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Brown vs. Board of Education
The Supreme Court decision declared state laws establishing separate public schools for Black and white students to be unconstitutional.This ruling overturned the “separate but equal” doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson and was a crucial step toward desegregation in the U.S. educational system. -
Emmett Till Murder
Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American, was lynched in Mississippi after allegedly whistling at a white woman. His open-casket funeral exposed the brutality of racial violence.Till’s murder and the subsequent trial brought national attention to racial violence and inequality, galvanizing the Civil Rights Movement. -
Rosa Parks & the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her arrest led to a year-long boycott of the city's bus system.This event marked the beginning of mass resistance against segregation and helped to elevate Martin Luther King Jr. as a leader in the movement. -
The Little Rock Nine and Integration
Nine African American students integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, under federal protection after Governor Orval Faubus attempted to block their entry. This event highlighted the federal government’s role in enforcing desegregation and marked a turning point in the struggle for civil rights in schools. -
Greensboro Woolworth's Sit-ins
Four African American students sat at a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, and were refused service, initiating a series of sit-ins across the country. The sit-ins sparked a wave of nonviolent protests that helped challenge segregation in public places and inspired youth involvement. -
Freedom Rides
A group of Black and white activists rode buses through the South to challenge segregated bus terminals. They faced violent opposition, especially in Alabama. The Freedom Rides exposed the brutal opposition to desegregation and led to the enforcement of integrated interstate travel. -
MLK’s Letter From Birmingham Jail
While imprisoned for participating in protests, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter defending civil disobedience and the necessity of direct action against unjust laws. The letter became a cornerstone of the movement’s philosophy and helped to spread the message of nonviolent resistance. -
March on Washington
Over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., for a peaceful demonstration advocating for jobs and freedom. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The March on Washington was a significant display of unity and mass support for civil rights, influencing the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
Birmingham Baptist Church Bombing
A bomb exploded at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four African American girls. The attack was carried out by white supremacists. The bombing galvanized national outrage and was pivotal in pushing forward the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment abolished the poll tax, which had been used to prevent African Americans from voting in the South. This was a significant step toward ensuring the right to vote for African Americans, eliminating a major barrier to voting rights. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This landmark legislation prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and it required the desegregation of public facilities. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a major victory in the fight against institutionalized racial discrimination. -
Bloody Sunday”/Selma to Montgomery March
Civil rights marchers were brutally attacked by police on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, while attempting to march to Montgomery for voting rights. This event drew national attention to the need for voting rights legislation and was a key moment in the push for the Voting Rights Act. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act banned literacy tests and other discriminatory practices that had been used to disenfranchise African Americans. -
Loving v. Virginia
The Supreme Court struck down laws banning interracial marriage, ruling that such laws violated the constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law. This decision was a significant victory for civil rights and helped to further dismantle legal racial segregation.