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Brown v. Board of Education – May 1954
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark 1954 Supreme Court case which ruled that segregation of public schools based on race is unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision, which allowed "separate but equal" accommodations. The case was important because it was a tremendous legal triumph for the end of segregation and set the groundwork for further civil rights advancements. -
Emmett Till murder – August 1955
Emmett Till was a 14-year-old African American from Chicago who was brutally killed in 1955 while visiting relatives in Mississippi. He had been accused of offending a white woman, although there was no evidence in the details. His open-casket funeral and the trial of the two white men who killed him served to bring the harsh truth of racism in the South into the national spotlight. -
Montgomery Bus Boycotts – December 1955 – December 1956
The Montgomery Bus Boycott started in 1955 when Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus to a white male. The African Americans of Montgomery, Alabama, boycotted the buses for over one year, eventually leading to a Supreme Court ruling that segregation of public buses was unconstitutional. It was meaningful because it spurred the Civil Rights Movement and reiterated peaceful protest. -
Little Rock Nine – September 1957
The Little Rock Nine were nine Black students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957 after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision. They faced angry mobs and needed protection from federal troops sent by President Eisenhower. This event was important because it tested the federal government’s commitment to ending school segregation. -
Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-ins – February 1960
The Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-ins began in 1960 when four African American college students sat down at a whites-only lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, and politely asked to be served. Their peaceful protest triggered a wave of sit-ins across the South. The sit-ins were important because they dismantled segregation in public places and motivated more youth activism throughout the Civil Rights Movement. -
Birmingham Protests – April–May 1963
The Birmingham Protests of 1963 were a series of nonviolent protests led by Martin Luther King Jr. to protest segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. Protesters, many of them children, were met with violence by police that was widely shown in the media. The protests were important because they focused national attention on racism in the South and helped build support for civil rights legislation. -
Freedom Rides – May 1961
The Freedom Rides were protests in 1961 where Black and white activists rode buses together into the segregated South to challenge illegal segregation in interstate travel. Riders faced violence and arrests, but their efforts gained national attention. The Freedom Rides were important because they forced the federal government to enforce desegregation laws and showed the power of nonviolent protest. -
March on Washington – August 1963
The March on Washington was a massive civil rights protest held in 1963 in Washington, DC, where over 250,000 people gathered to demand jobs and freedom. It’s most famous for Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The march was important because it showed strong public support for civil rights and helped lead to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964 – July 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was an important law that banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended segregation in public places and made it illegal for employers to discriminate. This law was important because it was a key victory for the Civil Rights Movement and helped create more equality in American society. -
Freedom Summer (Mississippi) – June–August 1964
Freedom Summer was a 1964 campaign in Mississippi to register Black voters and challenge racial segregation. It was led by civil rights groups, and it brought hundreds of volunteers to help, but faced violence and resistance, including the murder of three activists. It was important because it exposed the extreme racism in the South and helped push for voting rights reforms. -
Selma Marches 1965 (March)
The Selma Marches were three protest marches in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to demand voting rights for African Americans. The first march was known as “Bloody Sunday,” and it turned violent when peaceful protesters were attacked by police after crossing the bridge. The national outrage helped lead to the passing of the Voting Rights Act. These marches were important because they brought attention to racial injustice and helped change U.S. voting laws. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a major U.S. law that banned racial discrimination in voting. It ended practices like literacy tests and allowed the federal government to oversee elections in areas with a history of voter suppression. This law was important because it protected the voting rights of African Americans