Timeline by 2026Tristan van der Meer

Chicago Race Riot/The Red Summer, 1919

9962732 — 2024-02-22 19:04:11 UTC

A black boy is killed by a white man throwing a rock during a scuffle at the beach by Lake Michigan. The police refuse to arrest the white man and arrest a black man. Riots erupt in Chicago and many other American cities that summer. This is called the 'Red Summer'.

Tulsa Race Massacre, 1921

9962732 — 2024-02-22 19:19:42 UTC

A black man named Dick Rowland was accused of assaulting a white woman in an elevator and arrested. His alleged actions prompted a clash between black and white people by Tulsa's courthouse in the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Later, the white people began a riot and destroyed a large section of the town called Greenwood. Greenwood was known as the 'Black Wall Street' and was almost completely destroyed.

The End of the American Civil War and Beginning of the Reconstruction Era, 1865

9962732 — 2024-02-22 19:23:38 UTC

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

Emmett Till Murdered, 1955

9962732 — 2024-03-08 18:31:17 UTC

Emmett Till was a black boy from Chicago who was sent to visit his cousins in Money, Mississippi. His cousins probably dared him to go into a store and charma white woman. Word later gets around town and the woman's family beats Till and shoots him. His body is found two weeks later in the river and the killers are never convicted. His mother decides to display his destroyed corpse in an open casket to show America how terrible he was treated.

Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955

9962732 — 2024-03-21 18:15:44 UTC

Following the protests of Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin, Civil Rights leaders in Montgomery, Alabama organized a boycott of the public transportation system in the city. Many people began to walk the many miles required every day to go to work and others organized car pools or got rides from their white employers. The bus system in Montgomery, which relied on a 75% black customer base, was forced to shut down and Thurgood Marshall brought the case to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was illegal and the boycott subsided.

Brown vs Board of Education, 1954

9962732 — 2024-03-21 18:21:12 UTC

In Topeka, Kansas a young girl named Linda Brown was forced to walk to the back school that was much farther away from her home and the white school. The NAACP, est. 1909 in NY, picked the Brown's situation because he father, Oliver Brown, was a well spoken minister and the case was brought to the Supreme Court. Following some dodgy experiments, Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered the unanimous verdict that schools across the US should be desegregated to comply with the 14th amendment.

Plessy vs Ferguson, 1896

9962732 — 2024-03-21 18:25:51 UTC

When Homer Plessy, a 1/8 black man, deliberately sat in the white car of a train and was arrested for breaking the law. Plessy's case made it to the Supreme Court and the court determined that segregation was legal as long as the facilities were equal. The term 'seperate but equal' continued to be the law of the land following this case until the case for Brown vs Board of Education overturned the Plessy vs Ferguson ruling.

The first Green Book is published, 1936

9962732 — 2024-03-21 18:33:09 UTC

The "Negro Motorist Green Book", by Victor H Green was a book that outlined which places were safe for and accepted black travelers in America. The book paved the way for Black Americans to experience the American pastime of the road trip. With the updated release of a new Green Book edition each year, black motorists were able to effectively avoid 'sundown towns' who reacted with hostility towards African Americans. Following the Civil Rights Act of 1964 the Green Book was no longer needed and ceased publication.

Garvey, Washington, and DuBois, Early 20th century

9962732 — 2024-04-01 17:27:50 UTC

These early Civil Rights leaders brought interesting ideas into the limelight that focused on bringing the black community in America out of its disadvantaged state. Booker T Washington was in favor of focusing on educating African Americans to impress the white people in power and therefore incite change. W E B DuBois was a proponent of allocating efforts to supporting the most talented 10% of African Americans. According to DuBois, the problem was that societal structures were set up against black Americans and the top 10% neededd to lead and fight for the rights of the rest. Marcus Garvey thought that African Americans and white Americans could never integrate. His solution was to kick out the white colonizers in Africa and reclaim the continent for black people with Garvey ruling this united African continent.

Greensboro 4, 1960

9962732 — 2024-04-01 17:27:59 UTC

On February 1st of 1960, 4 college student in Greensboro, North Carolina began a nationwide movement of sit-ins in various diners, roads, bridges, and many other places. They would be known as the Greensboro 4 and they kick started a powerful sub-movement that provided a way for many young Americans to take action. The sit-in format of protest became a widespread form of protest across the nation because anybody was able to do it, and groups of African Americans began training each other to resist the abuse of white onlookers.

Rosa Parks, 1955

9962732 — 2024-04-01 17:28:38 UTC

Made famous for standing her ground and remaining in her bus seat in resistance to white men, Rosa Parks became one of the most significant leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks was specifically chosen by the NAACP as a representative for the Civil Rights movement because of her maturity and lighter colored skin. Parks' bus protest sparked national outrage and encouraged more women of color to participate in the Civil Rights Movement.

MLK/MalcomX/Black Panthers, 1960s

9962732 — 2024-04-01 17:29:04 UTC

Three of the most impactful entities of the Civil Rights Movement, Malcom X, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Black Panther Party each garnered widespread support for their unique forms of activism. MLK became the most famous of the three for his calm demeanor, powerful speeches, and nonviolent protest tactics. Malcom X believed in 'freedom by any means necessary' and was convinced that all evil things in the world were derived from white people and he argued that white and black Americans were not compatible and therefore segregation was okay. The Black Panther Party heavily supported arming black Americans for self defense purposes and because of this became an extremely provocative and violent movement.

