What happened in 1968 for black people?
Asked by: Adah Keebler Jr. | Last update: January 30, 2026Score: 4.5/5 (56 votes)
1968 was a pivotal, tumultuous year in Black history, marked by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., sparking nationwide riots and accelerating the passage of the landmark Fair Housing Act (Civil Rights Act of 1968). It also saw the rise of Black Power movements, with student strikes demanding Black Studies programs (San Francisco State) and athletes like Tommie Smith and John Carlos making iconic protests at the Olympics, highlighting struggles against poverty, police brutality, and for economic justice, issues central to the Poor People's Campaign.
What happened in 1968 in black history?
The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, dashed the hopes of black Americans for the commitment of white America to racial equality. White Americans respected him more than other black leaders, but his opposition to the Vietnam War infuriated many.
What major events happened in 1968?
Kennedy is assassinated in Los Angeles after winning the California Democratic primary; the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City occur under the shadow of the Tlatelolco massacre; protests erupt at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago; the Prague Spring sees reformist Alexander Dubček crushed by a Warsaw ...
What happened in the Civil Rights Act of 1968?
An expansion of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1968, popularly known as the Fair Housing Act, prohibits discrimination concerning the sale, rental, or financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, and sex.
What caused the 1968 riots?
King's assassination in 1968, the issues of civil rights, employment discrimination, poverty, racial profiling and police brutality lay at the center of both riots. The reason for the eruption of violence is the feeling of loss African Americans felt surrounding Dr. King's death.
The story behind this iconic Olympics protest
Why was 1968 so violent?
Background. Multiple factors created the protests in 1968. Many were in response to perceived injustice by governments—in the US, against the Johnson administration—and were in opposition to the draft, and the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War.
What happened on May 13, 1968?
May 13, 1968 (Monday)
In France, a one-day general strike was called by the Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) and the Force Ouvrière (CGT-FO) as organized labor groups walked off of their jobs as a show of support to striking students.
What civil rights leader was killed in 1968?
On April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST, Martin Luther King Jr., an American civil rights activist, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. at age 39.
Who benefited from the Civil Rights Act of 1968?
The 1968 act expanded on previous acts and prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, and since 1974, sex. Since 1988, the act protects people with disabilities and families with children.
What happened on April 11, 1968?
On this day, April 11, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 into law, also known as the Fair Housing Act. This landmark legislation was enacted in the wake of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., addressing the pervasive issue of racial discrimination in housing.
What made 1968 such a shocking year in American history?
Other events that made history that year include the Vietnam War's Tet Offensive, riots in Washington, DC, the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1968, and heightened social unrest over the Vietnam War, values, and race. The National Archives holds records documenting the turbulent time during 1968.
Why is 1968 important?
1968 was a profoundly significant year of global upheaval, marking a major turning point with explosive social, political, and cultural changes, characterized by violent protests, the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, intensifying Vietnam War opposition (Tet Offensive), student activism worldwide (Paris, Prague Spring), civil rights struggles, and landmark events like the Apollo 8 moon orbit, shattering post-WWII consensus and forever changing societies.
What major events happened in April 1968?
On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was tragically assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Although this happened miles away, his death had a profound impact on the Civil Rights Movement across the nation, including in New York City.
What happened in August 1968 in America?
The 1968 Democratic National Convention opened in Chicago and would continue until August 30. During the event, riots would break out as police clashed with anti-war protesters. The Democratic Party nominated Hubert Humphrey for president, and Edmund Muskie for vice president.
Why did the civil rights movement end in 1968?
A wave of civil unrest in Black communities between 1964 and 1969, which peaked in 1967 and after the assassination of King in 1968, weakened support for the movement from White moderates.
What law was passed in 1968?
One of the central objectives of the Fair Housing Act, when Congress enacted it in 1968, was to prohibit race discrimination in sales and rentals of housing. Nevertheless, more than 30 years later, race discrimination in housing continues to be a problem.
When did the discrimination act start?
This act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964, prohibited discrimination in public places, provided for the integration of schools and other public facilities, and made employment discrimination illegal. It was the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.
Which president signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968?
On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which was meant as a follow-up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
What president got assassinated in 1968?
On June 5, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was shot by 24-year-old Sirhan Sirhan at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Medical teams attempted to treat him, but he died the following day. Robert F. Kennedy lies mortally wounded on the floor immediately after the shooting.
What happened on 12 April 1968?
April 12, 1968 (Friday)
The Passover Seder was celebrated in the city of Hebron ten months after Israel had acquired the territory in the Six-Day War, and for the first time since the 1929 Hebron massacre.
What were the riots in the US in 1968?
King assassination riots, April and May, across the United States, including: 1968 Washington, D.C., riots, April 4–8, Washington, D.C. 1968 Chicago riots (West Side Riots), April 5–7, Chicago, Illinois. Baltimore riot of 1968, April 6–12, Baltimore, Maryland.
What tragedy happened in 1968?
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
In an event that sent shockwaves throughout the world, Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader, Baptist minister and founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
What happened on October 14, 1968?
1968 Meckering earthquake. The Western Australian town of Meckering was struck by an earthquake on 14 October 1968. The earthquake occurred at 10:58:52 local time, with a moment magnitude of 6.5 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). Total damage amounted to $2.2 million with 20–28 injured.
What happened on June 14, 1968?
June 14, 1968 (Friday)
Dr. Benjamin Spock, a pediatrician famous to two generations for the child-raising guide The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, was convicted by a 12-man federal jury in Boston for conspiracy to disrupt the selective service process, along with three of his four co-defendants.