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King is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, sparking nationwide riots.
Civil Rights Act of 1968: Also known as the Fair Housing Act, it prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing. -
Supreme Court strikes down laws banning interracial marriage
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Highlighted by "Bloody Sunday," these marches led to national support for voting rights.
- Voting Rights Act of 1965: Eliminates discriminatory voting practices. -
Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Freedom Summer: A campaign to register African American voters in Mississippi. -
Birmingham Campaign: Nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama, face violent opposition, drawing national attention.
March on Washington: Over 250,000 people gather, and Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech.
16th Street Baptist Church Bombing: Four young girls are killed in a bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. -
Activists ride interstate buses to challenge segregation in bus terminals.
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Four African American college students in North Carolina begin sit-ins at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter.
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Nine African American students integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, under federal protection.
Civil Rights Act of 1957: Establishes the Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice. -
The killing of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi galvanizes national attention.
Montgomery Bus Boycott: Rosa Parks's arrest for refusing to give up her seat led to a year-long boycott led by Martin Luther King Jr. -
The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.