In July 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into place, outlawing discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Titles IV and VI dealt explicitly with education: Title IV commissioned the Coleman report on educational opportunity and equity, and Title VI permitted the withholding of funds from school districts […]
16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
In September 1963, the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama was bombed, killing four Sunday School children. This event, in combination with earlier instances of violence in Birmingham that spring, shocked the nation and made Civil Rights in America an international issue.
Woolsworth Sit-Ins Begin
In February 1960, four Black students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical college sat at the segregated whites-only lunch counter of Woolworth’s five-and-dime in Greensboro, North Carolina. This launched the sit-in movement across the nation, and began the process of the desegregation of public spaces across the South.
Pearsall Plan is Formed
In April 1956, the Pearsall Committee released the “Pearsall Plan to Save Our Schools”, a report with recommendations based on the research that members of the Pearsall Committee had conducted. The plan included voluntary school assignment, a tuition grant system, and eliminated attendance requirements for students who were assigned to an interracial school against their […]
Pupil Assignment Act is Passed
On March 30th, 1955, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Pupil Assignment Act, a law that delayed integration by shifting the responsibility of desegregation from the state to local school boards. It also removed any references to race in all school laws.
Governor’s Specialty Advisory Committee on Education is Created
In the summer of 1954, Governor Umstead responded to the Brown decision by creating the Governor’s Specialty Advisory Committee on Education, led by Thomas Pearsall, an attorney and politician from Rocky Mount, NC. Umstead claimed that the goal of the committee was to “establish a policy and a program which will preserve the State public […]
UNC Desegregates Law School
On March 27th, 1951, the McKissick v. Carmichael decision ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, four Black students seeking admission to UNC’s Law School, effectively desegregating the Law School. This ruling gave the precedent for other forms of higher education across the state to desegregate. Plaintiff Floyd McKissick, the first Black student at UNC Law […]
Brown v. Board Ruling
On May 17th, 1954, the Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education of Topkea struck down the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling. Renowned hotojournalist Alex Rivera discusses the importance of the Brown decision and the impact that it had on Black communities in North Carolina: Public School Forum · Alex Rivera on Brown Reaction
President Truman Desegregates the Military
On July 26th, 1948, President Truman signed Executive Order 9981, desegregating the American military and opening up opportunities for desegregation in every facet of American life.
Plessy v. Ferguson Ruling
On May 18th, 1896, Plessy v. Ferguson ruled that racial segregation was constitutional under the “separate but equal” doctrine.
North Carolina’s First Constitution Promises Public Education
In December 1776, North Carolina ratified its first constitution. Article XLI stated: “That a school or schools shall be established by the Legislature, for the convenient instruction of youth, with such salaries to the masters, paid by the public, as may enable them to instruct at low prices; and all useful learning shall be duly […]