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Double Victory Campaign
The Double Victory Campaign stood for "Victory Abroad and Victory at Home." Essentially, this campaign championed military success against fascism overseas and also demanded equality for African Americans in the United States. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
This was a boycott where African Americans refused to ride city buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Eventually, the Supreme Court ruled segregation on public buses unconstitutional. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. This ruling is regarded as the greatest Supreme Court decision of the 20th century. -
Little Rock Nine
This was a group of African American high school students who challenged racial segregation in the public schools of Little Rock, Arkansas. The group faced lots of bullying/harassment from their white peers but it marked the first instance of an integrated high school. -
Birmingham Campaign
More than 1,000 African American students attempted to march into downtown Birmingham and hundreds were arrested. The goal of this campaign was to bring national attention to the efforts of local black leaders to desegregate public facilities in Alabama. -
March on Washington
This was a massive protest in which 250,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The demonstration was to spotlight economic inequalities and press for a new federal jobs program that allowed a higher minimum wage. -
Civil Rights Act
This act ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Legal segregation/discrimination was officially ended. -
Freedom Summer
This was a voter registration drive aimed at increasing the number of registered Black voters in Mississippi. Over 700 white volunteers joined African Americans to fight against voter intimidation. -
Watts Riots
The riots were caused because of the arrest of an African American man on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. The goal of these riots was to end the mistreatment by the police and to end discrimination in housing, employment, and schooling systems. -
Selma March and Voting Rights Act
Peaceful protesters marching for voting rights in Alabame were attacked by state troopers and the day was nicknamed "Bloody Sunday." This led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act which granted the right to vote to all African Americans. -
Black Power Movement and the Black Panther Party
This organization/movement was built on the idea of Black nationalism, socialism, and armed self-defense. Racial pride and the creaiton of political and cultural instirutions were emphasized. -
Assassination of MLK and Subsequent Riots
There was a wave of civil disturbances which swept the United States after MLK's death. Rioting and looting began, primarily in black urban areas.