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White flight accelerated in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly following Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and subsequent desegregation efforts, leading to increased suburbanization and economic segregation in American -
This landmark Supreme Court case declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson and setting the stage for desegregation efforts. -
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Sparked by Rosa Parks’ arrest, this year-long boycott of Montgomery’s segregated bus system led to a Supreme Court ruling that outlawed bus segregation. -
The Ku Klux Klan escalated violent attacks throughout the Civil Rights Movement, including the lynching of Emmett Till (August 28, 1955) and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing (September 15, 1963) that killed four Black girls in Birmingham, Alabama. -
A document signed by 101 Southern Congress members in opposition to the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, declaring the ruling an abuse of judicial power. It urged states to resist integration and led to widespread defiance against desegregation efforts in the South.
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Signed on March 12, 1956, by over 100 Southern congressmen, the manifesto condemned the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and encouraged resistance to desegregation. -
Nine Black students integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, facing violent resistance and requiring federal intervention by President Eisenhower. -
Black college students launched peaceful sit-ins at segregated lunch counters, starting in Greensboro, North Carolina, and spreading nationwide, leading to desegregation of many public spaces. -
Founded in 1966, the Black Panther Party promoted self-defense, community programs, and armed resistance against police brutality, challenging the nonviolent approach. -
Southern senators filibustered civil rights bills throughout the 1950s and 1960s, with the longest single-person filibuster occurring on August 28–29, 1957, when Strom Thurmond spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957. A major filibuster also delayed the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, lasting from March 30 to June 10, 1964, before being broken -
Interracial activists rode buses through the South to challenge segregation in interstate travel, facing brutal attacks but ultimately forcing federal enforcement of desegregation laws. -
James Meredith became the first Black student to integrate the University of Mississippi, sparking riots that required federal troops to restore order. -
Civil rights activists, including Martin Luther King Jr., organized boycotts, sit-ins, and marches in Birmingham, Alabama, facing violent police repression that shocked the nation. -
Over 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, where MLK delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, advocating for civil and economic rights. -
This landmark legislation outlawed segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. -
This amendment abolished poll taxes in federal elections, removing a financial barrier that had been used to suppress Black voters, particularly in the South. -
A series of marches advocating for voting rights, including “Bloody Sunday,” where peaceful marchers were brutally attacked by police, leading to national outrage. -
This law eliminated discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests and empowered federal oversight in states with histories of voter suppression. -
Issued by President Lyndon B. Johnson, this order required government contractors to take affirmative action in hiring minorities and later expanded to include women. -
On March 7, 1965, Alabama state troopers brutally attacked peaceful voting rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, leading to national outrage and helping pass the Voting Rights Act later that year. -
This Supreme Court case ruled that poll taxes in state elections were unconstitutional, further protecting voting rights. -
Passed after MLK’s assassination, this law prohibited housing discrimination based on race, religion, or national origin, aiming to combat redlining and segregation. -
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, sparking nationwide riots and marking a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. -
Policies were implemented to address historical discrimination in education and employment, but they have faced legal challenges and political debate over time -
This Supreme Court decision upheld busing as a means to achieve school desegregation, helping integrate schools across the country. -
This group of African American members of Congress was established to advocate for Black political interests and increase representation in national policymaking. -
This Supreme Court case upheld affirmative action in college admissions but ruled against racial quotas, shaping future policies on race-conscious admissions -
Harold Washington became the first Black mayor of Chicago, reflecting the growing political power of Black communities in major cities. -
This law reinforced desegregation efforts by requiring that institutions receiving federal funds comply with civil rights laws across all programs, not just in specific areas.