Civil Rights Movement - Mitchem

Plessy vs Freguson

May 18, 1896

Legalized state ordered segregation so long as the facilities for blacks and whites were equal.

NAACP

Feb 12, 1909

(National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
by a group of liberals who wanted to eradicate racial discrimination

Brown v. BOE of Topeka

May 17, 1954

Topeka denied Linda Brown’s enrollment into an all white school.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Dec 1, 1955

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in the front of the bus for a white person.

Formation of SCLC

Jan 10, 1957

Southern Christian Leadership Conference, churches link together to inform blacks about changes in the Civil Rights Movement. It was led by Martin Luther King Jr.

Civil Rights Act of 1957

Sep 9, 1957

Primarily a voting rights bill, was the first civil rights legislation enacted by Republicans.

Integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas

Sep 25, 1957

A little Rock Crisis, in which students were prevented from entering the racially segregated school by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus. They were enrolled the Little Rock, but on the first day, Arkansas National Guard would not let them enter the school.

Boynton v. Virginia

Jan 1, 1960

Held racial discrimination in businesses that serve interstate commerce is unconstitutional.

Greensboro Sit-In

Feb 1, 1960

Four student from Carolina decided to sit at an all-white counter in civil protests. This ended up happening for weeks and also in other cities around the world.

Formation of SNCC

Apr 1, 1960

(Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) to promote and use non-violent means to protest racial discrimination.

First Freedom Ride

May 4, 1961

Organized mixed-race groups who rode interstate buses deep into the South to draw attention to and protest racial segregation.

James Meredith enrolls in Ole Miss

Sep 30, 1962

Blacks who attempted to enroll at ole miss. Kennedy is forced to send in troops to make this all happen.

Birmingham Protests

Jan 1, 1963

March that took place in Birmingham. Started out as a nonviolent protest, but soon turned violent.

March on Washington

Aug 28, 1963

A large political rally that took place in Washington D.C., where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream’ speech advocating racial harmony.

24th Amendment Passed

Jan 23, 1964

Eliminated the poll tax as a prerequisite to vote in national elections.

Malcolm X leads the Nation of Islam

Mar 1, 1964

Human rights activist.

Freedom Summer

Jun 1, 1964

A massive voter registration drive held in Mississippi and staffed both by black and white civil rights workers, turned violent and three workers were found murdered

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Jul 2, 1964

Passed by Johnson to honor death of JFK; banned segregation in public accommodations.

Malcolm X assassinated

Feb 21, 1965

Assassinated by rival Black Muslims while addressing his Organization of Afro-American Unity.

Selma March

Mar 17, 1965

Organized by Martin Luther King Jr., thousands of black protesters petition for the right to vote outside of city hall, in which they are ignored.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Aug 6, 1965

This was a response to the Freedom Summer, it outlawed literacy tests and sent federal voter registrars into several southern states.

Black Panthers founded

Oct 15, 1966

Led by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, they believed that racism was an inherent part of the U.S. capitalist society and were militant, self-styled revolutionaries for Black Powers.

Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination

Apr 4, 1968

James Earl Ray was convicted in killing Martin Luther KIng Jr., on April 4th, 1968 in Tennessee.

Civil Rights Act of 1968

Apr 11, 1968

This banned discrimination in housing, the segregation of education, transportation, and employment, helped African Americans gain their full voting rights.

Robert F. Kennedy assassinated

Jun 5, 1968

RFK was killed by Sirhan Sirhan.