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Brown v. Board of Education
The U.S. Supreme Court declared that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson. This decision became the legal foundation for dismantling segregation in the country. -
Emmett Till Murder
Emmett Till was a 14-year-old boy who was visiting relatives in Mississippi. He was accused of speaking to a white woman and was brutally murdered by the woman's brother and husband. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The boycotts were sparked by Rosa Parks's arrest. Black people in Montgomery, Alabama, boycotted the city buses and organized their system of transport. This event also introduced Dr. King, who went on to become an influential leader. The boycotts ended on December 20th of 1955. -
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine were black students who faced violent mobs and needed federal troops to safely integrate Central High School in Arkansas. To keep the nine safe, the federal government deployed soldiers to follow the students in the school. -
Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-ins
Black college students began a peaceful sit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. Their action sparked a wave of sit-ins across the South. -
Freedom Rides
Integrated groups rode interstate buses into the segregated South. Buses had already been desegregated, however, the bus stops and restaurants along the journey were not. As the group traveled, they were often met by mobs waiting for them at the next stop. These extreme acts of violence didn't stop them from continuing their journey, and they continued. -
Birmingham Protests
Birmingham, Alabama, was the epitome of segregation. Protestors gathered peacefully against the hiring system in the city. The most influential protest was the children's march; the media showed the extreme police brutality that was being exercised on mere children. The marches ended on May 10, the same year. -
March on Washington
Over 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to demand civil and economic rights for African Americans. It was there that Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, inspiring people to this day. -
Freedom Summer
College students, involved with civil rights, went to Mississippi to help register black voters and run schools. Unfortunately, they were met with a lot of violent resistance, exemplified by the death of 3 activists. Overall, the summer highlighted the extreme resistance to black voting rights and civil rights. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This civil rights law ended public segregation and discriminatory employment. This was seen as a big success for the overall movement. This legislation was passed in the middle of Freedom Summer. -
Selma to Montgomery Marches
The march from Selma to Montgomery was a series of three marches that took place from March 7th to 25th. They were in protest against the backlash on black voting rights in the Deep South. Unfortunately, the Selma marches include Bloody Sunday, a day when state troopers brutally attacked demonstrators in Selma, Alabama. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The act ended extreme voting discrimination, including literacy tests as a requirement for people to vote. This allowed countless black people to register to vote freely and be represented in their states, after extreme pushback.