May 18
May 18, 1896
Plessy v. Ferguson
On May 18, 1896, the Supreme Court ruled 7-1 in Plessy v. Ferguson that racial segregation laws did not violate the U.S. Constitution as long as facilities were "equal." The decision legalized Jim Crow segregation for nearly 60 years until overturned by Brown v. Board of Education.
People: Homer Plessy
Sources
1. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) — PBS2. Plessy v. Ferguson — National Archives3. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) — Library of CongressMay 18, 1803
Haitian Flag Day
On May 18, 1803, during the Haitian Revolution, Jean-Jacques Dessalines created the Haitian flag by ripping the white stripe from the French tricolor, symbolizing the removal of white colonial rule. Haiti would become the first free Black republic in 1804, inspiring enslaved people across the Americas.
People: Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Sources
1. The Haitian Revolution and the Birth of the Haitian Flag - Smithsonian Institution2. Haitian Flag Day - National Park ServiceMay 18, 1955
Death of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, an educator and civil rights leader, dies.
People: Mary McLeod Bethune
Sources
1. Mary McLeod Bethune - National Women's History Museum2. Mary McLeod Bethune - The History MakersLink copied!
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