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Brown v. Board of Education
In 1951, a man by the name of Oliver Brown filed a class-action suit against Topeka, Kansas’ Board of Education, when his daughter was denied entrance to all-white elementary schools there. In his lawsuit, Brown stated how the black schools failed to be equal to the white ones, violating the “equal protection clause” of the 14th Amendment. Brown’s case, along with four others also regarding segregation in schools, were combined into a single one that would be called... -
Murder of Emmett Till
a. 14-year-old Emmett Till’s trip to Money, Mississippi to visit family took a drastic turn. On a dare, Emmett flirted with the white women who was behind the store counter. Carolyn Bryant accused Till of touching, threatening, and harassing her, all of which he had not done. Days later on August 28th, her husband was enraged by the “news” and took his brother-in-law with him to Till’s uncle’s house. They forced Emmett into a car and made him carry a 75-pound cotton-gin fan to the.... -
Rosa Park's Arrest
On December 1st, 1955 Rosa Parks boarded the Cleveland Avenue bus for home after a long day of work at a Montgomery department store. The Montgomery City Code enforced segregation on public transportation and if it were the case that the whites-only section filled, a black passenger was to give up their spot for them. Such happened that day expect Parks had refused to do so. The three other black folks asked to... -
Little Rock Nine
Nine teens soon became known as the “Little Rock Nine” after being the first African Americans to enter Little Rock’s Central High School. Three years prior is when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools were illegal. Although, this idea was highly disliked by much of the South and change would be inconceivable. Arkansas’ governor, Orval Faubus, ordered the National Guard to block their entrance the night before their first day. Despite the police... -
Greensboro Sit-In
After being denied service because of their skin color, four students staged a sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. Four young African American men made up the Greensboro Four. Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil were all students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College. The group was inspired by Gandhi's practices of non-violent protest as well as the Freedom Rides by the CORE. On February 1st, 1960... -
Mississippi Freedom Summer
Freedom Summer or the Mississippi Summer Project had a distinct goal; increasing black voter registration in Mississippi. Several civil rights groups including the Congress on Racial Equality and the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee came together to expand black voting in the South. Why Mississippi for the site of the project? In 1962, less than 7% of the state’s eligible black voters were registered to do so. Freedom.. -
James Meredith's Enrollment
In 1962, African American James Meredith went to enroll at the University of Mississippi, an all-white university. On the Ole Miss campus, chaos in the form of riots erupted. Years prior, African Americans were being admitted in small numbers to universities in the South with very little incident. In 1961, James aided by the NAACP filed a lawsuit against Ole Miss for racial discrimination. The U.S. Supreme Court... -
Birmingham Campaign
a. Civil rights activists within Birmingham, Alabama created one of the most inspiring campaigns of the movement in 1963. That spring, Project C or The Birmingham Campaign sparked the start of multiple sit-ins, marches, and boycotts. Despite the peaceful protests of the people, violent attacks counteracted their actions. Attacks included using high-pressure fire hoses or police dogs on children and adults. Such... -
Washington March
On August 28, 1963, about a quarter of million people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The March on Washington or the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom aimed to highlight the continuous hardships and inequalities African Americans faced even a century after emancipation. Prior, A. Philip Randolph, an elder statesman of the civil rights movement, and King, a rising young civil rights leader, were both planning marches. Because Randolph... -
Supreme Court Justice: Thurgood Marshall
Thirteen years after he served in Brown v. Board of Education, Thurgood Marshall made black history. The President himself, Lyndon B. Johnson, appointed him as the very first African American Supreme Court justice in 1967. Subsequently, he continued to work diligently on many cases. He was known for his strong voice and views and even his ability to crack a joke. -
The King's Assassination
This widely known and respected civil rights activist had led the movement itself since the mid-1950s. His combination of eloquent speeches and strong belief in nonviolent protests against segregation made for a charismatic leader and several civil-rights advances. MLK’s assassination took place April 4th, 1968 in Memphis Tennessee and it didn’t go unknown. Numerous black Americans were outraged and there was soon a period of national mourning. Such... -
Dr. Clifton
Clifton R. Wharton Jr. holds many achievements in black history. He was the very first African American to be head of a white university, Michigan State. He was the first black student to earn a M.A. degree in International Studies form Johns Hopkins. At Harvard, Wharton became the first black campus radio station announcer as well as the first black secretary of the National Student Association, a group founded by himself. -
The 14th US Ambassador
On January 30, 1977, Andrew Young was sworn-in as the first African American and 14th ambassador to the UN. Young was sworn-in by none other than Justice Thurgood Marshall. Prior in the Civil Rights Movement, he participated in many events such as the Birmingham Campaign and was even a member of the SCLC. -
Spingarn Medal Recipient: Rosa Parks
The NAACP annually awards the gold Spingarn Medal to "the man or woman of African descent and American citizenship who shall have made the highest achievement during the preceding year or years in any honorable field." It has been awarded each year since 1915, with a few exceptions. Parks received a medal for being the catalyst in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Other Spingarn Medal winners include W.E.B. Du Bois, Paul Robeson, and MLK Jr. -
1st African American in Space
The very first African American in space was Guion S. Bluford. Out of 10,000 applicants to a NASA program, he was one of 35 chosen to participate on the new shuttle team in January of 1978. Come August 30th of 1983, he made black history and became the first one to experience space travel. Soon after the first trip, he made another. -
MLK Day
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, but his legacy did not die with him. To date, he is a well known and respected civil rights leader that inspired other non-violent protest approaches. November 2nd of 1983 is when Ronald Reagan officially signed into law a bill creating a national holiday in which would honor the King. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday in January , around his birthday, which was January 15th. -
African Americans & Oscars
2002 is described as the "blackest Academy Awards in history." The talent of Denzel Washington and Halle Berry scored another achievement in black history. it was the very first time that African Americans were the ones to win the best actor and actress award. He won best actor for Training Day and Halle won best actress for Monster's Ball. In the years to come, other inspired African Americans would follow their paths. -
Barack Obama's Inauguration
Barack Obama was the first African American president elected in all of history. He won election to the nation's highest office the previous November. As a junior U.S. included Senator, he had won against Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain. About 1.8 million people witnessed his inauguration, a new inaugural crowd record. Our 44th President didn't fail to make historical impact. -
Black Lives Matter
Three black organizers created Black Lives Matter in response to the "acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman." The innocent black teen being fatally shot sparked a movement still relevant today. BLM is now a member-led global network that intervenes in violence against the Black community. -
Gold Medalist: Simone Biles
At only 18-years-old, Simone Biles made African American history. She was the very first African American world all-around champion as well as the first woman to win three consecutive world all-around titles. Currently, she holds the record for the most gold medals won by a female gymnast in World Championship history, and has brought home 4 of them.
