1954 Chief Justice Earl Warren, three-term Republican Governor (CA) and Republican vice presidential nominee in 1948, wins unanimous support of Supreme Court for school desegregation in Brown v. Board of Education.

November 25, 1955 Eisenhower administration bans racial segregation of interstate bus travel.

March 12, 1956 Ninety-seven Democrats in Congress condemn Supreme Courts decision in Brown v. Board of Education, and pledge to continue segregation.

June 5, 1956 Republican federal judge Frank Johnson rules in favor of Rosa Parks in decision striking down blacks in the back of the bus law.

October 19, 1956 On campaign trail, Vice President Richard Nixon vows: American boys and girls shall sit, side by side, at any school  public or private  with no regard paid to the color of their skin. Segregation, discrimination, andMinority Leader Everett Dirksen (R-IL) criticizes Democrat filibuster against 1964 Civil Rights Act, calls on Democrats to stop opposing racial equality. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was introduced and approved by a staggering majority of Republicans in the Senate. The Act was opposed by most southern Democrat senators, several of whom were proud segregationistsone of them being Al Gore Sr. Democrat President Lyndon B. Johnson relied on Illinois Senator Everett Dirkson, the Republican leader from Illinois, to get the Act passed.

June 20, 1964 The Chicago Defender, renowned African-American newspaper, praises Senate Republican Leader Everett Dirksen (R-IL) for leading passage of 1964 Civil Rights Act.

March 7, 1965 Police under the command of Democrat Governor George Wallace attack African-Americans demonstrating for voting rights in Selma, AL.

March 21, 1965 Republican