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Executive Order 9981
This was an executive order signed by president Truman that outlawed segregation in the military. Desegregation was mandatory in all the armed forces. -
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Brown vs. Board of Education
This was a court case which was the cause of the desegregation of schools around the country. This was a series of cases that became a class-action lawsuit. In the end, the court ruled that segregation in schools was illegal. -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus when she was asked to move. She was then removed from the bus and taken to jail. This was the cause of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. -
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
This was a protest by the African American community in Montgomery, Alabama that protested the segregated bus system in the south. It was supposed to last one day, but the leaders of the boycott decided to extend it because of the success of it. It ended when the Supreme Court ruled that the segregated bus system was unconstitutional. -
Little Rock Nine
This was an effort to desegregate schools around the country. Central High School accepted nine black students to their school to try and slowly integrate their school. On the first day of school, these nine students were meet with lots of violence by white protestors. The protests eventually got out of hand and president Kennedy made the order to send down military power. -
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Sit-Ins
This was a protest by African Americans in Greensboro, South Carolina protesting the segregation in public facilities such as restaurants. African Americans were not served at restaurants in the south. Once the protests started the restaurants started losing customers and money. The restaurants finally gave in and served the first African American. -
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Freedom Rides
These were bus rides made by blacks and whites from the north into the south to ensure the south was integrating their public bus system. Once these buses crossed into southern states however, these people were meet with violence. These rides kept going until the Commerce Commission made it mandatory for all public bus systems and bus terminals to be integrated. -
James Meredith
James Meredith was the first black student at Ole Miss. This was also an attempt to integrate public schools and universities. The university refused to accept James and when he snuck onto campus a riot occurred the next day. because these riots and protests were so severe president Kennedy sent armed federal marshals to protect James as he went to classes. -
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Birmingham Marches
These were marches by blacks in Birmingham, Alabama protesting the unfair treatment of blacks. These marches were set up by Martin Luther King Jr. and the SCLC to try and grow public support for equality for blacks in America. Most of these marches were made by children. -
March on Washington
A protest by the black community in Washington DC demanding jobs and freedom. The main event from this protest was Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. -
Freedom Summer
This was a campaign during the summer of 1964 to expand black voting in the south. This event was held throughout the south and brought down many white supporters from the north. -
Civil Right Act of 1964
This was an act signed by president Johnson outlawing the discrimination on the basis of religion, sex, race, or national origin. This event was the start of the end of the civil rights movement. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This was an act that outlawed the literacy tests, voting taxes, and anything else that was used to discriminate against black voters. This act is what officially ended the civil rights movement.