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Stokely Carmichael
Was a civil rights activist who coined the black nationalistic slogan of "black power." He joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee while he attended Howard University and was put in jail for working with Freedom Riders. He moved away from a nonviolent approach and believed in self-defense. -
The Congress of Racial Equality
Was a civil rights activist organization that worked with other groups to launch a series of initiatives such as the Freedom Summer voter registration monster project and the Freedom Rides. It started off as nonviolent but leadership changed and focused on black nationalism and separatism. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Supreme Court case where a team of NAACP lawyers led by Thurgood Marshall argued that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional because it violated the 14th Amendment. Earl Warren ruled that separate facilities were unequal and unconstitutional. -
Emmett Till
14-year-old African-American Emmett Till was murdered for flirting with a white women 4 days earlier. The husband and brother of the women made Till got with them to the bank of the Tallahatchie River where they beat and shot him, gouged his eyes out, and threw his corpse into the river. -
Rosa Parks/Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks was an African-American woman that refused to give her seat to a white man and was arrested. Martin Luther King Jr. led a civil-rights protest where African-Americans refused to ride Montgomery city buses. Led to the Supreme Court ordering the desegregation of the bus system. -
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Organization formed by Martin Luther King Jr. which organized southern churches and ministers to aid in the struggle to achieve civil rights. It advocated for nonviolent methods of protest to oppose segregation. -
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
Was an organization founded by young people who used nonviolent methods to achieve civil rights. They used methods like sit-ins at segregated, public facilities which invited arrest. The organization stayed independent of MLK and the SCLC even though they worked together in the early years of the Civil Rights Movement. -
Letter from Birmingham Jail
Letter written by MLK while he was jailed after leading a protest in Birmingham, Alabama. In the letter, MLK defends the impatience of those involved civil rights movement as well as the need for direct action in order to gain equality through nonviolent approaches and civil disobedience. -
“I Have a Dream” Speech
Speech delivered by MLK during the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial. He alludes to historical documentation, uses universal themes to describe the struggles of African Americans, and illustrations what he envisions for African-American equality. -
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama, Bombing
A bomb went off at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham before the start of Sunday morning services. The church was meeting place for civil rights leaders. when the bomb went off, 4 young girls were killed and many were hurt. Violent conflict between protesters and the police occurred as a result which attracted national attention. -
The 24th Amendment
Amendment passed by Congress that abolished poll taxes for all federal elections and prohibited federal and state governments from imposing them. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Signed by Lyndon B. Johnson which ended segregation in public places and banned the discrimination of employment. Was considered one of the biggest achievements in the civil rights movement and later expanded by Congress. -
Malcolm X Assassination
Malcolm X was an African-American nationalist and civil rights leader. Was assassinated by Black Muslims that opposed him while he addressed the Organization of Afro-American Unity three weeks after meeting in Selma. Led to his views reaching a larger audience when his autobiography was published. -
Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama
600 civil rights marchers were attacked by lawmen by beating the and using tear gas. Pictures of the violence was televised and cause national outrage which led federal involvement such as Lyndon B. Johnson sending troops to protect the protesters and Congress passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Signed by Lyndon B. Johnson and aimed to overcome legal barriers on local and state levels that did not allow African-Americans to vote. Was considered to be one of the most far-reaching pieces of civil rights legislation and a result of Bloody Sunday. -
Executive Order 11246—Affirmative Action
Signed by Lyndon B. Johnson which required government contractors to make sure practices of employment was not discriminatory. Decision of employment could not be based on religion, race, ethnicity, etc. Contractors needed to take affirmative action to ensure this. -
The Black Panthers
Was a political organization founded by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton which aimed to counter police brutality towards African-Americans. Members dressed in black clothing and organized armed patrols of U.S. cities. Later declined from internal tensions, shootouts and FBI activities. -
Martin Luther King Assassination
MLK was shot by James Earl Ray while in Memphis helping sanitation workers strike. The assassination happened the evening following the "I've Been on the Mountaintop" speech he gave while he was standing on his balcony. News spread and riots sparked across the country due to outrage by African-Americans. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1968
Prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, etc. dealing with the selling, rental, and financing of housing. Was a follow-up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and was constantly debated in Senate when it was still a bill. Was passed following the assassination of MLK.
