Topic: Civil Rights

Mar 6,

1857

“A Constitutional Evil:” The Dred Scott Decision

Jun 7,

1892

Homer Plessy Boards East Louisiana Railroad Car – Trip Ends at Supreme Court

Feb 1,

1902

Langston Hughes, Noted African-American Poet, Social Critic, is Born

Feb 18,

1903

“In Dahomey,” First All-African-American Musical, Opens on Broadway

Jul 11,

1905

Niagara Movement, Forerunner of NAACP, Founded

Apr 13,

1906

The Brownsville Outrage: African-American Soldiers Framed, Discharged

Jul 2,

1908

Thurgood Marshall, Civil Rights Giant, is Born

Feb 12,

1909

NAACP Founded – Civil Rights Crusade Begins

Nov 20,

1910

Pauli Murray, Civil Rights and Feminist Activist, is Born

Mar 17,

1912

Bayard Rustin, Civil Rights Activist, is Born

Mar 24,

1912

Dorothy Height, Matriarch of the Civil Rights Movement, is Born

Feb 4,

1913

Happy Birthday Rosa Parks!

Apr 4,

1913

Racially Integrated Suffrage Conference Held in St. Louis

Apr 11,

1913

President Wilson Segregates Federal Agencies

Nov 12,

1914

Civil Rights Leader Monroe Trotter Confronts President Wilson in White House Over Segregation

Jan 6,

1915

Don Edwards, “Rights Champion” in Congress, is Born

Feb 8,

1915

“Birth of a Nation” Opens: A Century of Controversy Follows

Jun 21,

1915

“Grandfather” Clauses Unconstitutional

Nov 11,

1915

Pacifist Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) Founded

Jul 2,

1917

Huge East St. Louis Race Riot Erupts

Jul 19,

1919

Race Riot Erupts in Washington, DC

Jul 21,

1919

NAACP Demands President Wilson Condemn Racial Violence

Jan 11,

1920

German Officials Slander African-American Troops

Jan 19,

1920

ACLU Founded – Fight For Civil Liberties Begins

Mar 15,

1922

Anti-KKK Group Formed in Oklahoma

Aug 2,

1924

Noted African-American Author James Baldwin is Born

Oct 17,

1924

Democrats Accuse Republicans of Coercing Votes of Federal Employees

Aug 1,

1925

African-American Lawyers Form National Bar Association

Mar 7,

1927

Texas White Primary Held Unconstitutional (For a While, Anyway)

Dec 27,

1927

“Show Boat” – First Racially Integrated Broadway Musical, And With Interracial Themes

Jul 8,

1928

Crystal Eastman, Civil Liberties Pioneer, Dies

Jan 15,

1929

Martin Luther King, Jr. is Born

Jun 12,

1929

First Lady Lou Henry Hoover Invites African-American to White House Tea – Racist Uproar Follows

May 7,

1930

NAACP “Comes of Age:” Helps Senate Reject Supreme Court Nominee

Feb 2,

1931

First Mass Deportations of Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles

Oct 2,

1932

LA Police, American Legion Break Up Scottsboro Defense Meeting in Long Beach, CA

Nov 27,

1933

California Governor Praises Lynch Mob – ACLU, NAACP Protest

Mar 21,

1934

Rep. Oscar De Priest Challenges Segregation at Capitol Building Restaurant

Mar 20,

1935

NYC Mayor La Guardia Launches Investigation of Police Brutality in Harlem

Dec 27,

1935

Scottsboro Defense Committee Organized

Apr 12,

1936

Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa Play First Racially Integrated Jazz Concert in Major Venue

Feb 20,

1937

National Lawyers Guild, Alternative to ABA, is Organized

Dec 12,

1938

Supreme Court: Missouri Must Provide Law School Opportunity for African-Americans

