civil rights timeline

  • plessy v.s. ferguson

    supreme court ruled that segregation was legal as long as facilities provided "separate but equal" services.
  • norris v.s. alabama

    overturned the rape conviction of Clarence Norris in Alabama due to the fact that there were no black members on the jury which violated the 14th amendment right.
  • morgan v.s. virginia

    Irene Morgan convicted for refusing to surrender her seat on a bus to Maryland. supreme court ruled that the bus engaged in interstate commerce and the Virginia law was therefor unconstitutional.
  • U.S military desegregates

    Truman signs executive order 9981 saying that there shall be equal opportunities for all members of the us armed forces regardless of race.
  • sweatt v.s. painter

    sweatt sued after being refused admission to the university of Texas law school. texas created a new back school but the supreme court ruled that the new school was inferior in quality and decided in favor of sweatt.
  • brown v.s. board of education

    supreme overturned the plessy vs ferguson case, rejecting the idea that racially segregated schools could offer equal services.
    court ordered the desegregation of public schools.
  • rosa parks

    refused to give up her eat to a white person on a transportation bus and was arrested.
  • southern manifesto

    over 100 southern members of congress signed the southern manifesto declaring the courts decision to be abuse of judicial power and pledging to support segregation through every legal avenue available.
  • sclc

    martin luther king assists in the finding of sclc.
  • little rock nine

    national guard tried to prevent 9 African american students from enrolling into the school. the president sent the army to protect the students from the mobs.
  • sit in

    African american men were refused service in a eat in diner, so the men sat there until they were served.
  • freedom riders

    7 african american men and 6 white activists leave from washington d.c to the rigidly segregated south to test boyton vs Virginia.
  • freedom riders attacked

    the freedom riders were attacked outside of Birmingham Alabama and anniston, alabama by the KKK.
  • king leaving albany

    king announces that he is leaving Albany when the albany movement is considered a failure.
  • james meredith

    Meredith is allowed into the university of Mississippi.
  • james meredith

    meredith become the first african american to attend the university of Mississippi.
  • MLK

    MLK is arrested for demonstrating in the city without a permit by the Birmingham police.
  • JFK assassinated

    JFK is assassinated, but his successor Lyndon passes the civil rights legislation in memory of JFK
  • malcom x

    Malcolm x is assassinated at the audubon ballroom in Harlem.
  • MLK assassinated

    MLK was assassinated just as he goes out to the balcony of his hotel room in memphis.