Seton Hill University Black Presence Timeline: 1960s
Seton Hill University Black Presence Timeline: 1960s
Embedded Files
1960
1960
The Civil Rights Act of 1960 becomes law after being signed by President Dwight Eisenhower. The act would provide Black voters with legal support and various protections against disenfranchisement attempts on city and state levels.
Wilma Rudolph becomes not only the first Black American woman but the first American woman to win 3 gold medals in track and field.
1961
1961
The University of Georgia admits the institution's first Black students, Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Hamilton Holmes. After their applications were originally denied in 1959, they recieved support from the NAACP in filing an injunction aganst the institution for its discriminatory admission practices.
President John F. Kennedy creates the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. This is the beginning of affirmative action.
1962
1962
James Meredith is the first Black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi.
1963
1963
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom occurs with a turn out of over 250,000 people. The event protested discriminatory hiring practices that caused high unemployment rates amongst Black people. It also demanded an end to public segregation as well as equal pay.
The 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama is bombed by members of the Ku Klux Klan. The terrorist attack resulted in the death of four young Black girls, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley. The youngest was 11 years old while the oldest was 14.
1964
1964
Althea Gibson becomes the first Black player in a tournament hosted by the Ladies Professional Golf Association.
Beloved actor Sidney Poitier becomes the first Black person to win an Oscar for his role in Lilies of the Field.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It prohibits employers from discriminating against applicants because of their race, color, religion, gender, or national origin. It also required the desegregation of public schools and environments, as well as prohibited the notorious discriminatory voter application process.
1965
1965
Malcolm X is assassinated in New York City. Shortly after, Alex Haley publishes "The Autobiography of Malcolm X".
Civil rights leaders organize the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to protest the state's denial of voting rights to Black citizens. The event gained roughly 25,000 participants and resulted in the Voting Rights Act which protected Black voting rights in the south.
1966
1966
Constance Baker Motley becomes the first Black woman to be a federal judge. She was appointed to New York City's federal bench.
Bobby Seale, Huey P. Newton and David Hilliard, natives of Oakland, California, found the Black Panther Party to protect the Black community from police brutality.
Kwanza is founded by Maulana Karenga with the purpose of giving the Black community a holiday where they can celebrate their unique history. It occurs presently from December 26th to January 1st.
Dr. James Ruffins becomes the first Black professor at Seton Hill College. According to Sister Ann Infanger, his hiring was believed to be a "contribution to the civil rights crusade". He would become a chairman of the Grievance Committee and advocate for Black students, writing directly to President Schmidt about the lack of minority professors at the institution. he states:
"Students are deprived of a vital portion of their education due to the lack of minority oriented learning experiences in this area."
1967
1967
The Loving v. Virginia case results in the banning of interracial marriages being deemed illegal and a violation of the 14th Amendment.
Thurgood Marshall becomes the first Black American to serve on the United States Supreme Court.
Carl Stokes becomes the city of Cleveland, Ohio's first Black mayor. That same day Richard G. Hatcher become's the first Black mayor of Gary, Indiana.
1968
1968
Martin Luther King, Jr. is murdered in Memphis, Tennessee at the Lorraine Motel. This sparks violent riots in 125 cities across the United States.
The Civil Rights Act of 1968 is passed, which prohibits racial, religious, gender-based, and nationality-based discrimination in real estate transactions. It is also known as the Fair Housing Act.
Shirley Chisholm becomes the first Black woman to be elected to the House of Representatives.
Students at San Francisco State University protest and receive the country's first Black Studies program.
The National Black Sisters' Conference is founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and spearheaded by Sister Martin de Porres Grey. The organization's goal was to reach the Black community and create Catholic relevancy there in ways white religious organizations could not.
SOUL_Newsletter.pdfAn edition of S.O.U.L. Rap, the newspaper published by S.O.U.L. on Seton Hill's campus
1969
1969
Moneta Sleet Jr. wins a Pulitzer Prize in photography and becomes the first Black American to do so. He wins this award for the famous photo of Coretta Scott King at the funeral service for her husband, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
Fred Hampton and Mark Clarke, famous leaders of the Black Panthers are killed in Chicago by police.
S.O.U.L. (Sisters of United Leadership) is begun by Black students on Seton Hill College's campus. The goal of this student organization was to promote self-identity and unity among Black students. It was complete with a president, vice president, treasurer, business secretary and corresponding secretary.
Sister Martin de Porres Grey the founder of the National Black Sisters' Conference is invited to give the Honors Convocation address in Cecilian Hall.
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