Feb 2,

1939

Attorney General Frank Murphy Creates DOJ Civil Liberties Unit

Feb 21,

1940

Civil Rights Leader and U.S. Representative John Lewis is Born in Troy, Alabama

Sep 27,

1940

A. Philip Randolph Confronts FDR In White House Over Segregated Military

Oct 19,

1940

NYU Students Protest University Discrimination Against its Own Player

Jan 14,

1941

A. Philip Randolph Calls For a March on Washington

Jun 18,

1941

Civil Rights Leader A. Philip Randolph Confronts FDR in the White House — Wins EEO Order

Jun 25,

1941

FDR Signs First-Ever Equal Employment Opportunity Order

Jul 1,

1941

March on Washington Cancelled After FDR Issues EEO Order

Feb 19,

1942

Tragedy: FDR Authorizes Japanese-American Evacuation

May 7,

1942

NY Governor Signs Two Early Anti-Discrimination Bills into Law

Apr 17,

1943

First Sit-in Challenges Segregated Washington D.C. Restaurants

Jun 20,

1943

Detroit Race Riot Paralyzes City, Threatens War Effort

Apr 3,

1944

Supreme Court Declares All-White Primary Unconstitutional

Jan 3,

1945

HUAC Made a Permanent Committee – Assault on Freedom of Belief and Association Continues

Apr 27,

1946

Civil Rights Congress Formed

Jun 3,

1946

Irene Morgan Wins Historic Court Victory Against Interstate Travel Segregation

Sep 19,

1946

Truman Promises Presidential Civil Rights Committee

Oct 14,

1946

Atlanta Officials Put “Negro” Designation After Coroner Candidate’s Name – Candidate Protests

Dec 5,

1946

Truman Creates Historic President’s Committee on Civil Rights

Feb 21,

1947

College Students Protest “Jim Crow” Barber

Mar 12,

1947

Cold War Begins: Truman Doctrine Announced

Apr 9,

1947

The First Freedom Ride: Journey of Reconciliation Begins

Jun 29,

1947

Truman First President to Address NAACP

Jan 7,

1948

President Truman Promises Civil Rights Message

Jan 12,

1948

Supreme Court Requires Oklahoma to Provide Equal Law School Opportunity for African-Americans

Feb 2,

1948

President Truman Delivers Civil Rights Message to Congress

Mar 22,

1948

A. Philip Randolph Confronts Truman Over Segregated Military

Mar 30,

1948

A. Philip Randolph Threatens to Advise Young African-American Men Not to Register for a Segregated Draft

Apr 8,

1948

Southern Leaders Attack President Truman’s 1948 Civil Rights Speech

Jul 14,

1948

Democratic Party Convention Adopts Historic Civil Rights Plank

Jul 26,

1948

President Truman Desegregates U. S. Military

Aug 14,

1948

States’ Rights Party Adopts Pro-Segregation Platform

Jan 8,

1950

Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Organized

Jun 5,

1950

Univ. Texas Law School Must Admit African-American: “Sweatt v. Painter”

Apr 11,

1953

Mattachine Society Draws 500 to Gay Rights Convention in LA

Aug 9,

1953

ACLU Defends Federal Civil Rights Investigations

May 17,

1954

“Separate but Equal” Unconstitutional: Landmark “Brown v. Board of Education” Decision

Jul 10,

1955

E. Frederic Morrow Becomes First African-American Presidential Aide

Jan 26,

1956

Martin Luther King’s First Arrest

Oct 24,

1956

J. Edgar Hoover Warns Eisenhower of Communist Infiltration of Civil Rights Movement

Dec 17,

1956

Supreme Court Affirms Desegregation of Montgomery, Alabama, Buses

May 17,

1957

“Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom:” 1957 Civil Rights March on Washington

Sep 9,

1957

President Eisenhower (Reluctantly) Signs the Historic 1957 Civil Rights Act

Sep 23,

1957

Segregationist Mob Blocks School Integration in Little Rock

Sep 25,

1957

President Eisenhower Sends Troops to Little Rock to Enforce Integration

May 13,

1958

Jackie Robinson Denounces President Eisenhower’s Weak Leadership on Civil Rights

Jun 23,

1958

Eisenhower Meets with Four Civil Rights Leaders in the White House – Nothing Results

