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Plessy v. Ferguson
In the landmark 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson, the court upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine, effectively sanctioning segregation laws across the United States for decades. -
tuskegee airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American military aviators, a group of pilots and airmen who served with distinction in World War II, training at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama and later forming the 332nd Fighter Group, known as the "Red Tails". -
major league baseball integration
For nearly 60 years baseball was a segregated sport as the American and National Leagues that formed Major League Baseball unofficially banned African-Americans from their ranks. That all changed when Jackie Robinson stepped onto the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. -
armed forces integration
The integration of the U.S. Armed Forces, a landmark event in American history, began with President Harry S. Truman's Executive Order 9981 in 1948, which mandated equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the military, regardless of race, color, religion, or national origin. -
sweatt v. painter
In the landmark 1950 case Sweatt v. Painter, the Supreme Court ruled that a separate law school for Black students in Texas was not equal to the all-white University of Texas Law School, mandating Heman Sweatt's admission to the University of Texas Law School and striking down the "separate but equal" doctrine in the context of higher education. -
Death of Emmet Till
At some point around August 28, he was kidnapped, beaten, shot in the head, had a large metal fan tied to his neck with barbed wire, and was thrown into the Tallahatchie River. His body was soon recovered, and an investigation was opened. -
brown v. board
In the landmark 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, the court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson. -
Montgomery bus boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a pivotal civil rights protest in 1955-1956 where African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to ride city buses to protest segregated seating, sparked by Rosa Parks' arrest for refusing to give up her seat. -
Integration of Little Rock
In 1957, the Little Rock Nine, nine African American students, faced immense resistance when trying to integrate Little Rock Central High School, leading to a national crisis that involved federal intervention and ultimately paved the way for further desegregation efforts. -
Greensboro four
The Greensboro Four, Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond, were four African American students from North Carolina AT State University who sparked a movement by staging a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, on February 1, 1960. -
freedom rides
The Freedom Rides were a series of bus trips taken by civil rights activists in 1961 to challenge segregation on interstate buses and bus terminals in the segregated Southern United States, testing Supreme Court decisions that declared segregation unconstitutional. -
Amendment 24
Constitutional Amendments – Amendment 24 – “Elimination of Poll Taxes” Amendment Twenty-four to the Constitution was ratified on January 23, 1964. It abolished and forbids the federal and state governments from imposing taxes on voters during federal elections. -
University of Mississippi Integration
The integration of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in 1962 was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, marked by James Meredith's enrollment as the first Black student, which led to a riot and federal intervention. -
JFK assassination
John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. -
University of Alabama integration
The University of Alabama's integration, a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, occurred on June 11, 1963, when Vivian Malone and James Hood, two Black students, successfully enrolled after Governor George Wallace's attempt to block them was thwarted by federal intervention. -
"i have a dream speach"
"I Have a Dream" is the name of a speech Martin Luther King, Jr. gave on August 28, 1963 while standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.. In his speech, he spoke of his wish for the future. His wish was that people of different races could live together peacefully in the United States. -
Malcom X assassination
US black nationalist leader Malcolm X was assassinated on 21 February 1965, at the age of 39. The BBC reported on the reaction in his adopted home of Harlem, New York, as thousands of people queued to pay their last respects.Feb 17, 2025 -
Bloody Sunday
"Bloody Sunday" refers to two distinct events: the violent attack on civil rights marchers in Selma, Alabama on March 7, 1965, and the 1972 shootings of unarmed civilians by British soldiers in Derry, Northern Ireland, on January 30. -
Civil rights act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark law that prohibited discrimination in the United States. It was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964. -
Voting rights act
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed into law on July 2, 1964, outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and included provisions addressing voting rights, including barring unequal application of voter registration requirements and requiring equal administration of literacy tests. -
MLK assassination
Martin Luther King Jr., an American civil rights activist, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m at age 39. Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. -
Voting rights act of 1968
The Voting Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, and sex, expanding on the Civil Rights Act of 1964.