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Plessy v. Ferguson
It established the "separate but equal" doctrine, which legitimized racial segregation and Jim Crow laws for decades, effectively denying African Americans equal rights and opportunities. -
Tuskegee Airmen
Their successful service as pilots in WWII, despite facing racial discrimination, demonstrated the capabilities of Black Americans and paved the way for the desegregation of the military and broader society. -
Integration of MLB
Jackie Robinson was an American professional baseball player who became the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era. Robinson broke the color line when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Signifying a crucial step towards racial equality and serving as a catalyst for broader civil rights advancements. -
Integration of Armed Forces
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. The Executive Order of 9981 was to abolish discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in the U.S. armed forces, establishing a policy of equality of treatment and opportunity. It was a crucial event in the post-World War II civil rights movement and a major achievement of Truman's presidency. -
Sweaty v. Painter
This decision was pivotal in challenging the legality of separate but equal policies. Sweatt v. Painter laid the groundwork for the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which declared that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson by ruling that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. -
Death of Emmitt Till
The brutal murder of Emmett Till and the subsequent acquittal of his killers in 1955 brought international attention to the Civil Rights Movement by exposing the racial violence and injustice prevalent in the South, galvanizing activists and sparking widespread outrage. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks was an American activist in the civil rights movement. She is best known for her refusal to move from her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, in defiance of Jim Crow laws, which sparked the Montgomery bus boycott. She is sometimes known as the "mother of the civil rights movement" -
Integration of Little Rock High School
The Little Rock nine was the center of the struggle to desegregate public schools in the United States, especially in the South. They faced immense hostility and discrimination when they integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957, but they persevered, with some graduating from Central High and others completing their education elsewhere, later achieving successful careers and recognition for their bravery. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1957
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first federal civil rights legislation since 1875, which established the Civil Rights Commission and a Civil Rights division in the Justice Department, empowering federal prosecutors to obtain court injunctions against interference with the right to vote. -
Greensboro Four Lunch Counter Sit-in
The Greensboro Four, Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond, are pivotal in the Civil Rights Movement because their sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in 1960 sparked a national movement against segregation. -
Freedom Rides by Freedom Riders of 1961
The Freedom Rides were important because they challenged segregation in interstate travel, exposed the brutality of the South's segregation policies, and ultimately led to the federal government banning segregation in interstate bus travel, galvanizing the Civil Rights Movement. -
24th Amendment
Elimination of Poll Taxes, the 24th amendment was ratified. It abolished and forbids the federal and state governments from imposing taxes on voters during federal elections. -
Integration of the University of Mississippi
The integration of the University of Mississippi in 1962, with James Meredith becoming the first Black student, was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, demonstrating the federal government's commitment to enforcing equality and sparking national controversy and violent protests. -
Integration of the University of Alabama
Vivian Malone Jones and James Hood became the first African American students to attend the University of Alabama despite Gov. Wallace's attempt to block them. Their bravery paved the way for countless Black students to follow in their foot steps. -
March on Washington and "I Have a Dream" Speech
Was pivotal moments in American history, marking a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement and inspiring a nation to strive for racial equality by calling for civil and economic rights and an end to racism. -
Assassination of JFK
The assassination of JFK was a turning point because it shocked the nation, ended his efforts on civil rights, and revealed new depths of division, ultimately setting the stage for the Civil Rights Act and marking the beginning of a period of significant social and political change. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark achievement for the Civil Rights Movement because it outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, dismantling Jim Crow laws and establishing federal protections for civil rights in public places, schools, and employment. -
Assassination of Malcolm X
Thomas Hagan was the one who killed Malcolm X. -
"Bloody Sunday"
Brought national attention to the struggle for voting rights, galvanizing public opinion and leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a landmark achievement of the Civil Rights Movement. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act is a landmark federal law enacted in 1965 to remove race-based restrictions on voting. It is perhaps the country's most important voting rights law, with a history that dates to the Civil War. -
Assassination of MLK
Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968 sparked widespread unrest and violence in over 100 cities, fueled by anger and grief, and led to a period of national mourning and a renewed push for civil rights legislation. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1968
President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, which was a landmark piece of legislation aimed at addressing housing discrimination and promoting equal housing opportunities, particularly after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.