-
NAACP was founded
America's oldest and largest civil rights organization, founded in 1909 to fight for racial equality and justice for African Americans. -
Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers
Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. He played for the Dodgers as an infielder and outfielder until 1956. -
Brown v. Board of Education
the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson. -
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man
Parks was an activist who boarded the front of the bus instead of going to the back, which was reserved for Black passengers. When the bus filled with white passengers, the driver asked Parks to move.
Parks refused, and was arrested for disobeying Alabama law. The arrest led to a 381-day boycott of the Montgomery bus system. In 1956, the Supreme Court ruled against segregation on public transportation. -
Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was a federal law that established a Civil Rights Commission and a Civil Rights Division in the Justice Department. -
Desegregation of Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas
The desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957 was a pivotal moment in the fight for civil rights in the United States. -
Sit-in at Woolworth’s lunch counter
a pivotal civil rights protest that took place on February 1, 1960, where four African American college students sat down at a segregated lunch counter at a Woolworth's store in Greensboro, North Carolina, and refused to leave after being denied service -
CORE “freedom ride”
a series of bus protests in 1961 that challenged segregation on interstate buses. -
Dr. King was thrown into Birmingham Jail
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 for leading nonviolent protests against segregation. He was jailed for "parading without a permit". -
March on Washington
a protest for civil rights and economic justice for Black Americans. -
Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed segregation in public places and employment, and prohibited discriminatory voting practices. The act was signed into law on July 2, 1964. -
“Bloody Sunday”
The iconic Edmund Pettus Bridge where on March 7, 1965 peaceful voting rights marchers were beaten violently by state troopers and sheriff's deputies. -
voting rights act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. -
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated
Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., who was shot to death on April 4, 1968, as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Moments before the fatal shot rang out at 6:01 PM on that tragic day, April 4, 1968;