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13th Amendment-Constitutional Amendment
This amendment to the constitution banned slavery in the US. The exception to this is as a punishment for a crime. -
14th Amendment-Constitutional Amendment
The 14th amendment protected citizens' rights and guaranteed equal protection under the law. It also defines US citizenship. -
15th amendment-Constitutional Amendment
The 15th amendment made it illegal to deny the right to vote to anyone based on race, color, or previous enslavement. This was the 3rd and last Reconstruction amendment. -
Plessy V Ferguson-Supreme Court Case
This was a landmark US Supreme Court decision that ruled "separate but equal" segregation laws didn't violate the Constitution. -
Wilmington Coup-Violent Action
This was the violent overthrow of a Black-majority government in Wilmington, NC. White supremacists took control and burned buildings and killed many innocent civilians. -
Formation of the NAACP-Formation of an Organization
This organization was created to promote equality of rights. This was done through protests and advocacy of the injustice. -
Truman desegregated the US Military- Executive Order by the President
President Truman signed Executive Order 9981 to desegregate the US Military. It prohibited the discrimination in the Military based on race, religion, color, or national origin. -
Brown V. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas- Supreme Court Case
This was a landmark Supreme Court case that overturned separate but equal. This primarily ruled that segregation in schools is unconstitutional. -
Emmet Till's Murder- Violent Action
Emmet Till was a 14 year old black boy that was violently killed. He was accused by a white woman or harassing her and some men kidnapped Emmet and beat him to death. -
Rosa Parks is arrested/ Montgomery Bus Boycott-Protests
Rosa Parks was arrested on this day for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus. This led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, in which African Americans refused to ride city buses in order to protest segregation. -
Little Rock Nine- Supreme Court Decision
On this day nine African American students attempted to go into Little Rock High School, which was an all white school. They faced violence, harassment, and intimidation. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957- Law
This Act further secured the rights of people within the jurisdiction of the US. The primary goal was to protect the right to vote for all citizens, especially black people in the South. -
Greensboro Sit-In-Protests
On this day there were 4 African American students that began a nonviolent sit-in at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. This inspired many similar protests in the South after gaining national attention. -
Freedom Rides- protests
This was a series of bus trips that challenged segregation in interstate bus travel. This resulted in the Interstate Commerce Commission banning segregation in all facilities under their jurisdiction. -
March on Washington/ I Have A Dream Speech-Protests
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place. This was a historic gathering of civil rights supporters and was when MLK Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream". -
Civil Rights Act of 1964-Laws
Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law on this day. This outlawed discrimination in education, employment, and public spaces. -
March from Selma to Montgomery-Protests
On this day three protest marches were held along the 54-mile highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capitol of Montgomery. This March encouraged more reform for minorities voting -
Voting Rights Act of 1965-Laws
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law on this day. This prohibited racial discrimination in voting. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr- Violent Action
The civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr was shot dead at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement. -
Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools-Supreme Court Cases
This landmark Supreme Court case ruled for busing programs to speed up the racial integration of public schools. Schools were said to ensure equal education opportunities for all students. -
Honors Question
The Civil Rights Movement made many progressions for the rights of African Americans from 1900 and onwards. In 1909 the NAACP was formed. This organization was formed to promote equality, especially for people of color, and they did this through protests and advocacy of injustices. In 1954, the landmark Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education was ruled. This case overturned separate but equal laws. In 1963, MLK Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech in which he brought awareness for- -
Honors Question continued
a hope for equality for all people. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was major in the extension of civil rights for African Americans. This Act outlawed discrimination in education, employment, and public spaces. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was one of the most influential and recent of covered events. This Act prohibited forms of racial discrimination in voting. Overall, the Civil Rights for African Americans were significantly improved from 1900-1978 through many protests, laws, and court cases.