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The Supreme Court Decision of Plessy v. Ferguson
The Court's “separate but equal” decision in Plessy v. Ferguson on that date upheld state-imposed Jim Crow laws. It became the legal basis for racial segregation in the United States for the next fifty years. -
The Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen have become famous as the first African American pilots in United States military service, who proved that Black men could fly advanced aircraft in combat as well as their white counterparts. The first Black commander of an Air Force fighter squadron was a Tuskegee Airman. -
The Integration of Major League Baseball
In a baseball context, the end of segregation led to a golden age of Major League Baseball, where many of the biggest stars were African American, including several on pennant-winning Brooklyn teams, one of which won the World Series eight years after Robinson joined the club. -
The Integration of the Armed Forces
The impact of Executive Order 9981 cannot be overstated; it was among the first federal actions of the modern civil rights era to counter discrimination against Black Americans and other racial minorities. -
The Supreme Court Decision of Sweatt v. Painter
With Sweatt v. Painter and McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the Supreme Court began to overturn the separate but equal doctrine in public education by requiring graduate and professional schools to admit black students. -
The Supreme Court Decision of Brown v. Board of Education
It signaled the end of legalized racial segregation in the schools of the United States, overruling the "separate but equal" principle set forth in the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case. -
The Death of Emmitt Till
Emmett Till's murder was a spark in the upsurge of activism and resistance that became known as the Civil Rights movement. The sight of his brutalized body pushed many who had been content to stay on the sidelines directly into the fight. -
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
Sparked by the arrest of Rosa Parks on 1 December 1955, the Montgomery bus boycott was a 13-month mass protest that ended with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses is unconstitutional. -
The Integration of Little Rock High School
Little Rock High School was a key event during the civil rights movement. Before this event happened, schools were segregated and massively unfair. It helped President Eisenhower to get schools desegregated and allow blacks to go the white schools. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1957
The new act established the Civil Rights Section of the Justice Department and empowered federal prosecutors to obtain court injunctions against interference with the right to vote. -
The Greensboro Four Lunch Counter Sit-In
The first people served were the lunch counter employees themselves. In the first week, three hundred African Americans ate at that lunch counter. The Greensboro Four became famous for fighting discrimination. Because of their courage, principles, and persistence, they have become legends in North Carolina history. -
The Freedom Rides
Through their defiance, the Freedom Riders attracted the attention of the Kennedy Administration and as a direct result of their work, the Interstate Commerce Commission issued regulations banning segregation in interstate travel that fall. -
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment
Amendment Twenty-four to the Constitution was ratified on January 23, 1964. It abolished and forbids the federal and state governments from imposing taxes on voters during federal elections. -
The Integration of the University of Mississippi
The riot and the federal crackdown were a major turning point in the civil rights movement and resulted in the desegregation of Ole Miss the first integration of any public educational facility in Mississippi. -
The Integration of the University of Alabama
The successful integration of The University of Alabama that began on June 11, 1963, opened doors not only to two Black students, but for decades of progress toward becoming an inclusive campus. -
The March on Washington & “I Have a Dream” Speech
The march was successful in pressuring the administration of John F. Kennedy to initiate a strong federal civil rights bill in Congress. -
The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
Kennedy's death also brought an abrupt end to his supporters' sense of optimism about the country's future, which had been fueled by his broad popularity. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Act prohibited discrimination in public accommodations and federally funded programs. It also strengthened the enforcement of voting rights and the desegregation of schools. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the nation's benchmark civil rights legislation, and it continues to resonate in America. -
The Assassination of Malcolm X
He asserted that Malcolm's murder deprived “the world of a potentially great leader” (King, “The Nightmare of Violence”). Malcolm's death signaled the beginning of bitter battles involving proponents of the ideological alternatives the two men represented. -
The Selma to Montgomery March: “Bloody Sunday”
The three marches at Selma were a pivotal turning point in the civil rights movement. Because of the powerful impact of the marches in Selma, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was presented to Congress on March 17, 1965. President Johnson signed the bill into law on August 6, 1965. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
When Congress enacted the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it determined that racial discrimination in voting had been more prevalent in certain areas of the country. -
The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
King's death energized the Black Power Movement. Black Americans felt even more distrustful of white institutions and America's political system. Membership in the Black Panther Party and other Black Power groups surged. Local organizations grew into national networks. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1968
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, similar to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibited racial discrimination in voting. The Act was later expanded to help protect the right to vote for racial minorities throughout the country (mainly the South).