Timeline for Native American and African American Movements by Ava Zahn (Student)

Plessy vs Fergusson - 1898

15949401 — 2024-05-28 14:44:44 UTC

A case made during the same time period as Jim Crow Laws. It enforced racial segregation by stating segregation was constitutional as long as the facilities were “separate but equal.” State and local law enforcement forced racial segregation in the South.

Activists Occupy Mount Rushmore- 1970

1856198 — 2024-05-28 14:47:10 UTC

Wanted to reclaim the land that had been promised to The Great Sioux Nation in the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie. Prospectors had migrated to the region in search of gold, forcing the Sioux to relinquish the Black Hills portion of their reservation. When the park officials asked when they were going to leave, the UNA president Lehman Brightman referenced President Jackson’s promise to protect the life and land of the Native people of Mississippi, “As long as the grass grows, the water flows, and the sun shines.” This was before his campaign to exterminate them.

Brown vs Board of Education - 1954

15949401 — 2024-05-28 14:47:35 UTC

Supreme court decision that overturns Plessy vs Fergusson and ends segregated schools. There is a massive resistance from public schools and most of them become private (white flight). The National Guard was called to Little Rock High to keep nine African American students from entering the school.

AIM (American Indian Movement) Opens "Survival Schools" - 1972

1856198 — 2024-05-28 14:49:39 UTC

AIM organizers and parents in Minneapolis started their own community school, because the public and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools had a high dropout rate. These schools were known as “survival schools” because they focused more on living skills and basic information, strongly promoting Indian Culture.

Activists Occupy Wounded Knee- 1973

1856198 — 2024-05-28 14:50:32 UTC

About 250 Sioux Indians, led by leaders of AIM, occupied South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation for 71 days. This occupation called attention to the poor living conditions and generations of mistreatment from the local and federal agencies. This was one of AIM’s greatest successes because it highlighted the government’s failure to honor Native treaties and led to more protests.

March on Washington - 1963

15949401 — 2024-05-28 14:50:47 UTC

The march happened after MLK’s “I have a dream” speech. It helped build mass support for civil rights legislation towards African Americans. The protest was very popular and showed the power of non-violent protesting.

Coalition Forms to "Protect the Peaks"- 2004

1856198 — 2024-05-28 14:51:29 UTC

The Save the Peaks Coalition was formed to protest the development of Arizona's Snowbowl on the San Francisco Peaks. The land has spiritual and cultural significance to at least 13 surrounding tribes. This coalition was made up of tribal and spiritual leaders, citizens, agencies, businesses, and conservationists, protesting the clear cutting of 30,000 trees that is what many threatened species call home. The land was going to be used to make new runs, lifts, parking lots, and build a 14.8 mile buried pipeline to transport water to make artificial snow. Even despite decades of protests, the Snow Bowl ski resort expanded, and continues to.

Civil Rights Act - 1964

15949401 — 2024-05-28 14:52:55 UTC

Act introduced by John F. Kennedy. The law prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, ethnicity, or gender. New president Lyndon Johnson gets it passed.

Standing Rock Sioux Oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL)- 2016

1856198 — 2024-05-28 14:52:59 UTC

This was one of the greatest organizing efforts to protect human rights as well as the future of the land. Tribal citizens from several tribes founded a Spirit Camp along the proposed route of the oil pipeline, Dakota Access. The camp is dedicated to raising awareness and potentially stop the construction of the Dakota Pipeline, addressing the dangers associated with spills and protecting the water resources of the Missouri River, which the pipeline runs under twice. It also crosses over the Ogalla Aquifer, one of the largest aquifers in the world. The possible contamination of these water sources makes the DAPL a national threat. The Standing Rock Sioux have been joined by members of more than 200 other Native American tribes and allies in taking a stand against the DAPL.

National Coalition of Racism in Sports and Media Forms - 1992

1856198 — 2024-05-28 14:54:58 UTC

Established by Native leaders, the NCRSM was made to organize against the use of Native American images, names for logos, symbols, or mascots in professional and collegiate sports, marketing, and the media. While in 1968, the NCAI (National Congress of American Indians) launched a campaign that addressed the stereotypes in print and other media, the NCRSM focused directly on sports mascots, because these symbols mis-educate the youth by representing an inaccurate history. Schools, teachers, and students become “culturally illiterate” when it comes to Native American history and are culturally insensitive.

Voting Rights Act - 1965

15949401 — 2024-05-28 14:55:16 UTC

Outlawed literacy tests and prohibits racial discrimination in voting. Increased the amount of African American and other non-white voters. It was signed by President Lyndon Johnson.

Summer Olympics - 1968

15949401 — 2024-05-28 14:56:49 UTC

American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise black gloves on the medal stand. They did this as a silent protest following the assassination of MLK. Both of them got expelled from the Olympic games.

Comparison

1856198 — 2024-05-28 15:02:07 UTC

Both movements are advocating for the rights of that specific group, and fighting for their equality. Up until a certain point there were different schools for African and Native Americans. The types of protests were similar, such as the occupation of certain significant areas to that particular group. For African Americans, they did sit ins in restaurants, and Native Americans occupied parts of reservations that they wanted to call attention to, such as Wounded Knee and Mount Rushmore. And both of these types of protests resulted in violence from the opposing side, such as the fights in the bars from the sit ins, and the some agents as well as Native American citizens getting shot in their occupations. They had marches and walks while holding signs as a method of protesting as well.

Contast

15949401 — 2024-05-28 15:27:52 UTC

The Native American movement is protesting towards getting their land back, while the African American movements were focusing on segregation. The Native American movements were fighting to preserve their culture, to have their own land to live on, and be to treated equally. The African American movement was trying to eliminate the separation between white and black people and to get rid of the mass racism towards them. The Native American movement was also not as successful and the American American protests.