freedom. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have A Dream” speech as the closing address.
  • Civil Rights Act

    Civil Rights Act

    President Johnson signed the civil rights act also known as the fair housing act. This act provided equal housing regardless of race, religion, or nationality.