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Creation of the NAACP
The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was founded on February 12, 1909, by an interracial group of activists in New York City. It was established in response to widespread racial violence and discrimination against Black Americans, particularly in the aftermath of the Springfield Race Riot of 1908. -
Scottsboro Boys
The Scottsboro Boys were nine African American male teenagers accused of raping two white women in 1931. The landmark set of legal cases from this incident dealt with racism and the right to a fair trial. -
Jackie Robinson Breaks the Color Barrier
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African American player in modern Major League Baseball history when he stepped onto Ebbets Field to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. This event broke the color barrier that had segregated baseball for over 50 years. Robinson faced significant racial hostility and pressure but excelled on the field, leading the Dodgers to success and earning the title of Rookie of the Year -
Brown vs. Board of Education
In the landmark 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson. -
The murder of emmet till
In August 1955 two Mississippians bludgeon and kill Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy, for whistling at a white woman; their acquittal and boasting of the atrocity spur the civil rights cause. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery bus boycott was a significant protest in Montgomery, Alabama, against racial segregation on public transit. It lasted from December 5, 1955, to December 20, 1956, and was a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement. -
The Little Rock 9
The Little Rock Nine were nine African American students who volunteered to enroll at Little Rock Central High School in 1957, becoming the first Black students to attend the all-white school. -
Ruby Bridges desegregate elementary school in New Orleans
African American children in New Orleans were given a test, and only those who passed were allowed to enroll in all-white public schools. Bridges passed the test and became the only one of the six eligible students to go ahead with desegregating Frantz Elementary -
Letter from a Birmingham Jail
From the Birmingham jail, where he was imprisoned as a participant in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964, is a landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. -
Assassination of Malcolm X
On stage at the Audubon Ballroom on February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was gunned down as his pregnant wife and four daughters took cover in the front row. -
Creation of the Black Panthers
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The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (BPP) was founded in Oakland, California in October 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. Originally focused on community patrols to protect against police brutality, the organization evolved into a broader revolutionary movement advocating for Black liberation and self-determination. -
Thurgood Marshall Named Supreme Court Justice
Thurgood Marshall was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice on August 30, 1967, becoming the first African American to serve on the court. He was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson to replace Justice Tom C. Clark. Marshall's confirmation came after a six-hour debate in the Senate, with a vote of 69-11. He was sworn in on October 2, 1967. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister, activist, and political philosopher who was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. -
Election of Barack Obama
Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 4, 2008. The Democratic ticket of Barack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, and Joe Biden, the senior senator from Delaware, defeated the Republican ticket of John McCain, the senior senator from Arizona, and Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska.