-
Reconstruction Era
- Efforts to establish a new social and political order in the South
- Tried to change laws, Constitutional Amendments in an attempt to ensure voting rights for African Americans
-
Plessy vs Ferguson
- A case that legalized racial separation
- Judge Ferguson argued that races should be separate but equal
- The doctrine was legalized for about 60 years until it was overturned by Brown vs Board of Education
-
Founding NAACP
- A National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
- Founded to fight for civil rights and end racial discrimination
-
Brown v Board of Education
- Protesters said segregation in schools was unconstitutional
- Implied segregation was unconstitutional in other places as well
-
Emmett Till Murder
- Two white men bludgeoned and killed a 14 year old boy who was accused of offending a white woman
- Both killers were acquitted for his murder and spent no time in jail
-
Bus Boycott
- Rosa Parks refused to move after a white man didn't have a seat
- Supreme Court deemed segregated seating unconstitutional
-
Little Rock Nine
- Integrated into an all white high school
- Even though other students were violent towards them they finished the academic year
-
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
- An organization founded by Martin Luther King
- A foundation to challenge racial segregation and discrimination through nonviolent actions
-
Sit- In Movement
- Four students sat at a "whites only" lunch counter where they were refused service and asked to leave
- The next day they brought twenty more students; the protest grew over a few days and finally the police became involved and started arresting protesters
-
Period: to
Selma to Montgomery Marches
- Led by Martin Luther King, thousands of peaceful protesters marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama
- During the march, protesters were met with police brutality and unwelcoming spectators, yet the protesters didn't fight back even when provoked
- The meaning of these marches was to secure voting rights for African Americans
-
Period: to
Stonewall Riots
- On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn Bar, arresting patrons and employees
- Unlike previous raids, patrons and the surrounding community tried to resist arrest
- The protests lasted for six days, involving violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement
-
Voting Rights Amendment
- This act required bilingual election materials in areas with large non-English-speaking populations
- Lowered voting age from 21 to 18
-
Gay Rights Movement
- Many LGBTQ+ activists were pushing for the repeal of laws that criminalized same-sex relationships
- The movement also sought to create more visibility for LGBTQ+ individuals and to combat negative stereotypes
-
Jesse Jackson
- He was the first African American to mount a serious campaign for the presidency in modern times
- Did not receive any electoral votes in the general election
- He held a notable influence in the Democratic party
-
Roe vs Wade
- Roe vs Wade was a legal case that ruled the Constitution protects a woman's right to choose abortion
- The case advanced the movement for Women's rights, treating reproductive freedom as essential to equal rights
-
Vietnam War
- African Americans were disproportionately drafted and sent to the front lines
- African American soldiers were expected to fight for freedom in Vietnam while being denied simple rights in America
- College campuses were used as sites for anti-war protests
-
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Established to honor the civil rights leader
- Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan
- MLK Day is officially recognized as a national day of service, encouraging people to engage in community work and volunteerism
-
Civil Rights Restoration Act
- The act aimed to broaden the scope of civil rights protections for individuals who faced discrimination in programs or activities that received federal funding
- President Ronald Reagan vetoed the bill, arguing that it would impose overly burdensome regulations on institutions
- Congress overrode it and passed the bill into law in 1988.
-
Grutter v. Bollinger
- The University of Michigan Law School's use of race in its admissions process
- Grutter challenged the admissions process at the school, claiming that it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment by discriminating against her based on her race
- The Court ruled that the school's policy was narrowly targeted and did not violate the 14th Amendment
-
Rodney King verdict and LA Riots
- Rodney King was brutality attacked and beaten by four LAPD officers after evading arrest
- All four officers were tried in state court after a video leaked of the attack; all were acquitted
- After the jury's decision, citizens were outraged and started riots for a retrial in LA; some were injured and even died during protests
- Officers were then tried in federal court for violating King's rights; two out of the four were convicted