-
Brown v. Board of education
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. On May 17, 1954, the Warren Court unanimous decision stated "that separate educational facilities are an inherently unequal". Brown v. Board of Education was influenced by UNESCO's 1950 Statement by a wide variety of internationally renowned scholars. -
Civil Rights Act of 1954
On June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy urged to be equal rights for Americans regardless to race. Kennedy proposed that Congress consider civil rights legislation that would address voting rights, public accommodation. John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 1963. The Civil Rights Act of 1954 was into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1954. This act outlawed segregation in business, public places and banned discrimination practices on employment. -
Montgomery, Alabama
Rosa Parks refused to bus driver, James F. Blakes, to give up her seat to a white passenger. On December 1, 1955, that was the day when blacks of Montgomery, Alabama decided that they would boycott the city buses until they could sit any where they wanted. Over a year, blacks wouldn't ride the bus and just walk to their destination. The boycott officially ended December 20, 1956, after 381 days. The city passed an ordinance authorizing black bus passengers to sit virtually anywhere they wanted. -
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine were a group of African-American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Orval Faubus was the governor of Arkansas and he refused that the Little Rock Nine should attend to Central High. Once President Eisenhower heard about Faubus decision, he sends federal troops to protect the Little Rock Nine and escort them to class. Later on, Faubus signed acts that enable him and the Little Rock Nine School District to close all public schools. -
Greensboro, North Carolina
On February 1, 1960, four students from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University sat down at the lunch counter inside the Woolworth's store. The lunch counter staff refused to serve the African American men at the "whites only" counter and the store's manager asked them to leave. These four students stayed in their place until the store close. The next day, the four men brought more students to sit in. As many people used this method, many stores changed their policies. -
Birmingham, Alabama
Martin Luther King Jr. joined the SCLC and they lead a peaceful march in Birmingham, Alabama. Martin Luther King jr. got arrested. He was in jail for three months. Chief Eugene ‘‘Bull’’ Connor made a massive assault on segregation in the city. -
Medgar Evers Assassination
Medgar Evers a field worker of the NAACP traveled and recruited African Americans into the Civil Rights Movement. Evers soon found himself a threat. He fought racial injustices in many forms. On June 12, 1963, Evers was shot in the back by a member of the KKK, Bryon De la Beckwith. Beckwith was set free for the first two trials. Then soon to be convicted and sentenced to life in prison. -
March on Washington
A group of civil rights leader and labor workers marched to the Lincoln Memorial. President Kennedy discouraged the march. 200,000 and 300,000 attended the demonstration in Washington D.C. Martin Luther King said "I have a dream" speech. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
President Lyndon Johnson signed this act on August 6, 1965. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 abolished literacy tests and poll taxes designed to disenfranchise African American voters, and gave the federal government the authority to take over voter registration in counties with a pattern of persistent discrimination.