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Plessy vs Ferguson
Primary SourceFrom the wake of this epic court trial, the precepus for the standards of African American standards are set. In its Plessy v. Ferguson decision the Supreme Court rules that segregated facilities for blacks and whites do not violate the 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection of the law. -
Cumming v. Richmond County Board of Education
SourceOriginally set a year before, this court took the Plessy vs Ferguson verdict one step further into segregation for African Americans. Cumming v. Richmond County Board of Education claimed it to be "acceptable to create separate and unequal facilities for black students" (Johnston, 2010, para. 6). This event demonstrates the extreme struggles forced down upon African Americans that set the tone for the early 20th Century. -
Early Statistics to Set the Bar
Source #2SourceBy 1900 the illiteracy rate of African Americans fell to 43% (from 81% in 1870). School attendance, particularly in rural areas, tended to be erratic, and Virginia had one of the lowest rates of attendance in the nation in the years before World War II. Black schools, however, were so underfunded that most of them were overcrowded. In 1900 the average black school had 37 percent more pupils in attendance than the average white school. -
The Talented Tenth: W.E.B. DuBois speech
Primary SourceW.E.B DuBois was one of the leading voices against racial segregation in education and became very well known for finding a solution against the current times of southern prejudice. In this "Talented Tenth" speech, DuBois preached for the need to achieve social change through a group talented and intellectual African American college students called the Talented Tenth. Before there ever was unity, DuBois spoke of racial gathering as a social movement to solve the intense hold that society forced -
Geat Migration Begins
SourceBeginning in 1915 all the way through 1960, large amounts of the African American population move north in search for a better life. The major goal of this movement was to find better jobs, which in turn required better education for preparation. Barker (2011) explains "As more blacks moved to the North, there was a higher demand for black owned businessesthat would serve the community" (p. 6). This was the first real movement of unity on a major scale that the African American race started. -
NAACP March Against Segregation
SourceNearly 10,000 African Americans and their supporters march down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue on July 28 as part of a silent parade, an NAACP-organized protest against lynching, race riots, and the denial of rights. This is the first major civil rights demonstration in the 20th Century. This echoes throughout all areas of segregation including Education. -
1920 Immigration Laws
SourceBoth WWI and immigration laws passed in the 1920s greatly limited the flow of European migrants to the United States causing a labor shortage in the North. Looking at this and the fact that the Great Migration has already taken hold provides evidence of job oppurtunities for African Americans. These new oppurtunities further motivates the need for a better edcation aomung the African American population. -
1925 Wages for Black Teachers
SourceIn Texas, black teachers were paid significantly less than white teachers ($91.60 a month, compared with $121.03). While the Great Migration has taken hold at this point, significant change was still required for the Southrn States. This change will later show up further into the century as Racial unity rises amoungst the African American people. -
NAACP Takes Notice on Black Salaries
SourceThe NAACP filed suit over the fact that black teachers in Norfolk were paid less than their white counterparts. The decision was met with delays, evasions, adoption of subjective criteria for evaluating teachers, and other methods of resistance, so that black teachers went from being paid one-half of white salaries to two-thirds, but not to full equality! -
World War Inspired Stronger Movements
Source"During World War II, the NAACP intensified its legal campaign against discrimination, and its membership grew from 50,000 to 500,000." With a massive war against hatred taking hold in Europe, the voices of desegregation within America felt their voices becoming a bit stronger. America was currently debating whether or not to be involved in the War, so if the country was to fight for liberty and justice, shouldn't there be the same qualities sinside the country for all citizens? -
School Segregation Abolished
Source"The Supreme Court orders public schools to be integrated “with all deliberate speed.” After the second World War and movements like the Great Migration, it seemed clear to the United States justice department to intergrate all races into schools. Tensions still lie between African Americans and White, but this was one huge step towards a more positive direction. -
the Development of the "Sit In"
Primary SourceFour black freshmen at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College, Ezell Blair, Jr., Franklin McClain, Joseph McNeill, and David Richmond, were denied service at a store and so decided not to leave until they were served. This developed the civil rights strategy of the "Sit In." Eventually, this strong stance encouraged over 142 other college students to stand up against discrimination in a few months afterward. This is one of many examples of racial unity within this decade. -
Federal Civil Rights Act.of 1964
Primary SourceThis act sets the rule of no program receiving federal funds may discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin or sex. This federal fund does include educationl systems. Again, this decade alone held some of the most critical legal movements for Civil Rights in response tot he Rcaial unity that was occuing through Civil Rights Movments and the voices of Civil Rights activisists like Martin Luther King Jr. and many others. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
SourceEven though schools had been desegreagted by this point, another problem for African Americans in schools arised: Most African Americans still could not attend schools due to the large economic gap between them and whites. This Bill was presented in hopes to shrink the influence of that gap within schools. While this was directly stated to improve oppurtunities for poor children, the underlining motive was to help poor African American children attent school. -
Desegregated Busing to Schools
Source"The Supreme Court upholds the use of busing to achieve racial desegregation in schools." This court case took hold within the Bradley v. Richmond School Board case. This was another step to achieve less segregation within schooling areas. While violence and prejudice still existed heavily at this time, it was moves like this that allowed equality to take hold.
