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Context: Homer Plessy is Denied
In 1892, Homer Plessy refused to sit on the "colored" section of an African-American train, breaking a Louisiana Jim Crow law. Enraged, he appealed to the Supreme Court and was turned down 7-1 on the basis of "separate but equal", but would be overturned in 1954 via Brown v Board of Education. This case is significant because it had restricted the progression of African American rights for over 60 years by justifying Jim Crow laws. -
Justice Earl Warren Rules Brown v Board of Education
In 1892, Homer Plessy was forced out of his seat in New Orleans, which led him to fight in court; this reached the Supreme Court, which ruled against him in 1896 with the famous line "separate but equal". More than half a century later, the Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren declared that "separate" is "inherently unequal". This is vital because it legally ended the segregation of any American and even would lead to guidelines for desegregation. -
Emmett Till Ruthlessly Butchered
Dared by his friends, Emmett Till flirted with a married white woman, which led to the clearly reasonable response of beating him, shooting him, and dumping his barbed-covered body into the river. His mother held an open-casket funeral, which led to weekly magazine Jet publishing a photo of the body. However, despite the wide support, the killer Milam and Bryant were decreed "Not Guilty" on charges of murder and kidnapping by an all-white jury, which led to an outrage from the country. -
Rosa Parks, Arrested and Tired of Inequality
Despite the 1954 Brown v Board of Education case declaring school segregation as unconstitutional, Rosa Parks found herself arrested on December, 1955 because she would not sit in the "colored" section. In response, civil rights activists began to boycott Montgomery buses for more than a year until segregation was removed. This event is significant because it motivated black people, and it would eventually lead to MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech as well as a Civil Rights Act in 1964. -
The SCLC Congregates
Early, early on in the year of 1957, sixty civil rights activists met Atlanta, Georgia met with Martin Luther King Jr. (who was chosen as the president) to discuss further plans similar to the Montgomery bus boycott. This group would undergo a roller-coaster of events, regarding segregation, enfranchisement, war, poverty, and even the assassination of its leader Martin Luther King Jr. The group was at its most influential in the 60s, but is still active today through King's children. -
"Little Rock Nine" Attend Class
In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated public schooling was unconstitutional under Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, yet Governor Orval Faubus in Little Rock, Arkansas had called the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the students from entering school on the basis of protecting them. President Dwight D. Eisenhower responded harshly by sending in federal troops to escort them. This event is significant because of the example Eisenhower set, ensuring integration. -
The Sit-In Begins
During the early months of 1960, four students were inspired by the nonviolent works of Mohandas Gandhi congregated, so they had decided to order out of the colored section and were rejected. Eventually, support for this movement had snowballed into thousands of African American civil rights activists and many stores accepted integration. This movement is significant because it had proven the tactic of peaceful protest as viable, and would be baselines for other protests like boycotting. -
Freedom Rides, and Integration Gallops
In 1947, the Supreme Court ruled segregated buses unconstitutional under Morgan v Virginia and ruled segregated transportation unconstitutional under Boynton v Virginia in 1960. To test this, the famous 13 Freedom Riders in May 1961 sat whites in "colored" sections and blacks in "white" sections. Thousands were inspired by this, and the Interstate Commerce Commission would eventually issue regulations banning segregation. -
Washington Marches Onward
African Americans were excluded from certain positions in the US Army, which led to A. Philip Randolph calling for a march on Washington DC. In August 1963, more than 200,000 protesters advocated for jobs, justice, and equality for African Americans, with the famous "I Have A Dream" speech from Martin Luther King Jr. This event is significant because it directly led to president John F. Kennedy to start the CIvil Rights Act, (1964) which formerly outlawed discrimination in public or employment. -
Freedom Summer Begins
In 1962, less than 7% of eligible African Americans in Mississippi did not vote due to the hostility, especially from the Klu Klux Klan. Organizations, most notably the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, lent their support to combat this, but eventually three black students would be murdered. This event is significant because it provided a reason for many in America to give reason to pass another civil rights bill: the Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
The Premier Legislation: Civil Rights Act of 1964
Following the Mach on Washington was President John F. Kennedy's response by initiating the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Although Kennedy did not live to see the bill passed, it was passed after 9 days of debate, nearly 100 proposed changes, and 70 days of public hearing. This bill is extremely remarkable because it banned the discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in public or in employment. -
Malcolm X Marked and Murdered
Malcolm Little was born a Baptist African American in the poor parts of Nebraska, who would be shaped into Muslim Malcolm X, angry against whites with the infamous line "any means necessary". Eventually, his pilgrimage to Mecca changed his radical views, as he realized that racism was the problem, not whites; he left the Nation of Islam and was shot by members of so. His ideals of black pride and self-defense left an impact upon even current ideologies of African American activists. -
For the 15th; Voting Rights Act of 1965 Passes
On February 3rd, 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, legally ensuring that any American citizen (including African Americans) could not be denied the right to vote, but this was met with literacy tests, poll taxes, etc. However, due to nation-famous events such as Freedom Summer, it was realized that enforcement was needed to protect blacks. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed, protecting them by banning voting practices and allowing their voices to be heard. -
The People's King Falls
Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activists, whose most notable achievements were his leadership of the Montgomery bus boycott against segregation as well as his "I Have a Dream" speech, which led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, equality existing means that racism must exist, specifically James Earl Ray's assassination of King. King's impact upon America has never been forgotten, with his death sparking a national outrage as well as a holiday.
