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Was founded in New York City by a bi-racial group of activists, including W.E.B. Du Bois and Mary White Ovington, to fight for civil rights, eliminate racial discrimination, and secure equal rights guaranteed by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. It was established following a 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois, and grew from the Niagara Movement. -
The massacre was a two-day act of white supremacist violence (May 31–June 1, 1921) that destroyed Greenwood, a prosperous Black neighborhood known as "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A white mob killed an estimated 39 to over 300 people, burned 35 city blocks, and left 10,000 Black residents homeless, marking one of the worst instances of racial violence in U.S. history. -
were nine African American teenagers falsely accused of raping two white women on a freight train in Alabama. Their case, featuring unfair trials, all-white juries, and rushed convictions, became a landmark in U.S. history by highlighting, and eventually challenging, systemic Southern racism, leading to major Supreme Court rulings on legal counsel and jury representation. -
Robinson broke Major League Baseball's (MLB) color barrier, becoming the first African American to play in the modern era as a Brooklyn Dodger. His debut ended decades of segregated Negro leagues, as he faced intense racism with quiet dignity. Robinson won Rookie of the Year and paved the way for integration in sports. -
decision of the United States Supreme Court which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, even if the segregated facilities are equal in quality. -
Emmet, a 14-year-old African American from Chicago, was brutally lynched in Money, Mississippi, after being accused of flirting with a white woman, Carolyn Bryant. Abducted by Bryant’s husband and brother-in-law, Till was beaten, shot, and thrown into the Tallahatchie River, with his mother’s decision to have an open-casket funeral in Chicago revealing the brutality to the world and serving as a major catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. -
a pivotal 381-day protest against segregated public transit in Montgomery, Alabama, initiated by Rosa Parks’ arrest when she refused to give up her seat. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the successful boycott saw Black residents walk or carpool, culminating in a Supreme Court ruling that deemed bus segregation unconstitutional. There 381 day walk ended public segregation. -
While commonly known as the "Little Rock Nine," ten African American students became the first to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, Despite threats and mob violence, supported by federal troops, they courageously desegregated the school, marking a pivotal moment in the U.S. civil rights movement. -
Six-year-old Ruby Bridges became the first African American child to desegregate the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Escorted by U.S. Marshals due to violent protests, she braved daily harassment to attend class, becoming an iconic symbol of the Civil Rights Movement. -
Written from a Alabama prison cell, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” defends the strategy of nonviolent direct action against systemic racism. Responding to critics, King argues that waiting for justice is futile, asserting that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere". He advocates breaking unjust laws, expresses deep disappointment in white moderates, and affirms that racial equality must be pursued urgently -
The march was a massive, peaceful protest for civil rights and economic equality, where over 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial. Organized by a coalition of civil rights and labor leaders, the event featured Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, driving pressure for federal civil rights legislation. -
into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, ending segregation in public places and banning employment discrimination. The act was proposed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and passed after significant congressional debate. -
He was assassinated at age 39 while preparing to speak at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights, New York City. Three gunmen rushed the stage, firing at least 16 shots, killing him in front of his wife, Betty Shabazz, and their four daughters. The attack was widely believed to be carried out by members of the Nation of Islam for he was previously affiliated with them. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was designed to enforce the 15th Amendment, outlawing discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests and poll taxes to ensure voting rights for all Americans, particularly Black Americans in the South. -
The part was created in Oakland California, by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. Originally named the "Black Panther Party for Self-Defense," it was created to combat police brutality and protect Black neighborhoods, later becoming a major force in the Black Power movement and a different way to combat racism. They often roamed streets with weapons cause it was there “constitutional right” -
Thurgood Marshall was appointed as the first African American Supreme Court Justice by President Lyndon B. Johnson, following a distinguished career as a civil rights lawyer. Confirmed by the Senate and sworn in by Chief Justice Earl Warren, Marshall brought his commitment to equal rights to the highest court. -
Just a single shot to the neck while on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, prompting immediate nationwide mourning and major racial violence in over 100 cities. His death triggered massive riots, accelerated the Black Power movement, propelled political action, and compelled the passage of the landmark Fair Housing Act of 1968
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