1940-44
A World war during this time period
World War 2
End of WW2
With the end of World War II in 1945, African American soldiers returned home with a renewed sense of pride and expectations for equality.
Movement In montgomery
In December 1955, Rosa Parks, a black woman, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Montgomery Improvement Association, the boycott lasted for 381 days and ultimately led to the desegregation of the city's bus system.
Montgomery Bus Boycott
mass protest against the bus system of Montgomery, Alabama, by civil rights activists and their supporters
Baptist Minister, Social rights activist, and leader of American civil rights movement
Martin Luther King Jr
Race Riots
Despite these advancements, racial tensions persisted, leading to several race riots during the 1940s
GI Bill VS African Americans
African American veterans faced discrimination in accessing these benefits due to systemic racism, including segregated schools and neighborhoods.
Brown v. Board of Education
State-sanctioned segregation of public schools was a violation of the 14th amendment and was therefore unconstitutional
Formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
Emerging out of the sit-in movement, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was established in 1960 to coordinate student-led activism and grassroots organizing for civil rights.
Started the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks
Double V Campaign
African Americans launched the Double V Campaign during World War II, which called for victory over fascism abroad ("V for Victory") and victory over racism at home.
Was was the Cold War
The Cold War era brought increased scrutiny of racial inequality in the United States, as the U.S. government sought to portray itself as a defender of freedom and democracy against the Soviet Union's communist ideology.
What year did the civil rights movement start
1954
Civil Rights Act of 1957
Signed into law by President Eisenhower, the Civil Rights Act of 1957 was the first federal civil rights legislation passed since Reconstruction
First Baseball player of color
Jackie Robinson
March on Washington
demand for a fair share of jobs and an end to segregation in government departments and the armed forces
Truman's Civil Rights Initiatives
President Harry S. Truman, who took office in 1945, issued Executive Order 9981 in 1948, which desegregated the armed forces.
Legal Challenges to Segregation
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, led by Thurgood Marshall, continued to challenge segregation through litigation.
Little Rock Nine
In 1957, nine African American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, attempted to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.
mass protest against the bus system of Montgomery, Alabama, by civil rights activists and their supporters
James Baldwin
Executive Order 8802
In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, which prohibited racial discrimination in the defense industry
Alice Marie Coachman Davis
The first ever African American to win a gold Olympic medal In August of 1948.
Resistance and Violence
Despite advancements in the fight for civil rights, African Americans continued to face resistance and violence from segregationists and white supremacists.
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
In 1957, Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to coordinate nonviolent protests and campaigns for civil rights reform.
Had a oval office encounter with F.D.R which banned discrimination in government and defense industry employment.
Philip Randolph