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What Sparked The Idea for Executive Order 9981
The first time African Americans had fought for America, was in Civil War skirmishes. An African American by the name of Prince Estabrook was the first casualty. They had fought in the war for the North, as President Lincoln was afraid he could not win the war without his support. -
The Actions for Executive Order 9981
Influenced from Prince Estabrook, President Truman noticed that African Americans could prove much more useful, and noticed that not many were allowed into the military, and if any were, they were severely discriminated. He announced he wanted to change that, and was met by criticism in the South. In response, and some say a threat to the South, he enacted Executive Order 9981. This impacted the US exponentially, as now African Americans were a recognized part of the USA and other continents. -
Brown v Board of Education
While African Americans had freedom, they still weren't treated the same as whites. At the time, people lived by "Separate but Equal", where discrimination like Black and White water fountains, was not only acceptable, but encouraged. In response, a debate took place. After, all discrimination is abolished. It was seen unconstitutional due to the fact that, unlike what the law claims, blacks were not equal. This was a huge movement, as the public would now always be exposed to African citizens. -
Little Rock Nine
Following the abolishment of discrimination among African Americans, a famous (former) white-only High School in Little Rock asked for black volunteers to attend their school. Only 9 kids showed up. Immediately they were met with an angry, violent mob, and couldn't get inside the school. A few months later they tried again. They got inside, but had to leave later due to concern for their safety. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
When slaves were originally granted freedom, there were many things that Southerners did to prevent them from voting, such as very confusing tests, threats of death, fees they could not pay, and high requirements almost no one could meet. This was brought to the attention of President Eisenhower, who then allowed federal prosecution to arrest anyone who tried to stop someone from voting. This completely changed the voting, as now African Americans could influence outcomes just as well as whites. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington was lead by people like Phillip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, and Martin Luther King Jr. It was a peaceful walk with 200,000+ participants, all marching for equal job pay and equality, and civil rights legislation. In it was Martin's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. When participants were met with violence, even more heads turned to watch the March. This is considered one of the most famous acts of history, and it demanded Africans are limited in no way compared to whites. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
A legislation titled "Civil Rights Act of 1964" was written by President John F. Kennedy before his assassination. It was then signed in the same year (1964) by President Lyndon B. Johnson, after John F Kennedy was killed. It guaranteed equal employment for African Americans and greatly lowered the unfair difficulty of the Literacy Tests. Important activists like Martin Luther King Jr. witnessed the signing. It was extremely important, as Africans could now support themselves and their family. -
Bloody Sunday
600 peaceful demonstrators marched in the Selma to Montgomery March, protesting against police killing black activists. It ended horribly, earning it's nickname. They were blocked by Alabama state and officers. They attempted to move forward, but were immediately beat down and teargassed, ending in hospitalizations and deaths. King managed to convince protesters to continue peacefully. This was important, as it brought attention to the mistreatment of civil activists.