Jul 11,

1958

Mildred and Richard Loving Rousted Out of Bed, Arrested For Being Married

Jan 24,

1960

A. Philip Randolph Calls for Mass Movement; Sit-Ins Begin a Week Later

Feb 1,

1960

Greensboro, NC Sit-In — Civil Rights Struggle Enters Historic New Phase

Feb 27,

1960

GOP Leader Senator Dirksen Supports “Good” Civil Rights Bill

Mar 15,

1960

Julian Bond Leads Atlanta’s First Sit-In

Apr 15,

1960

SNCC Founded by Sit-In Leaders

May 6,

1960

Weak 1960 Civil Rights Act Signed Into Law

Jun 24,

1960

Senator John F. Kennedy Praises Sit-Ins

Dec 5,

1960

Supreme Court Rules Against Segregated Bus Terminals

Jan 9,

1961

Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes, First African-Americans to Enroll at University of Georgia

Mar 6,

1961

President Kennedy Issues Equal Employment Opportunity Order

May 9,

1961

Freedom Rider John Lewis Beaten in Rock Hill, South Carolina

May 14,

1961

Jim Peck, Freedom Rider, Assaulted in Alabama

Jun 6,

1961

Notre Dame President Hesburgh: Civil Rights More Important Than Anti-Communism

Jul 11,

1961

Maryland Apologizes to African Envoys Denied Service at Segregated Restaurants

Sep 22,

1961

ICC Bans Segregation in Interstate Travel Facilities

Feb 9,

1962

Police Chiefs Hold 5-day Closed Meeting on Desegregation; Agree that Federal Law is Supreme

Apr 3,

1962

Defense Dept. Orders Racial Integration of all Military Reserves – But Not the National Guard

Sep 20,

1962

James Meredith Denied Registration at University of Mississippi

Apr 2,

1963

Supreme Court Invalidates Virginia Anti-NAACP Laws, Upholds Lawyers’ Activism

Apr 16,

1963

Martin Luther King, Jr., Writes Famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

May 3,

1963

Fire Hoses and Police Dogs Attack Birmingham Civil Right Demonstrators

May 10,

1963

“Bombingham:” Racists Bomb Birmingham Motel

Jun 22,

1963

President Kennedy Pressures Dr. Martin Luther King to Fire Alleged Communist Associates, Fails

Jun 22,

1963

President Kennedy Tries, Fails to Get Civil Rights Leaders to Cancel March on Washington

Aug 27,

1963

W. E. B. Du Bois, African-American Intellectual Giant, Dies

Aug 28,

1963

“I Have a Dream”: King Delivers Historic Speech at March on Washington

Aug 28,

1963

John Lewis’ Speech at March on Washington Censored

Sep 16,

1963

“A Time to Speak:” Chuck Morgan, White Birmingham Resident, Denounces Racist Bombing

Nov 26,

1963

LBJ: “What the Hell’s the Presidency For?”

Mar 25,

1964

LBJ Lectures Southern Ministers on Need for Civil Rights Bill

Apr 26,

1964

Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party Founded

Jun 10,

1964

Historic Filibuster Ends – Path Cleared for 1964 Civil Rights Act

Jul 2,

1964

President Johnson Signs Historic 1964 Civil Rights Act

Jul 16,

1964

Police Shooting Sparks Harlem Riot – Four Years of “Long Hot Summers” Begin

Jan 15,

1965

LBJ Calls Martin Luther King – Plan Voting Rights Strategy

Mar 7,

1965

“Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama: John Lewis, Other Marchers Beaten and Tear Gassed

