CalEvents:Jun/Jun 17
From Sankofapedia
Notable events for Jun 17
Date
Event
Significance
June 17, 1822
Denmark Vesey’s planned slave revolt uncovered in Charleston, South Carolina
On this day, the planned rebellion led by Denmark Vesey, an enslaved man who bought his own freedom, was discovered. The revolt was intended to free enslaved Africans in Charleston but was thwarted, leading to Vesey's execution. The event remains one of the most significant examples of resistance to slavery in the U.S.
June 17, 1943
NAACP Legal Defense Fund founded by Thurgood Marshall
On this day, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) was founded by Thurgood Marshall. The LDF became a leading organization in the fight for civil rights, playing a key role in landmark cases such as *Brown v. Board of Education*, which ended racial segregation in public schools.
June 17, 1954
South African government outlaws Defiance Campaign
On this day, the apartheid government of South Africa declared the Defiance Campaign, led by the African National Congress (ANC), illegal. The Defiance Campaign was one of the first major organized mass resistance efforts against apartheid, marking the beginning of broader civil disobedience against racial segregation.
June 17, 1991
End of apartheid-era Group Areas Act in South Africa
On this day, South Africa officially repealed the Group Areas Act, a key piece of apartheid legislation that enforced racial segregation by restricting where people could live based on race. Its repeal was a significant step toward dismantling the apartheid system.
June 17, 1994
O.J. Simpson flees from police in a high-speed chase
On this day, O.J. Simpson, an African-American former football star, led police on a televised high-speed chase in Los Angeles after being charged with the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. The event sparked national debates about race, media, and justice in the United States.
June 17, 2015
Charleston church shooting at Emanuel AME Church
On this day, a white supremacist gunman attacked the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, killing nine African-American worshippers. The tragedy highlighted ongoing issues of racial violence and hate crimes in the United States.
June 17, 2020
Protests erupt globally in support of Black Lives Matter
On this day, massive protests continued around the world in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, following the police killing of George Floyd. The protests called for an end to systemic racism and police brutality, becoming one of the largest civil rights movements in recent history.