The Civil Rights Movement

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The civil rights struggle in modern times

1954 -- U.S. Supreme Court declares school segregation unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling. 1955 -- Rosa Parks refuses to move to the ack of a !ontgomer"# $la ama# us as re%uired " cit" ordinance& o"cott follows and us segregation ordinance is declared unconstitutional. 'ederal (nterstate Commerce Commission ans segregation on interstate trains and uses. 1956 -- Coalition of Southern congressmen calls for massive resistance to Supreme Court desegregation rulings. 1957 -- $rkansas )ov. *rval Ru us uses +ational )uard to lock nine lack students from attending a ,ittle Rock -igh School& following a court order# President Eisenhower sends in federal troops to ensure compliance. 1960 -- 'our lack college students egin sit-ins at lunch counter of a )reens oro# +orth Carolina# restaurant where lack patrons are not served. Congress approves a watered-down voting rights act after a fili uster " Southern senators. 1961 -- 'reedom Rides egin from .ashington# /.C.# into Southern states. 1962 -- President 0enned" sends federal troops to the Universit" of !ississippi to %uell riots so that 1ames !eredith# the school2s first lack student# can attend. The Supreme Court rules that segregation is unconstitutional in all transportation facilities. The /epartment of /efense orders full integration of militar" reserve units# the +ational )uard e3cluded. 1963 -- Civil rights leader !edgar Evers is killed " a sniper2s ullet. Race riots prompt modified martial law in Cam ridge# !ar"land. /r. !artin ,uther 0ing 1r. delivers 4( -ave a /ream4 speech to hundreds of thousands at the !arch on .ashington. Church om ing in Birmingham# $la ama# leaves four "oung lack girls dead. 1964 -- Congress passes Civil Rights $ct declaring discrimination ased on race illegal after 56-da" long fili uster. Three civil rights workers disappear in !ississippi after eing stopped for speeding& found uried si3 weeks later. Riots in -arlem# Philadelphia.

1965 -- !arch from Selma to !ontgomer"# $la ama# to demand protection for voting rights& two civil rights workers slain earlier in the "ear in Selma. !alcolm 7 assassinated. Riot in .atts# ,os $ngeles. +ew voting rights act signed. 1966 -- Edward Brooke# R-!assachusetts# elected first lack U.S. senator in 86 "ears. 1967 -- Riots in /etroit# +ewark# +ew 1erse". Thurgood !arshall first lack to e named to the Supreme Court. Carl Stokes 9Cleveland: and Richard ). -atcher 9)ar"# (ndiana: elected first lack ma"ors of ma;or U.S. cities. 1968 -- !artin ,uther 0ing 1r. assassinated in !emphis# Tennessee& 1ames Earl Ra" later convicted and sentenced to << "ears in prison. Poor People2s !arch on .ashington -- planned " 0ing efore his death -- goes on. 1973 -- !a"nard 1ackson 9$tlanta:# first lack elected ma"or of a ma;or Southern U.S. cit". 1975 --=oting Rights $ct e3tended. 1978 -- Supreme Court rules that medical school admission programs that set aside positions ased on race are unconstitutional 9Bakke decision:. 1979 -- Shoot-out in )reens oro# +orth Carolina# leaves five anti-0lan protesters dead& >? 0lansmen charged with murder. 1983 -- !artin ,uther 0ing 1r. federal holida" esta lished. 1988 -- Congress passes Civil Rights Restoration $ct over President Reagan2s veto. 1989 -- $rm" )en. Colin Powell ecomes first lack to serve as chairman of the 1oint Chiefs of Staff. 1989 -- ,. /ouglas .ilder 9=irginia: ecomes first lack elected governor. 1990 -- President Bush vetoes a civil rights ill he sa"s would impose %uotas for emplo"ers& weaker ill passes muster in ><<>. 1991 -- Civil rights museum opens at 0ing assassination site in !emphis. 1994 -- B"ron /e ,a Beckwith convicted of ><@A !edgar Evers assassination. 1995 -- Supreme Court rules that federal programs that use race as a categorical classification must have 4compelling government interest4 to do so. 1996 -- Supreme Court rules consideration of race in creating congressional districts is unconstitutional.

E rl! civil rights e""orts

The histor" of the civil rights movement in the United States actuall" egins with the earl" efforts of the fledgling democrac". 1783 -- !assachusetts outlaws slaver" within its orders. 1808 -- (mportation of slaves anned& illegal slave trade continues.

1820 -- Eight"-si3 free lacks sail to Sierra ,eone# a British colon" in $frica -- first immigration of lacks from U.S. to $frica. !issouri Compromise allows slaver" in !issouri# ut not elsewhere west of the !ississippi and north of !issouri2s southern order& repealed in >86B 1831 -- +at Turner leads slave re ellion in =irginia& 65 whites killed& U.S. troops kill >CC slaves& Turner caught# tried and hanged. 1833 -- * erlin College# first U.S. college to adopt co-education# is first to refuse to an lack students. 1850 -- Compromise of >86C admits California into the union without slaver"# strengthens 'ugitive Slave ,aws# and ends slave trade in .ashington# /.C. 1857 -- /red Scott Supreme Court decision rules that slaves do not ecome free when taken into a free state# that Congress cannot ar slaver" from a territor"# and that lacks cannot ecome citiDens. 1861 -- Confederate States of $merica formed& Civil .ar egins. 1863 -- President ,incoln issues Emancipation Proclamation freeing 4all slaves in areas still in re ellion.4 1865 -- Civil .ar ends. >Ath $mendment# a olishing slaver"# added to the Constitution. 1866 -- 0u 0lu3 0lan formed in secrec"& dis ands >8@<-5>& resurgence in ><>6. Congress takes over Reconstruction. 1867 -- Series of measures aimed at suffrage# other redresses for former slaves passed over President $ndrew 1ohnson2s vetoes. 1868 -- >Bth $mendment conferring citiDenship added to Constitution. 1870 -- >6th $mendment arring racial discrimination in voting added to Constitution. 1875 -- Congress passes civil rights act granted e%ual rights in pu lic accommodations and ;ur" dut". 1877 -- -enr" *. 'lipper ecomes first lack graduate of U.S. !ilitar" $cadem" at .est Point. 1883 -- Supreme Court invalidates >856 Civil Rights $ct# sa"ing that the federal government cannot ar discrimination " corporations or individuals. 1896 -- Supreme Court approves 4separate ut e%ual4 segregation doctrine. 1906 -- Race riots in $tlanta& ?> dead# cit" under martial law. 1909 -- +ational Congress on the +egro convenes# leading to founding of the +ational $ssociation for the $dvancement of Colored People. 1923 -- *klahoma placed under martial law ecause of 0u 0lu3 0lan activities. 1925 -- 0u 0lu3 0lan marches on .ashington. 1943 -- .ar contractors arred from racial discrimination. Riots in -arlem# /etroit. 1948 -- President Truman issues e3ecutive order outlawing segregation in U.S. militar". 1952 -- Racial# ethnic arriers to naturaliDation removed " (mmigration and +aturaliDation $ct.