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March on Washington
The march was held on August 28, 1963. The march had six official goals: meaningful civil rights laws, a massive federal works program, full and fair employment, decent housing, the right to vote, and adequate integrated education. -
The rise of Malcolm X
In March 1964, Malcolm X made a public offer to collaborate with any civil rights organization that accepted the right to self-defense and the philosophy of Black nationalism. -
Civil Rights act of 1964
On July 2, 1964, Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that banned discrimination based on "race, color, religion, sex or national origin" in employment practices and public accommodations. -
Selma to Montgomery marches
Blacks begin a march to Montgomery in support of voting rights but are stopped at the Pettus Bridge by a police blockade. Fifty marchers are hospitalized after police use tear gas, whips, and clubs against them. -
Watts Riot
In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, but the new law had no immediate effect on living conditions for blacks. While arresting a young man for drunk driving, police officers argued with the suspect's mother before onlookers. The conflict triggered a massive destruction of property through six days of rioting. Thirty-four people were killed and property valued at about $30 million was destroyed -
Executive Order 11246
Asserting that civil rights laws alone are not enough to remedy discrimination, President Johnson issues Executive Order 11246, which enforces affirmative action for the first time. It requires government contractors to "take affirmative action" toward prospective minority employees in all aspects of hiring and employment. -
Martin Luther King is asassinated
A day after delivering his stirring "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speach which has become famous for his vision of American society, King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Riots broke out in black neighborhoods in more than 110 cities across the United States in the days that followed. -
Civil Rights act of 1968
The Civil Rights Act of 1968 prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin. It also made it a federal crime to by force or by threat of force, injure, intimidate, or interfere with anyone by reason of their race, color, religion, or national origin. -
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
The Supreme Court, in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, upholds busing as a legitimate means for achieving integration of public schools. Although largely unwelcome (and sometimes violently opposed) in local school districts, court-ordered busing plans in cities such as Charlotte, Boston, and Denver continue until the late 1990s. -
Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987
Overriding President Reagan's veto, Congress passes the Civil Rights Restoration Act, which expands the reach of non-discrimination laws within private institutions receiving federal funds.