Mar 8,

1965

LBJ Affirms Rights of Criminal Suspects

Mar 15,

1965

“We . . . Shall . . . Overcome:” LBJ Gives Historic Voting Rights Speech

Mar 16,

1965

LBJ Sends Federal Troops to Guard Selma Voting Rights March

Apr 17,

1965

Mattachine Society Pickets White House to Demand Equal Rights for Homosexuals

Apr 27,

1965

SCOPE Voter Registration Drive Launched

Jun 4,

1965

President Johnson Outlines New Civil Rights Challenges

Jul 2,

1965

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Established

Jan 20,

1966

Stewardess Judith Evenson Challenges Northwest Airlines’ “No Marriage” Policy

Feb 9,

1966

NYC Police Commissioner Opposes Civilian Review of the Police in Letter to Mayor

Apr 21,

1966

Gay Rights “Sip-In” at Julius’ Bar, NYC

Jun 6,

1966

“March Against Fear” in Mississippi Begins; James Meredith Shot and Wounded

Jun 16,

1966

“Black Power!” A Slogan is Born

May 29,

1967

Cleveland Bar Association Criticizes Mayor for Not Meeting with Martin Luther King

Oct 3,

1967

Yes, This Land Really IS Your Land: Woody Guthrie Dies

Apr 3,

1968

King’s Final Speech: “I Have Been to the Mountaintop”

Feb 10,

1969

Federal Judge Finds City of Chicago Guilty of Discrimination in Public Housing

Jun 28,

1969

Stonewall Inn Riots – Lesbian, Gay Rights Movement Born

Dec 22,

1969

Native-American Protest: Radio Free Alcatraz Broadcasts

Jun 27,

1970

First Gay Pride Parade Held in Chicago

Feb 19,

1976

President Ford Officially Rescinds Japanese-American Evacuation Order

Mar 5,

1977

President Carter Names Patricia Derian Coordinator for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs

Nov 7,

1978

California Voters Reject Ban on Lesbians, Gays Teaching in Public Schools

Mar 8,

1981

Groups Organize to Combat Reagan Administration Attacks on Civil Liberties

Oct 25,

1981

ACLU Issues Handbook on “The Rights of Police Officers”

Feb 13,

1982

ACLU Report: Voting Discrimination Continues in South

Jul 1,

1985

Pauli Murray, Civil Rights Pioneer, Feminist, Civil Libertarian, Dies

Jun 8,

1992

Court Upholds Professor’s Free Speech Rights on African-American Inferiority

Jan 24,

1993

Civil Rights Giant Thurgood Marshall Dies

Oct 21,

1994

U.S. Ratifies UN Convention Against Racial Discrimination

Jan 17,

1996

Barbara Jordan Dies; Feminist, Texas Civil Rights Advocate

Jun 14,

1997

President Clinton Launches Initiative on Race – Effort Fails

Jul 23,

1999

Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr., Civil Rights Hero, Dies

Mar 18,

2008

“A More Perfect Union:” Obama’s 2008 Great Speech on Race at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia

Oct 5,

2012

Fanny Lou Hamer Statue Dedicated in Ruleville, Mississippi

Mar 2,

2013

Montgomery, Alabama, Police Chief Apologizes to John Lewis for 1961 Beating, Gives Lewis His Badge

Jul 17,

2014

“I Can’t Breathe:” Eric Garner Choked to Death by NYPD Police Officers

Dec 31,

2014

Acclaimed Film “Selma” Provokes Controversy over President Johnson, Other Issues

Feb 17,

2015

New Report Finds More African-Americans Lynched in U.S. Than Previously Believed

Mar 4,

2015

DOJ Issues Blistering Report on Ferguson, Missouri, Police Department

May 2,

2015

Folk Singer Guy Carawan Dies; Taught “We Shall Overcome” to Sit-In Leaders

Jun 2,

2015

African-American Soldier Awarded Medal of Honor – 97 Years Late

Jun 25,

2015

Supreme Court Affirms Federal Fair Housing Law

Apr 16,

2016

Washington Post Wins Pulitzer for Path-Breaking Reporting on People Shot by the Police

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