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Executive Order 9981
On July 26, 1948, President Truman issued Executive Order 9981. Executive Order 9981 abolished racial discrimination in the United States Armed Forces. This was one of the first steps to ending segregation throughout the United States. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools were unconstitutional, even if the schools were equal. This is a super important event in the civil rights movement because it looks at segregation's effects on a person's mind. -
Murder of Emmett Till
African American 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally murdered for allegedly flirting with a white woman. His murderers were later acquitted. This case brought international attention to the civil rights movement. -
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. This Prompted a year-long Montgomery bus boycott. The Montgomery Bus Boycott later resulted in the Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. -
Little Rock Nine
Nine African American students were blocked from attending Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Later, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent federal troops to escort the students to school. This event was important because it provoked a national debate on racial segregation and civil rights. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
President Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Civil Rights Acts 1957 protects voter rights, allowing federal prosecution of those who suppress another's right to vote. This was super important since it was the first civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. -
Greensboro Sit-In
On February 1, 1960, four African American college students in Greensboro, North Carolina, refused to leave a "whites only" Woolworth's lunch counter until served. This sit-in sparked similar sit-ins throughout the Nation. -
March on Washington
Around 250,000 people marched on Washington for jobs and freedom. This is where Martin Luther King gives his famous " I Have A Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial. This event and speech are super important as they are the turning points in the civil rights movement. His speech changed the outlook many had of freedom and equality. -
Bombing at 16th Street Baptist Church
On September 15, 1963, a bomb at 16th St., Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killed four young girls while injuring several others. This bombing was from members of the white supremacists group, the Ku Klux Klan. This bombing sparked angry protests throughout the Nation. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B Johnson signed the civil rights act of 1964 into law. This Act prevented employment discrimination due to race, color, sex, religion, or national origin. The Act also establishes the U.S. equal employment opportunity commission that helps prevent workplace discrimination. This is very important because, at this time, people of color were mistreated in the workplace. -
Malcolm X is Assassinated.
Malcolm X was an African American leader in the civil rights movement. Malcolm X believed Black Americans should protect themselves against white aggression "by any means necessary." He was assassinated during a rally by members of the Nation of Islam. -
Bloody Sunday
Around 600 civil rights, marchers walked from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery. They were protesting black voter suppression. On the way, local police brutally attacked them. They eventually reached Montgomery on March 25. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
On August 6, 1965, President Johnson signed the voting rights act of 1965. The voting rights act of 1965 prevented the use of literacy tests as a voting requirement and allowed federal examiners to review voter qualifications and observe polling places. This is super important because these tests were used as a way to stop African-Americans from voting. -
Martin Luther King, Jr. is Assassinated.
Martin Luther King Jr. was an essential leader in the civil rights movement. He was at the forefront of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington. He was assassinated on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tennessee. -
Fair Housing Act
On April 11, 1968, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also called the Fair Housing Act. The fair housing act provided equal housing opportunities regardless of someone's race, religion, or national origin. This was the last legislative achievement of the civil rights era.