1831: Abolitionism grows; Nat Turner’s rebellion unites colored people; the underground railroad contributes to freeing slaves.
1861: Civil War begins, and around 186,000 black soldiers join the Union army over the course of the war.
1865 – 70: 13th Amendment is passed, abolishing slavery in the United States; the 14th Amendment grants citizenship to black people; the 17th Amendment grants people of color the right to vote.
1909: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is founded with the goals of removing segregation and equalizing education.
1910: The Great Migration begins; thousands of black people migrate to the north for more job opportunities.
1954: Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case questions segregation in schools.
1955: Rosa Parks stands up for black rights, kickstarting the Montgomery Bus boycott.
1963: Martin Luther King Jr. presents his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
1964: Civil Rights Act outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
1965: The Voting Rights Act outlaws discriminatory voting practices such as literacy tests.
2001: Colin Powell becomes the first African American Secretary of State.
2008: Barack Obama is elected as the first black United States President.
2020: George Floyd dies, prompting a surge of civil rights activism.