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The Murder of Emmett Till
On August 24, 1955, 14 year old Emmett Till went to Money, Miss. to visit family. While on this trip Till and his friends went to the store looking to buy some drinks due to hot weather and Till was accused of offending the cashier, Carolyn Bryant. She had told her husband that Till made a ¨move¨ and spoke inappropriately to her. On August 28, Bryant's husband and his friend kidnapped Till and brutally beat him to death. This tragic event made sparked a movement we would never soon forget. -
Little Rock Nine
After the Brown v. Board of Education case, it was ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional. On Sept. it was ordered that integrated classes would begin. 9 African American students had arrived to join in on classes. Acts of verbal and threats of physical violence had been reported to the point where national troops were called in. The students were unable to pass and the crowd had to be held back using clubs. On Sept. 23, the students had finally gained access to the door. -
Greensboro Sit-In
On Feb. 1, four African American students had sat down for lunch at Woolworth´s, a eating area where you could only be served if you were white. After being denied service, the four students refused to give up their seats, and were planning on staying seated until service was provided. Police were called and arrived on scene but since there was no act of provocation, they weren´t able to do anything. The four stayed put until the cafe closed and arrived the next day with more college students. -
Letter From Birmingham Jail
Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of many wonders. He was involved in many activist marches, protests, and involved with many civil rights groups. One of his groups had made it to Birmingham, AL. Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities. There was a lot of police violence seen on TV and in person against protesters. Due to such violence, there wa a lot of public outrage and unprecedented civil rights legislation. During this campaign MLK had wrote his Letter from Birmingham Jail. -
March on Washington
In August of 1963, a quarter of a million people marched down to the National Mall in Washington D.C. yelling for "jobs and freedom". This march had 6 goals: yelling for sincere civil rights laws, a massive federal works program, full and fair employment, suitable housing, right to vote, and sufficient integrated education. On this march, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech. With this speech he hoped he could set forth his goal for society and hope for his kids. -
Race Riots in Harlem
The riots began in Harlem, NY following the shooting of 15 year old James Powell by a white officer. The incident was charged as an act of police brutality. About eight thousand Harlem residents went to the streets and launched a huge riot. They broke windows, set fire to a lot, and looted local businesses. The violence soon spread to neighbors. This continued for six days. The result of this was the death of one resident, over one hundred injuries, and more than 450 arrests. -
March From Selma to Montgomery
On March 7, 1965, six hundred people started to walk 45 miles from Selma to Montgomery. Six blocks into the march state police attacked the demonstrators with clubs, tear gas, and bullwhips and drove them all back to Selma. News footage was released and was seen and responded to from all over the world. With all the public support and views, the marchers were finally able to get a court order that permitted the match again after two more weeks without the incident.
