Civil Rights Timeline by 2026Ella O'Keefe

1865- End of the American Civil War/Start of Reconstruction

9960251 — 2024-02-21 18:30:41 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 and important part of the post-war period.

1919- Start of the Chicago Race Riots/Start of the "Red Summer"

9960251 — 2024-02-22 19:04:45 UTC

A man of color Eugene Williams was at the beach and a white baker was starting throwing rocks, one hit Williams and he died instantly. A fight broke out between the blacks and the whites. In the end a black man ended up getting arrested. This incident then starts the "Red Summer." Riots broke out all of the country.

1921- Tulsa Race Riots

9960251 — 2024-02-22 19:20:25 UTC

A colored boy was on the elevator with a white girl and he steps on her shoe lace by accident and she screams, the white men accuse him of rape. He is then taken to jail. The black men come with guns and they fire into the crowd, the KKK goes to Greenswood district and sets it on fire.

1955- Emmett Till

9960251 — 2024-03-08 18:31:32 UTC

A 14 year old black boy from Chicago was in Money, Mississippi visiting his great uncle Moses Wright. Emmett and his cousins are at the convenience store and he says "I've had a white women" and his cousins dare him to go in and talk to Mrs. Bryant the owner of the store and try and get her. He then got brutally beat by Mr. Bryant. At his funeral hi mom chose to have an open casket to show jut how bad he was killed. This event help black people advocated and stand up for themselves.

1892- Plessy v. Ferguson

9960251 — 2024-04-01 17:30:05 UTC

The Supreme court ruled against an African- American man who attempted to ride in a white only train car in Louisiana. They decided to keep the races "Separate but Equal," but it showed that just because they had the same things didn't make them equal quality.

1955- Rosa Parks

9960251 — 2024-04-01 17:33:58 UTC

A African American women Rosa Parks decided she was fed up with how her race was being treated so she refused to give up her bus seat for a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. She was then arrested on December, 1 1955 and her actions launched the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

1930s-1970s- Redlining

9960251 — 2024-04-01 17:34:28 UTC

Redlining was where banks and financial institutions refused to lend money to African American. They also would not let African American buy in certain neighborhoods even though they could afford them. This was a tough time to live for African Americans.

1954- Brown v. Board of Education

9960251 — 2024-04-01 17:34:49 UTC

Oliver Brown the father of daughter Linda Brown sued the Topeka, Kansas board of Education because his daughter had to go to the school farther to her house because of the color of her skin. In the end they decide that it is not equal and it showed that it violated the 14 amendment, which prohibits the state from denying equal rights to any person.

1957- Little Rock Nine

9960251 — 2024-04-01 17:34:57 UTC

In Little Rock, Arkansas on September 4, 1957 nine black high school students arrived at Central High School, they all walked through a crowd of angry white parents and students shouting and throwing things at them, but once they reached the front door the Governor Orval E. Faubus ordered the national guard to prevent them from entering.

1960- Greensboro 4

9960251 — 2024-04-01 17:35:07 UTC

On February 1, 1960 in Greensboro, NC 4 African American college student were fed up with restaurants not allowing black customers to sit in and eat. So they went in and sat at the Woolworth's restaurant and ordered food. Their peaceful act sparked a wave of sit-ins across the whole country and this was a very significant act in the Civil Rights movement.

1964- Civil Rights Act (JFK/LBJ)

9960251 — 2024-04-01 17:35:34 UTC

This act was passed after lots of peaceful and non-violent protest for equal rights. Johnson passed the act which ended the Jim Crow laws in the south and segregation and gave equals rights to the black citizens from the time period till now.

1965- Bloody Sunday Selma to Montgomery March

9960251 — 2024-04-01 17:35:57 UTC

On March 7, 1965 a group of black protesters did a 50 mile march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to to protest their voting rights. Which John Lewis and a group of many black citizens marched the Pettus Bridge but they were stopped by police and brutally beat. On that following Tuesday they marched again but this time with MLK but they stopped and turned back around because they did not want any violence. They went through the court and was able to march on March 21st and ended on March 25th.

1950s-1960s- MLK/MX/Black Panthers

9960251 — 2024-04-01 17:36:15 UTC

MLK and Malcolm X were leaders in the Civil Rights Movement, advocating for equality for African Americans. The Black Panthers were a revolutionary organization focused on empowerment for the community. They all played a very important role in the civil rights.

1969- Stonewall Riot

9960251 — 2024-04-01 17:41:36 UTC

The Stonewall Inn was secret Gay bar for the LGBTQ community to go and be themselves, because during this time period Gay people were not accepted for who they are. At 1:20 am on July 28th the public Moral squads goes into the bar and begins to do Gender Checks, which is were they drop there pants to make sure you are dressing the gender you are. At the time there was roughly 200 people in the bar. Police started to be violent and use batons. This was the beginning of the Gay Rights Movement.

1965- Voting Rights Act

9960251 — 2024-04-04 19:26:46 UTC

On March 15, 1965 LBJ passed the voting right act. He saw the need to pass this Act after lots of protesting for equal rights. Before this law was passed black Americans had to take unfair literacy tests and pay a poll tax. These tests where so unfair that almost no one passed. This act granted all people equal voting access no matter the color of your skin.

1968- Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

9960251 — 2024-04-05 12:38:30 UTC

On April 4, 1968 African American civil rights activist was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee while he was supporting a protest for sanity workers on strike. He was assassinated on a hotel balcony at the Lorraine Motel. His death caused country wide sadness and sparked violence.

1968- Fair Housing Act

9960251 — 2024-04-05 12:43:28 UTC

On April 11, 1968 president LBJ passed the Fair Housing Act, this was an Act that prohibited housing discrimination based on race, color, religion or sex. It ensured that everyone has an equal access to housing opportunities and to put a stop on housing the housing discrimination that was happening during this time.

1955- Montgomery Bus Boycott

9960251 — 2024-04-05 12:49:04 UTC

The Montgomery Bus boycott was on December 5, 1955 after Rosa Parks made her heroic action. This started after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat. The people of color boycotted the segregated bus system for over a year, which leaded to a supreme court ruling against segregation on buses. It was a powerful example of nonviolent protest.

1963- MLK Dream Speech

9960251 — 2024-04-05 13:22:01 UTC

On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. made a public speech during the march on Washington for jobs and freedom. King called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the US. He delivered this speech to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. His speech was one of the most famous moments of the civil rights movement. and among the most iconic speeches in American History.

1961- Freedom Rides

9960251 — 2024-04-06 01:47:44 UTC

A series of protests in the US, that were organized to challenge segregation on interstate buses and bus terminals. Both black and white activists rode buses together into the segregated Southern states to test the Supreme courts decision of banning segregation in interstate travel. This got significant media attention.