In light of the TBT issue, I wanted to celebrate the strides we have made as a nation in the fight for equal rights. The United States of America is a nation that was born under the foundations of liberty, however, it took several hundred years for this to become more and more of a reality.
Whether its women's rights, LGBTQ rights or civil rights, yes, we have a long way to go, but let's pat ourselves on the back for how far we have already come.
Although there isn't enough room to celebrate the hundreds of different movements made in the fight for equality, here is a quick look at some significant ones.
1776- Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence.
1787- The US Constitution is officially signed.
1863- President Abraham Lincoln declares all slaves free.
1870- Blacks are given the right to vote.
1881- Spelman College becomes the first black women's college and is established by Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles.
Late 1800's- Reporter Nellie Bly goes undercover as a patient of mental illness to reveal poor treatments to inmates in mental asylums and as a result brings improvement to conditions through publicity.
1900- Sigmund Frued publishes The Interpretation of Dreams where he creates the foundations of therapy where patients talk through their experiences in order to treat mental illness.
1917-18- Women are officially allowed to serve the US in military as soldiers, spies, nurses and support staff.
1920- Women are officially allowed to vote.
1933- Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first US President who uses a wheelchair.
1935- Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act. providing disabled Americans with permanent assistance with their disabilities.
1930's- Schizophrenics and other mentally ill patients are treated with surgeries such as lobotomies as well as electro-convulsive therapy and drugs.
1947- Jackie Robinson, becomes the first black man to sign with a Major League Baseball Team, the Brooklyn Dogders.
1948- President Harry S. Truman orders the integration of US armed forces.
1948- Congress passes the Women's Armed Services Act which grants women the same status and benefits as male veterans of the military.
1950- Barrier-free movement begins in order to provide easier access for handicapped Americans.
1954- Racial segregation is declared unconstitutional after the ruling of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, KS.
1958- For the first time ever, The United States Supreme Court rules in favor of a homosexuality case involving the publishing rights of a gay and lesbian magazine.
1964- President Linden B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, background, ethnicity, or national origin.
1967- Nadler v. Superior Court rules that sexual orientation does not determine whether a parent is unfit to raise a child by the court of law.
1968- First Special Olympics are held.
1972- Richard Nixon signs Title IX into law, which prohibits discrimination based on sex for any financial aid being received for educational reasons.
1972- Baird v. Eisenstadt ruling legalizes birth control regardless of marital status of a citizen by The Supreme Court.
1973- All male draft ends and the all-volunteer military as we know today is formed.
1973- Washington DC releases the first handicap parking stickers.
1973- The Rehabilitation Act requires all publicly-funded organizations, institutions and facilities not to discriminate based on and individual's disability status.
1975- Homosexuality is legalized in California under the Consulting Adult Sex Bill.
1980- Steve Endean founds The Human Rights Campaign Fund in support of LGBT rights and equality.
1986- Homosexuality disassociated and taken out of the official manuel for mental disorders.
1986- The first lesbian joint adoption is approved by the San Francisco court.
1990- Equal opportunity offered for disabled Americans in education, employment and other areas through the establishment of The Americans with Disabilities Act.
1992- The term homosexuality is removed by World Health Organization as a disease.
1993- National Voter Registration Act provides easier access to voting booths for disabled and elderly American voters.
1993- Marital rape becomes illegal in every US state.
1996- Massachusetts becomes the first state to legalize gay marriage.
1998- Americans with Disabilities Act is extended to persons with HIV due to the The Supreme Court ruling of Bragdon v. Abbott where a woman sues her dentist for denying her treatment in fear of contracting the disease.
1999- The Child and Family Mental Health Services Division is established in order to provide support for families and children effected by mental health and substance abuse related issues.
2000- The first woman to command a Navy warship becomes Captain Kathleen McGrath.
2004- Colonel Linda McTague becomes the first woman commander in US Air Force History of a fighter squadron.
2009- Barack Obama becomes the first black man to be elected as US President.
2009- President Obama signs the first law protecting transgender people.
2011- The Department of Education clarifies protections against sexual harassment and sexual violence towards athletes in Title IX.
Sources:
http://psychologyrats.edublogs.org/year-12-psychol...
https://www.mimh.edu/TheInstitute/History/Timeline...
http://www.rethink.org/about-us/people-and-history...
http://www.thenorthernlight.org/2013/09/10/nationa...
http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/document.h...
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmtimeline.html
http://www.glaad.org/blog/timeline-look-back-histo…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_LGBT_hist...
http://www.equalrights.org/title-ix-timeline/
http://www.history.org/history/teaching/enewslette...
http://www.oncefallen.com/timeline.html
https://www.rainn.org/public-policy/sexual-assault...
http://www.transequality.org/ourmoment.html
http://www.familyequality.org/family_equality/abou...
http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/tbacig/studproj/i...
http://www.fta.dot.gov/12325_4064.html
