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First Black Student at the University of Mississippi
James Meredith becomes the first black student to enroll at
the University of Mississippi. Violence and riots surrounding the
incident cause President Kennedy to send 5,000 federal troops. -
MLK Arrested
Martin Luther King is arrested and jailed during
anti-segregation protests in Birmingham, Ala.; he writes his seminal
"Letter from Birmingham Jail," arguing that individuals have the moral
duty to disobey unjust laws. -
March on Washington
About 200,000 people join the March on
Washington. Congregating at the Lincoln Memorial, participants listen
as Martin Luther King delivers his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. -
Poll Tax Abolished
The 24th Amendment abolishes the poll tax, which originally
had been instituted in 11 southern states after Reconstruction to make it difficult for poor blacks to vote. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The
most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction, the Civil
Rights Act prohibits discrimination of all kinds based on race, color,
religion, or national origin. The law also provides the federal
government with the powers to enforce desegregation. -
Voting Rights of 1965
Congress passes the Voting Rights Act of 1965, making it
easier for Southern blacks to register to vote. Literacy tests, poll
taxes, and other such requirements that were used to restrict black
voting are made illegal. -
Employers "take affirmative action" in hiring minorities
Asserting that civil rights laws alone are not enough to
remedy discrimination, President Johnson issues Executive Order 11246,
which enforces affirmative action for the first time. It requires
government contractors to "take affirmative action" toward prospective
minority employees in all aspects of hiring and employment. -
MLK Shot Dead
In Memphis, Tennessee, Martin Luther King, at age 39, is
shot as he stands on the balcony outside his hotel room. Escaped
convict and committed racist James Earl Ray is convicted of the crime. -
Civil Rights Act of 1968
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968,
prohibiting discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of
housing. -
Integration for Public Schools
he Supreme Court, in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board
of Education, upholds busing as a legitimate means for achieving
integration of public schools. Although largely unwelcome (and
sometimes violently opposed) in local school districts, court-ordered
busing plans in cities such as Charlotte, Boston, and Denver continue
until the late 1990s.