America's Progress to Equality and Civil Rights

Plessy v. Ferguson

May 18, 1896

The Supreme Court ruled that segregation was legal under the 14th Amendment as long as the areas were equal. "Separate but equal" became the standard in America. This case remained undisputed for over 60 years, leaving African Americans to suffer from segregation.
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Brown v. Board of Education

May 17, 1954

This court ruled that public schools were to be desegregated. Public schools that were segregated were unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. This was the first successful legal action against segregation since Plessy v. Ferguson's ruling. Brown v. Board of education revealed that America was ready for racial reform. This reversed the ruling on Plessy v. Ferguson
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Murder of Emmett Till

Aug 28, 1955

Emmett Till was a young, 14 year-old African American accused of flirting with a white woman (who later came out and said she made it up). Till was brutally beaten to death. His death sparked the Civil Rights movement in 20th century America. Source

Rosa Parks & the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Dec 1, 1955

Rosa Parks was a black woman who was arrested and fined for riding the bus. A white man told her to move because he wanted to sit down, but she didn't yield to him. This event was inspirational to African Americans across the country because it was such a base act of rebellion: most blacks had experienced something similar.
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Founding of Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) & Martin Luther King

Jan 10, 1957

The SCLC was established in Atlanta, GA. It served as a command center for southern protests for civil rights. The SCLC ensured that the 1960s civil rights movement was a successful one. Source

Little Rock Nine & Central High School

Sep 23, 1957

Tensions arose in Central High when nine black students wished to enter the formerly all-white school. So much so, in fact, that the national guard had to be called by Pres. Eisenhower to escort them inside. This marked that the government would no longer stand idly by when racist whites would disobey laws.
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Greensboro Sit-In

Feb 1, 1960

Four African American college students heard about Mohandas Gandhi and, wanting to take action for civil rights, decided to stage a sit in. Day in day out, the protests grew with more people joining-- racist whites incited violence. This sit in catalyzed a massive wave amongst activists to start using peaceful protests.
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Freedom Ride/Freedom Riders

May 4, 1961

Between the months of May and November, over 400 blacks and whites rode together in car trains in the deep south. They faced terrible beatings and arrest. This was a massive nonviolent movement and showed the increased support for civil rights amongst people across America-- black or white.
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March on Washington

Aug 28, 1963

More than 200,000 people matched to the capital of the U.S. to protest for civil rights and job equality. MLK delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech here. This protest convinced Pres. JFK to publicly support the civil rights movement and marked a momentous occasion because it got JFK to initiate a thorough civil rights bill in Congress.
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Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) & Freedom Summer

Jun 14, 1964

African Americans in Mississippi were experiencing terrible oppression when they tried to exercise their voting rights. The SNCC launched a voter registration drive to combat this. Freedom Summer was one of the last major interracial movements in America... it got hundreds of blacks to be able to confidently vote.
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Civil Rights Act (1964)

Jul 2, 1964

This act made segregation on the basis of race, religion, or nationality for a job illegal. It was done to ascertain the effectiveness of the 14th Amendment. It marked the accomplishment of the primary goal of the civil rights movement in America.
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Assassination of Malcolm X

Feb 21, 1965

Malcom X was the leader of the radical side of the civil rights movement. He developed his philosophy from prison by joining the Nation of Islam. When he quit, the Nation of Islam killed him. Malcom X's assassination made the radical civil rights protests/ riots come to a head.
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Voting Rights Act (1965)

Aug 6, 1965

Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act to ensure voting for African Americans. The bill proposed to protect the 15th Amendment by preventing and fighting against blacks' voting oppression. This was the legal counter to the Freedom Summer movement.
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Assassination of MLK

Apr 4, 1968

Martin Luther King was the face of the civil rights movement. He was assassinated by James Earl Ray at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. His death marked the close of the civio rights movement of the 60s.
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