Civil Rights Timeline by 2026Logan Tennant

End Of Civil War (1865)

9960047 — 2024-03-04 17:41:45 UTC

As the Civil War ended, the southern states had to reconstruct government and society. The political and social rights of the millions of newly freed Americans would become an important part of the post-war period.

13th Amendment (1864)

9960047 — 2024-03-04 17:44:12 UTC

Slavery is officially abolished unless used as a form of punishment for committing a crime. Major moment in the civil rights movement as Black people were no longer just slaves but people themselves. Allows Black Americans the chance to seek higher things in life.

14th Amendment (1866)

9960047 — 2024-03-04 17:45:02 UTC

Everyone born in the US is both a citizen and also equal and as a result will be treated as such. Everyone has a right to a fair court trial. Means that now according to the law all races should be treated equally.

15th Amendment (1869)

9960047 — 2024-03-04 17:45:48 UTC

Previous servitude, race, and or color, has no say in the voting rights of US citizens. This means that legally Black Americans would have the right to vote and finally have a voice in politics.

Emmett Till Lynching/ Funeral (August 1955)

9960047 — 2024-03-06 17:37:56 UTC

The lies that led to the torturing and brutal killing of the fourteen years old, Emmett Till, showed the world that the brutality, violence, and unnecessary killing of innocent African Americans had to stop. Emmett Till was a massive landmark in the Civil Rights Movement as it harshly exposed the world to the violence.

Emmett Till Antilynching Law (2022)

9960047 — 2024-03-06 17:41:27 UTC

Nearly 70 years later, the law forbidding lynching was finally passed in the year 2022 after being proposed many times. The fact that law that has zero reason to be denied continued to be denied shows how the fight for civil rights is long and arduos.

Brown vs. Board (May 15th, 1954)

9960047 — 2024-03-15 16:16:13 UTC

Judge finally ruled that schools are no longer allowed to be segregated and the idea of "separate but equal" was abandoned. This allowed Black Americans to finally get the quality of education that they had unfairly been stripped of marking a very significant turning point in the Civil Rights Movement.

Little Rock 9 (1957)

9960047 — 2024-03-15 16:18:31 UTC

Nine Black American students prepared to enter the all white school that they had been denied entry for so long before being met with White racist protesters and soldiers from the National Guard. This conflict eventually ended and after many traumatic memories and the brave nine Black students were the start of change in America.

Freedom Riders (1961)

9960047 — 2024-03-19 17:12:56 UTC

A protest where African Americans and White Americans (13) traveled to the Jim Crow south in order to protest the lack of change as a a result of lasting segregation and racism. Showed how Black Americans were willing to take a bold stand to protest racism.

Children's Crusade (May 2nd, 1963)

9960047 — 2024-03-27 16:25:36 UTC

Thousands of students skipped school and marched from Sixth Street Baptist Church to downtown Birmingham, Alabama. The fact that thousands were willing to skip school for such a momentous cause demonstrates how powerful protest and perseverance is.

Voting Rights Act of 1965 (August 6th)

9960047 — 2024-03-27 16:36:39 UTC

This act passed by the president after many protests and violence outlawed many methods of preventing Black People from voting. This was a major step as it finally allowed a far vaster majority of Black People to vote and have a say in the future of their country.

March on Washington 1963

9960047 — 2024-03-27 16:39:21 UTC

In March there was a massive protest in Lincoln Memorial with thousands of people attending. This created big changes for African Americans, because it brought attention to there rights as citizens.

Selma Campaign 1963

9960047 — 2024-03-27 16:42:20 UTC

The Selma campaign was the campaign for a huge March protest for African Americans. This March was shown all over the media and showed people marching for 54 miles. This raised a lot of awareness for black American voting rights.

Martin Luther King Jr. Assasination (April 4th, 1968)

9960047 — 2024-04-02 17:01:12 UTC

Martin Luther King is assassinated on his hotel balcony after delivering his final speech remarking how he may not be there to see Civil Rights secured. This is signifigant because a massive leader of the movement passed wich increased both violence, and diminished faith within the Black Community of a future for the Civil Rights movement.

Malcolm X Assassination (February 21, 1965)

9960047 — 2024-04-02 17:07:56 UTC

The killing of Malcolm X occurred while he was preparing to deliver his speech and he was shot and killed in front of both his daughter and his wife. This very public death of a massive figure was insanely significant in the Civil Rights movement as this assassination was an attempt to scare them into submission but their persistence shows their mental strength and value for the cause.

Robert Kennedy Assassination (June 5th, 1968)

9960047 — 2024-04-02 17:12:05 UTC

Robert Kennedy was assassinated at Ambassador Hotel following his speech that highlighted peace and non-violence following the death of MLK jr. This death went to show the carelessness of racist Americans at the time and how even after a meaningful speech about working together and supporting one another, he was ruthlessly killed despite his peaceful views. This is significant because it shows how even after years of work towards an equal America, hate still very much exists.

Greensboro Sit Ins (February 1st, 1960)

9960047 — 2024-04-08 00:50:51 UTC

A group of 4 African American young men sat in at a store called Woolsworth in a spot where African American people were not allowed to sit. This might seem small but it was a peaceful and brave stand against segregation and many more would join them and replicate their protests in the future.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (Dec 5th, 1955 - Dec 20th, 1956)

9960047 — 2024-04-08 00:55:15 UTC

In Montgomery there was a rule that forbid African Americans from sitting in the front of the bus. In order to fight against this unfair and ridiculous rule a massive majority of the African Americans refused to take the bus taking away a massive amount of their income. With this lost revenue they had no choice but to overturn the rule they once had. This showed that with unity Black Americans were on track to change many things.