1947: Jackie Robinson breaks Major League Baseball's color barrier 1954: Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision declares school segregation unconstitutional 1955–1956: Rosa Parks sparks the Montgomery Bus Boycott 1960: Greensboro sit-ins launch a wave of nonviolent protests against segregation 1963: March on Washington; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivers “I Have a Dream” speech 1964: Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in public and private sectors 1965: Voting Rights Act protects African American voting rights 1968: Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; peak of civil rights struggle 1966: Founding of the Black Panther Party for Black empowerment and self-defense 1976: Black History Month is officially recognized by President Gerald Ford
