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Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court case that debated racial segregation in educational facilities. The 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case ruled the “separate but equal” policy was legal. The Supreme Court combined several cases into one case called Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, which reversed the 1896 court case ruling the “separate but equal” policy unconstitutional. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
On December 1, 1955 an African American woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus and was arrested for her actions. This started the movement by the NAACP that was led by Martin Luther King Jr., known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott lasted 381 days, and as a result on December 21, 1956 all buses in Montgomery, Alabama were integrated. -
The Southern Chrtistian Leadership Conference
Because of the successful Montgomery bus boycott, many African Americans throughout the South organized boycotts of their own. In January 10, 1957 representatives from the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) gathered in Atlanta, Georgia t discuss organizing a new peaceful protesters group called the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Martin Luther King Jr. as its President. SCLC was open to all faiths and races of people to nonviolently protest. -
The Little Rock Nine
In September 1957 nine African American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, became the first to integrate Central High School in Arkansas. Governor Orval Faubus refused to integrate that school so he used Arkansas National Guard to prevent them for entering the school for about three weeks. President Eisenhower eventually overruled Faubus’ decision and enforced federal troops to escort the students into and around the school for protection. -
The Greensboro Sit-ins
On February 1, 1960 four black college students in Greensboro, North Carolina held the first sit- in at a Woolworths’s store lunch counter. They were denied service, but stayed there until the stored closed without being arrested. Over the next few days they kept coming back with more and more protesters. Over the next two months 50 others southern cities began holding sit-ins. In July 1960 the sit-ins ended with lunch counters being integrated in Greensboro. -
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
SNCC's LegacyThe Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was one of the organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. It emerged from student meetings led by Ella Baker held at Shaw University in April 1960. SNCC worked on projects in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, and Maryland. SNCC played a major role in the sit-ins and freedom rides, March on Washington, Mississippi Freedom Summer, and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. -
Birmingham Campaign
Birmingham In April 1963 the Southern Christian Leadership Conference joined with the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, in a direct campaign to attack the city’s segregation system by putting pressure on Birmingham’s merchants. Albert Boutwell defeated Birmingham’s segregationist commissioner, Eugene ‘‘Bull’’ Connor. On 3 April the desegregation campaign was launched with meetings, direct actions, lunch counter sit-ins, marches on City Hall, and a boycott. -
Medgar Ever's Assassination
Medgar Ever's Assassination Medgar Wiley Evers was an African-American civil rights activist from Mississippi. Evers was assassinated by Byron De La Beckwith, a member of the Ku Klux Klan on June 12, 1963. On June 21, 1963, Beckwith was arrested for Evers' murder. In 1994, after the two previous trials had failed to reach a verdict, De La Beckwith was brought back to trial. De La Beckwith was convicted of murder on February 5, 1994. -
March on Washington
March on Washington The March on Washington was organized by A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin. The March on Washington was formed as a tool to organize a mass march on Washington, D.C., designed to pressure the U.S. government into desegregating armed forces and providing fair working opportunities for African Americans. Also, the March on Washington Movement was an attempt to pressure the U.S government and President Roosevelt into establishing protections against discrimination. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic, national and religious minorities, and women. It ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at workplace and facilities that served the general public. This act enforced the right to vote, control district courts of U.S to provide relief against discrimination. -
Malcolm X Killed
Malcolm X was an African American leader within the Nation of Islam, however fled and began peaceful relationships between whites even though he faced many death threats. On February 21st, Malcolm was in Harlem, where he was going to present his speech until he was shot by three members of the Nation of Islam. -
Selma to Montgomery March
This march was known as “bloody Sunday.” March 7th where they were attacked by police. Second attempt on March 9th where they kneeled and prayed, James Reeb was killed by white people during the time. Final attempt was on March 21st, where they had protection and petition for voting rights. -
Voting Rights of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was an act that kept voting practices from being discriminatory, due to the cause for the mass spread of disenfranchisement of the African Americans throughout the United States. This act prohibited states from influencing votes that were made based on only race or color, and was later signed by President B. Lyndon. -
Black Power & Black Panther Party
This was an organization that was focused on African-Americans throughout the United States. This was led by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale and later spread nationwide. This set ahead a doctrine that called for the safety of African-American neighborhoods from the abuse caused by police. -
Martin Luther King Jr. Killed
Dr. King was an American activist, who led many African American movements. He was an inspirational role model against segregation. On April 4th of 1968, Dr. King was shot in his motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Killer James Earl Ray was charged with crime and sentenced for 99 years in Tennessee State Penitentiary.