Civil Rights Act 1964

9962732 — 2024-04-01 17:29:20 UTC

Passed by Lyndon B Johnson to honor John F Kennedy, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed on December 2nd. The Civil Rights Act aimed to end discrimination of all forms and is one of the most influential laws passed in American history.

Selma and Voting Rights Act, 1965

9962732 — 2024-04-01 17:29:32 UTC

After the Governor of Alabama, George Wallace, responded with police brutality to peaceful Civil Rights protesters at Montgomery, protesters decided to regroup and demonstrate again. When the protesters attempted to march again from Selma to Montgomery, they were met again with abuse from the National Guard on a day that would become known as 'Bloody Sunday'. The event was broadcast on national TV and it had a great impact in spreading the Civil Rights Movement. Following Bloody Sunday, President Lyndon B Johnson sent in the military, FBI, and marshals to protect the marchers as they regrouped for a final time and made a successful march to Montgomery. The events at Selma were pivotal in pushing lawmakers to advocate for Black voters' rights. Eventually, on August 6, 1965, Lyndon B Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The act banned literacy tests and overall made it much easier for Black citizens to vote.

Little Rock 9, 1957

9962732 — 2024-04-01 17:29:41 UTC

On September 2, 1957, the National Guard is sent by Governor Orval E Faubus to Little Rock, Arkansas to block African American students from entering the school. After the kids are blocked, President Dwight D Eisenhower sends troops of the 101st Airborne Division to help the group of African American kids known as the 'Little Rock Nine'. For the next month, the Little Rock Nine were met with white protestors everyday as they attempted to enter the school building. The Little Rock Nine were eventually let inside the school by September 23, 1957.

Redlining, 1930s-late 1960s

9962732 — 2024-04-01 17:29:49 UTC

Redlining was a discriminatory method used by banks, real estate agents and the government to make it harder for Black Americans to get loans, insurance, or pay rent. Redlining originated from the red lines drawn on official maps that designated areas where investments were riskier. Generally, Black neighborhoods were marked with these red lines. Redlining is important to understand because it reinforced the physical segregation between white and black neighborhoods and kept Black Americans from advancing in this aspect of their lives.

Stonewall Inn Riots, 1969

9962732 — 2024-04-05 00:16:44 UTC

In the summer of 1969, just after the Vietnam War, LGBTQ discrimination was frustrating many in the community. Members of the LGBTQ community found refuge in the Stonewall Inn Bar in NYC. This bar was safe because it was run by the mafia and could warn people before raids. However, one night a suprise raid by a 'Public Moral Squad' on June 28, 1969 at 1:30am caused lots of chaos. The raid sparked a crowd to form around the Stonewall Inn and a riot ensued, with a fire also raging inside the bar. Police treated the LGBTQ people brutally, but this time they fought back. The mob grew to 400-500 people, and maybe even 1000+ people. The riots ended with the first Gay Pride March and is widely considered as the beginning of the Gay Rights/Pride Movement.

Claudette Colvin, 1955

9962732 — 2024-04-05 00:37:21 UTC

Often overshadowed by Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin experienced the same discrimination on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama that Parks did. However, Colvin protested by yelling back at her adversaries in a much less mature manner than Rosa Parks. As a result of her immature response, her young age, and darker colored skin, Colvin's story never got as much attention as Parks' because the NAACP deemed her an unfit representative for the Civil Rights Movement. Nevertheless, Colvin's story is important because she was the first to refuse giving up her seat on a segregated bus and it is an example of how history can often hide the stories of influential figures.

MLK Assasination, 1968

9962732 — 2024-04-05 12:28:07 UTC

On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. King's assassination shocked the nation and sparked widespread outrage and mourning. King had been a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, advocating for nonviolent resistance and equality for African Americans. His death led to riots in many cities across the United States and prompted a national conversation about racism and social justice. King's legacy continues to inspire people around the world to fight for equality and justice.

Kennedy Assasination, 1963

9962732 — 2024-04-05 12:28:15 UTC

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. He was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was known for his charisma and efforts to promote civil rights and peace. He is most famous for negotiating the deescalation of the Cuban Missile Crisis, supporting the Civil Rights Movement, and encouraging the development of the US Space Program.

Chicano Movement, Cesar Chavez and the Delano Grape Strike, 1960s

9962732 — 2024-04-05 15:16:19 UTC

The Chicano Movement was a movement that happened in the 1960s among Mexican Americans in the United States. Its leader was Cesar Chavez, a civil rights activist and labor leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers union. Chavez gained popularity for his hunger strike where he fasted for 25 days in 1968 and his support during the Delano Grape Strike of 1965. The grape strike became one of the defining events of the Chicano Movement and Cesar Chavez's career. Filipino American farmworkers, protesting against poor working conditions, low wages, and mistreatment by growers went on strike. They demanded better pay, benefits, and working conditions. The grape boycott became a nationwide campaign, lasting many years. The grape protest ultimately led to the signing of contracts between the UFW and grape growers in 1970.