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Brown v. Board of Education
The Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case declared racial segregation in schools as unconstitutional, which overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson. Because of this, it was a major legal victory for the NAACP and revitalized the growing civil rights movement. -
Emmett Till murder
Emmett Till was a 14-year-old black boy from Chicago, he was brutally murdered in Mississippi after having allegedly whistled at a white woman. His mother decided to have an open casket funeral to expose the brutality of racism, and it became a rallying point for activists. -
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Montgomery Bus Boycotts
The Montgomery Bus Boycotts were sparked by Rosa Parks’ arrest. It was a year-long protest against segregated seating on public buses. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the boycott resulted in a Supreme Court decision that outlawed segregation on public transportation. -
Little Rock Nine
Nine African American students integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, facing mobs, threats, and military intervention. Their courage under pressure drew national attention and forced federal enforcement of desegregation -
Lunch Counter Sit-ins (Greensboro)
Four Black college students in Greensboro, North Carolina, sat at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter and refused to leave. Their peaceful protest caused a wave of sit-ins across the South, challenging segregation in public spaces. -
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Freedom Rides
The freedom riders were individuals who rode interstate buses into the segregated South to "enforce" Supreme Court rulings that banned segregation in bus terminals. Freedom Riders faced violence and arrests, but their actions pressured the federal government to enforce desegregation laws. -
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Birmingham Protests
Led by Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the protests aimed to challenge segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. There are images of police using fire hoses and dogs on peaceful protesters, including children, that shocked the nation and built support for civil rights legislation. -
March on Washington
Over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., to demand civil and economic rights for African Americans. It was here that Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, that called for racial justice and equality -
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Freedom Summer
Hundreds of volunteers traveled to Mississippi to help Black citizens register to vote and to establish community schools. The campaign faced severe violence, including the murder of three civil rights workers, but it exposed racial injustice in the South. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act outlawed segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It was a major legislative win that resulted from years of grassroots activism and national pressure. -
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Selma Marches
People marched from Selma to Montgomery to demand voting rights, facing brutal attacks on “Bloody Sunday.” The marches galvanized public opinion and led directly to new federal voting protections. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act outlawed discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests and poll taxes. It empowered the federal government to oversee voter registration in areas with a history of discrimination, dramatically increasing Black voter participation in the South.