Timelines and Legacy Stories of the Civil Rights Movement: Summary

Timelines and Legacy Stories of the Civil Rights Movement: Summary [The editors of Americans All ] (January 1, 1600 - December 31, 2014)

                                      Helping to end racism in our lifetime

The protests following the tragic deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd have awakened much of the public to the plight African Americans—and other people of color—face daily in the United States. The demonstrations have also shown us that we need to identify and dispel the root causes of ideologies that are currently dividing our nation. For example, in 1861, Alexander H. Stephens, vice president of the Confederate States of America declared: The Confederacy’s foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests upon the great truth, that the Negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and moral condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth. The Civil War hostilities ended in 1865, but this ideology survives even today.

Americans All provides a free tool—our Heritage Honor Roll—to help generate momentum for the cause of equal civil rights. Most storytelling websites carry stories of individuals who are well known or who belong to specific groups. Our website is far more informative and inclusive, because we add historical data to provide context for individual stories. We encourage the use of annotated timelines that enable users to easily see—and compare—events in chronological order. And, without any background, the significance of a story cannot be fully understood or appreciated.

In addition to housing stories of well-known people, our Heritage Honor Roll archives stories of everyday heroes, such as parents, teachers, immigrants, military personnel and domestic first responders. We also want to include the stories of people who have been denied legal, moral and ethical protections and those of people who supported—and continue to support—them and their families. Americans All can help keep their compelling stories alive, so their experiences become more than a short-lived sound bite or news story. Legacy stories contribute to our nation’s social fabric, offering wisdom to help eliminate beliefs based on offensive stereotypes. These stories can also strengthen communities and guide future generations.

Timelines and Legacy Stories can contain more than one collection of photographs. Images are arranged from left to right. To view or print a single photograph collection, click on its link below.  To view or print any or all of these photograph collections, CLICK HERE.​

Row 1: Timeline of Events That Helped Shape Our Nation: The Peopling of America  ●  Timeline of the Civil Rights Movement: Background and Major Events  ●  Timeline of the Civil Rights Movement: 1789 to 1920  ●  Timeline of the Civil Rights Movement: 1925 to 1962 

Row 2: Timeline of the Civil Rights Movement: 1963 to 1968  ●  Timeline of the Civil Rights Movement: 1969 to 2014  ●  Alice Stokes Paul  ●  Alice Stokes Paul, additional photographs

Row 3: Heritage Honor Roll story on Sojourner Truth  ●  Examples of some of the Americans All resources being used in more than 2,000 schools and libraries, and that provide the context for many Heritage Honor Roll legacy stories   

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