Civil Rights Timeline
Jim Crow Laws (1880s to the 1960s)
From the 1880s to the 1960s, the Jim Crow Laws imposed legal punishments on people for consorting with members of another race. From banning interracial marriages to requiring separate facilities, these laws made sure there was minimal interaction amongst races. |
Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896)
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court decided on the doctrine of separate but equal, upholding the arrest of Homer Adolph Plessy, a supposed violator of race related train laws in Louisiana |
World War II (1939 to 1945)
World War II brought to light the glaring contradiction between the preached American ideal of equal rights and the reality of racial inequality. It revealed America's hypocrisy as a country that advocated for democracy in foreign countries, yet that had not achieved true freedom and democracy in its country.
World War II brought to light the glaring contradiction between the preached American ideal of equal rights and the reality of racial inequality. It revealed America's hypocrisy as a country that advocated for democracy in foreign countries, yet that had not achieved true freedom and democracy in its country.
Brown vs The Board of Education (1954)
Thurgood Marshall, in this case surrounding the segregation of schools, persuaded a unanimous Supreme Court to rule that the "separate but equal" doctrine was unconstitutional. |
Rosa Parks (1955)
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to move from the front of the colored section of a bus after a surplus of white passengers called for the bus driver to ask this of Parks. Her resilience has been noted by many as the spark of the bus boycott and many other protests to follow. |
Federalizing of the Arkansas National Guard
In response to stubborn rejection from Governor Orval Faubus, President Eisenhower ordered on September 24, 1957 to Federalization of the Arkansas National Guard to ensure the entry of the Little Rock Nine into Little Rock Central High School.
In response to stubborn rejection from Governor Orval Faubus, President Eisenhower ordered on September 24, 1957 to Federalization of the Arkansas National Guard to ensure the entry of the Little Rock Nine into Little Rock Central High School.
Greenboro Four (Monday, February 1, 1960)
Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, Jr. (later known as Jibreel Khazan), and David Richmond were four black freshmen at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College that sat down in a F.W. Woolworth store saying they wouldn't leave until they were served. Coming back each day, the Greensboro Four started the peaceful protest trend of the sit in. |
Freedom Riders (1961)
In May of 1961, a group of 13 men and women, black and white, set out from Washington D.C. on a trip down south to protest segregation. They called themselves the "Freedom Riders" and were met with much hostility. |
The March on Washington (1963)
On August 28, 1963, over 200,000 people marched eight tenths of a mile to the lincoln memorial. There, ten speaker addressed the crowd including Dr. Martin Luther King jr., who gave his famous "I have a dream" speech.
On August 28, 1963, over 200,000 people marched eight tenths of a mile to the lincoln memorial. There, ten speaker addressed the crowd including Dr. Martin Luther King jr., who gave his famous "I have a dream" speech.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Enacted on July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination in voting, employment, admissions, and public facilities such as hotels and restaurants. In the photograph above, Martin Luther King jr. receives a handshake and pen from President LBJ. |
Malcolm X Assassination (1965)
Known for his violent approach to Civil Rights, calling Martin Luther King jr. a "chump", and statements such as "If ballots won't work, bullets will", Malcolm X gained had many enemies. On February 21, 1965, he was shot and killed as he prepared to give a speech in New York. |
Assassination of Martin Luther King jr. (1968)
The most influential of all the Civil Rights activists, Martin Luther King jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee on Thursday April 4, 1968, at the age of 39. |
Regents of the University of California v Bakke (1978)
This Supreme Court case dealt with the issue of Affirmative Action. University of California at Davis' dual admissions process was deemed as a quota by the court after Allan Bakke was rejected from the school and brought his case to the courts. The Court decided to have Bakke accepted to the school, deemed the quote system illegal, but said that race may be viewed as a "plus" in the admissions process.
This Supreme Court case dealt with the issue of Affirmative Action. University of California at Davis' dual admissions process was deemed as a quota by the court after Allan Bakke was rejected from the school and brought his case to the courts. The Court decided to have Bakke accepted to the school, deemed the quote system illegal, but said that race may be viewed as a "plus" in the admissions process.