1948 — All anti-miscegenation laws in California are repealed. Marriages between members of every race and culture are now legal. (www.jimcrowhistory.org

May 17, 1954 — In the case of Brown vs. Board of Education Kansas, the Supreme Court unanimously rules to end racial tolerance of segregation in schools. The 1896 “separate but equal” ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson is overturned because black students are not getting an equal education. In the ruling, chief justice Earl Warren wrote that some students were not getting the protection they deserved under the 14th Amendment. The decision begins a long process to enable all students to get an equal education. (http://college.hmco.com/history)

1948 — All anti-miscegenation laws in California are repealed. Marriages between members of every race and culture are now legal. (www.jimcrowhistory.org

May 17, 1954 — In the case of Brown vs. Board of Education Kansas, the Supreme Court unanimously rules to end racial tolerance of segregation in schools. The 1896 “separate but equal” ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson is overturned because black students are not getting an equal education. In the ruling, chief justice Earl Warren wrote that some students were not getting the protection they deserved under the 14th Amendment. The decision begins a long process to enable all students to get an equal education. (http://college.hmco.com/history)

Aug.11-17, 1965 — A clash between black residents and white policemen becomes the main catalyst for race riots in Watts, California, a predominantly black neighborhood. These riots cause over $200 million in property damage and 34 deaths. (http://www.goerie.com/nie_civilrights)

The Black Panthers

Oct. 1966 — Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale establish the Black Panther militant group in Oakland. Black Panthers urge fellow African-Americans to arm themselves for a struggle for liberation and equality. Their militant stance produces numerous court cases. In an effort to settle the trouble, Newton and Seale stopped preaching for violence in the 1970s. (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1)

1968-1969 — African American, Native American, Asian American, Latino and Chicano groups form the Third World Liberation Front. The organization’s main goal is to give underrepresented students support. On Nov. 6, 1968, students from San Francisco State University march with the Third World Liberation Front and other support groups to demand a relevant educational program.

A five–month student strike follows — the longest in American history — and eventually causes the university to form the first Ethnic Studies school in the nation. “All of the student groups were working towards the main goal of establishing an Ethnic Studies school,” said Ronald Quidachay, who was chairman of the Third World Liberation Front and helped create the program. After the strike, he also helped to create the curriculum and hire the teachers to lead the various classes. (http://sfsustudentcenter.com/ROMC)

Gay Marriage

1968 — The Equal Opportunity Program is created at San Francisco State University to support minority students who lack educational opportunity and want a higher education. During the 1968 strike, EOP members and allies asked for special admission programs for underrepresented students. San Francisco State University answered the call, leaving spots open and creating faculty positions for support of the students. The Harmer Bill in 1969 enabled the school to develop state-funded EOP programs. (www.sfsu.edu/eop/history.htm)

1969 — Native Americans begin occupation of Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, in an attempt to bring civil rights issues to the public’s attention. Native Americans wanted support in their demands for healthcare, affordable housing and education to help keep native Americans out of poverty. Publicity, generated by the native American demonstration creates self-determination for Native Americans. (http://www.pbs.org) 1992 — Los Angeles police stand trial for beating African American, Rodney King. When the courts declared the police innocent, debates and race riots flared up across the city. (http://www.goerie.com) 1994 — Mayor Willie Brown becomes the first black mayor of San Francisco after a landslide victory. Reelected to a second term, he was one of San Francisco’s most popular mayors, leaving office in 2003.

1996 — The Oakland Unified School District proposes to employ Ebonics, also known as “black English,” in schools, fueling nationwide debates. (http://www.goerie.com/nie_civilrights)

The school board agrees to use this method of teaching Standard English to the students, demonstrating that Ebonics helps teach all types of students more effectively. Using Ebonics, Black children’s performance improves. (http://www.stanford.edu/~rickford/ebonics/SJMN-OpEd.html)

Feb. 12, 2004 — City officials in San Francisco perform the first civil marriages of same sex couples in America, violating California state law.

Feb. 17, 2004 — After over 2464 same-sex couples marry each other in San Francisco, superior court judge James L. Warner, orders San Francisco to cease issuing same sex marriage certificates and pronounces all same-sex marriages void.