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Grace Arms of Antioch

presents

15TH ANNUAL

BLACK HISTORY ART & ARTIFACTS VIRTUAL EXHIBIT

A Walk
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GRACE  ARMS
PRESENTS

A WALK THROUGH BLACK HISTORY

Black history is not a single, monolithic narrative. It's a tapestry woven with threads of joy, sorrow, struggle, and triumph. Despite facing centuries of oppression, Black people have consistently demonstrated incredible resilience, creativity, and strength.

Join us as we journey through different aspects of Black History, from the past to the present day as the fight for equality and justice continues.

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STATION 1: Jim Crow Laws and start of Civil Rights Movement

During Reconstruction, Black people took on leadership roles like never before. They held public office and sought legislative changes for equality and the right to vote.

In 1868, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution gave Black people equal protection under the law. In 1870, the 15th Amendment granted Black American men the right to vote. Still, many white Americans, especially those in the South, were unhappy that people they’d once enslaved were now on a more-or-less equal playing field.

Fifteenth Amendment: To marginalize Black people, keep them separate from white people and erase the progress they’d made during Reconstruction, “Jim Crow” laws were established in the South beginning in the late 19th century. Black people couldn’t use the same public facilities as white people, live in many of the same towns or go to the same schools. Interracial marriage was illegal, and most Black people couldn’t vote because they were unable to pass voter literacy tests.

Jim Crow laws weren’t adopted in northern states; however, Black people still experienced discrimination at their jobs or when they tried to buy a house or get an education. To make matters worse, laws were passed in some states to limit voting rights for Black Americans.

Moreover, southern segregation gained ground in 1896 when the U.S. Supreme Court declared in Plessy v. Ferguson that facilities for Black and white people could be “separate but equal."

STATION 2: World War II and Civil Rights

Prior to World War II, most Black people worked as low-wage farmers, factory workers, domestics or servants. By the early 1940s, war-related work was booming, but most Black Americans weren’t given better-paying jobs. They were also discouraged from joining the military.

After thousands of Black people threatened to march on Washington to demand equal employment rights, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802 on June 25, 1941. It opened national defense jobs and other government jobs to all Americans regardless of race, creed, color or national origin.

Black men and women served heroically in World War II, despite suffering segregation and discrimination during their deployment. The Tuskegee Airmen broke the racial barrier to become the first Black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps and earned more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses. Yet many Black veterans were met with prejudice and scorn upon returning home. This was a stark contrast to why America had entered the war to begin with—to defend freedom and democracy in the world.

As the Cold War began, President Harry Truman initiated a civil rights agenda, and in 1948 issued Executive Order 9981 to end discrimination in the military. These events helped set the stage for grass-roots initiatives to enact racial equality legislation and incite the civil rights movement.

STATION 3:Civil Rights Act of 1957 & 1964

Even though all Americans had gained the right to vote, many southern states made it difficult for Black citizens. They often required prospective voters of color to take literacy tests that were confusing, misleading and nearly impossible to pass.

Wanting to show a commitment to the civil rights movement and minimize racial tensions in the South, the Eisenhower administration pressured Congress to consider new civil rights legislation.

On September 9, 1957, President Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 into law, the first major civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. It allowed federal prosecution of anyone who tried to prevent someone from voting. It also created a commission to investigate voter fraud.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964—legislation initiated by President John F. Kennedy before his assassination—into law on July 2 of that year.

King and other civil rights activists witnessed the signing. The law guaranteed equal employment for all, limited the use of voter literacy tests and allowed federal authorities to ensure public facilities were integrated.

STATION 4: The March on Washington

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, often simply referred to as the March on Washington, was a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement.

Arguably one of the most famous events of the civil rights movement took place on August 28, 1963: the March on Washington. It was organized and attended by civil rights leaders such as A. Philip RandolphBayard Rustin and Martin Luther King Jr.

More than 200,000 people of all races congregated in Washington, D. C. for the peaceful march with the main purpose of forcing civil rights legislation and establishing job equality for everyone. The highlight of the march was King’s speech in which he continually stated, “I have a dream…”

King’s “I Have a Dream” speech galvanized the national civil rights movement and became a slogan for equality and freedom.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech delivered at the Lincoln Memorial became an iconic moment in American history, symbolizing the struggle for racial equality. The march put significant pressure on the U.S. government to pass civil rights legislation. The March on Washington was a powerful display of unity and a turning point in the fight for racial justice in the United States.

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STATION 5: Voting Rights Act of 1965 & Fair Housing 1968

Voting Rights Bill: When President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law on August 6, 1965, he took the Civil Rights Act of 1964 several steps further. The new law banned all voter literacy tests and provided federal examiners in certain voting jurisdictions. 

It also allowed the attorney general to contest state and local poll taxes. As a result, poll taxes were later declared unconstitutional in Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections in 1966.

Part of the Act was walked back decades later, in 2013, when a Supreme Court decision ruled that Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional, holding that the constraints placed on certain states and federal review of states' voting procedures were outdated.

Fair Housing Act of 1968: The Fair Housing Act became law on April 11, 1968, just days after King’s assassination. It prevented housing discrimination based on race, sex, national origin and religion. It was also the last legislation enacted during the civil rights era.

The civil rights movement was an empowering yet precarious time for Black Americans. The efforts of civil rights activists and countless protesters of all races brought about legislation to end segregation, Black voter suppression and discriminatory employment and housing practices.

STATION 6: Notable events in Black history from 1968 to the present:

  • 1968: The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4th. The assassination led to riots in over 125 cities across the country. 

  • 1971: The establishment of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday in many cities and states.

  • 1972: Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress. 

  • 1984: Rev. Jesse Jackson became the first Black man to seriously run for president. 

  • 1993: Dr. Joycelyn Elders became the first Black woman surgeon general. 

  • 2008: Barack Obama became the first Black president of the United States. 

  • 2020: Widespread global protests declaring Black Lives Matter, and Kamala Harris made history as the first Black woman and first woman of South Asian descent to become Vice President of the United States.

  • 2022: Black representation in politics: Continued growth in the number of Black elected officials at all levels of government.

  • 2023 - Present: Ongoing conversations about racial justice: Discussions around critical race theory, systemic racism, and the legacy of slavery continue to be prominent in public discourse.

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