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Morgan vs. Virginia
On July 16, Irene Morgan would not give her seat up and move to the back of the bus bound to Maryland for the white passengers. She was arrested for violating the state law of racial segregation on public transportation. The NAACP appealed her case to the Supreme Court where it was ruled that Virginia's law was unconstitutional when it was applied to people traveling on interstate vehicles. It raised awareness for the unfairness of segregation and showed people standing up for it. -
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play major league baseball in the twentieth century, began his rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. This was important as it broke down the "color line" and barriers for African Americans. -
Executive Orders 9980 and 9981
Executive order 9980 set forth a law requiring fair employment practices in civilian agencies of the federal government. Executive order 9981 set forth a law requiring the armed forces to provide equal treatment and opportunities for all people without regard to race, color, religion, or origin. These were made by President Harry Truman. It also created a presidential committee to monitor the compliance of these executive orders. It's important as it desegregated army and federal work forces. -
The Founding of Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
A conference with sixty advocacy organizations invited by the NAACP National Emergency Civil Rights united in a National Emergency Civil Rights Mobilization. For three days, about 4,000 delegates representing different groups urged congress to pass the Fair Employments Practices Committee and other civil rights proposals. They formed a Leadership Conference on civil rights which lobbies for civil rights laws. This was important as it created a group dedicated to supporting civil rights. -
Civil Rights Map of America
This map of the United States divided the country into three different categories: states with "discrimination for race or color forbidden by law", states with "segregation of white and colored enforced by law", and states with "no legislation" regarding civil rights. It also describes the types of discrimination that is allowed in each state. This event is important as it really showed which states were discriminant and was probably shocking and eye-opening to people as to what was happening. -
Brown v. Board of Education
On May 17, The Supreme Court released its ruling for the case of Brown vs. Board which overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson case of allowing public facilities to be "separate but equal". This separate but equal rule was not true as African American public schools were much worse than those for white people. They declared that separate educational facilities are unequal. This event helped break state sponsored segregation and supported the American civil rights movement. -
Emmett Till Murder
On August 28, fourteen-year-old Emmett Till was kidnapped and murdered in Money, Mississippi while on his way to visit his family. The young boy allegedly whistled at a white woman and as a result, he was beaten, shot in the head, and thrown in the Tallahatchie River. The accused killers of Till were acquitted in court with an all white jury which prompted African American rallies. This was important as it brought attention to racial justice and racial reform in the South. -
Little Rock Central High School Integration
In September, a Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas gained national attention due to it's desegregation. This came after the governor tried preventing nine African American students from attending the school.Those nine students were known as the Little Rock Nine and eight out of all of them finished the year at the school. This was important as it was the first few steps in the desegregation of schools. -
Civil Rights Act
This act was first proposed by President JFK and signed by President Johnson. It faced a lot of opposition from southern members of Congress. The act ended segregation of public places as well as the discrimination by employers based on race, sex, religion, or national origin. This was important as it was the beginning of equality for African Americans and the end of segregation and unfair treatment. -
Selma to Montgomery Freedom March
Martin Luther King Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) were trying to register black voters in the South so they marched from Selma, Alabama to the capitol, Montgomery. They encountered state and local officials whom violently resisted the protesters. They continued on with the protection of the National Guard and the world watching as they achieved their goal. This march greatly helped raised awareness of the difficulty for black voters in the south. -
Voting Rights Act
This act was passed after the Civil Rights Act was passed. It was passed by President Johnson and it prohibited discrimination in voting practices.This outlawed the literacy test, grandfather clause, and poll taxes. It was important as it was far reaching and gave African Americans assurance in voting without being discriminated against.
