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The Supreme Court ruled that segregated public schools were unconstitutional. It overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. The decision accelerated the Civil Rights Movement.
Quote: “This historic decision marked the end of the "separate but equal" precedent set by the Supreme Court nearly 60 years earlier in Plessy v. Ferguson and served as a catalyst for the expanding civil rights movement during the decade of the 1950s.” -
African Americans in Montgomery boycotted city buses after Rosa Parks’ arrest. The boycott lasted over a year and ended bus segregation. It launched Martin Luther King Jr. as a national leader.
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Nine Black students integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. They faced violent resistance and required federal troop protection. The event tested federal enforcement of desegregation.
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Four Black students sat at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter. Their peaceful protest sparked sit-ins nationwide. It energized youth participation in the movement.
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Interracial groups rode buses to challenge segregation in interstate travel. Riders faced brutal violence across the South. Their actions prompted federal enforcement of desegregation laws.
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Civil rights leaders organized nonviolent protests against segregation in Birmingham. Police responded with dogs and fire hoses, shocking the nation. The campaign helped build support for civil rights legislation.
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Over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C. to demand civil and economic rights. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. The march pressured lawmakers to act on civil rights.
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The act outlawed segregation and discrimination in public accommodations, employment, and education. It became a major legal victory of the movement. It strengthened federal enforcement powers.
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The act banned discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests. It placed federal oversight on states with histories of suppression. It dramatically increased Black voter registration.
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Protesters marched to demand voting rights for African Americans. They were attacked by state troopers on “Bloody Sunday.” The nation’s reaction helped push forward voting rights legislation.
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A protest against the southern states that still used still used literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation, and violence to stop Black citizens from registering to vote -
Congress renewed and expanded protections for minority voters. These extensions strengthened federal oversight. They responded to ongoing discrimination.
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Policies were created to address racial inequality in education and employment. Universities and employers considered race among admissions or hiring factors. These programs sparked legal and political controversy.
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Economic gaps between Black and white Americans persisted. Deindustrialization harmed many Black workers. Structural inequalities contributed to long-term disparities.
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More Black Americans were elected to local, state, and federal offices. Major cities elected Black mayors for the first time. Political representation expanded significantly after civil rights reforms.
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Table 1: Black Officeholders during Reconstruction by states -
Table 1: Black Officeholders during Reconstruction by states
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Courts ordered busing to integrate schools more effectively. The practice aimed to reduce racial segregation caused by neighborhood patterns. It sparked major public debates nationwide.
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Warren K. Library of Congress U.S. News World Report Magazine Photograph Collection
Black and white schoolchildren riding a school bus from the suburbs to an inner city school in Charlotte, N.C., in 1973. -
At the time the people of the United States of America belived that the government or the cia was purposly flooding black neighborhoods with drugs to “worsen them”
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The graph shows the spike in drug usage in black neighborhoods during the CIA’s intervention -
Racial gaps continue in wealth, housing, education, and criminal justice. Structural inequality remains a central national issue. Many policies aim to reduce these disparities.
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Democratic president Barack Obama waves to supporters by his wife Michelle and his daughters by his side ahead of making his presidential acceptance speech at a rally -
Barack Obama is elected the 44th president of the United States. He was the nation’s first Black American president. He was reelected in 2012.
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The Supreme Court struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act. States no longer needed federal approval to change voting laws. The ruling led to new restrictive voting measures.
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The movement formed to protest police violence and systemic racism. George Floyd’s 2020 killing sparked global demonstrations. It led to renewed calls for reform and accountability.