-
Plessy v. Ferguson
This case upheld state laws that required racial segregation in public facilities as long as they were “separate but equal”. It came to the courts after Homer Adolph Plessy was denied his rights on the East Louisiana Railroad. The courts ruled that Louisiana had the right to regulate their train companies. -
Brown v. Board of Education
This case declared states laws that established segregated schools for black and white students was unconstitutional. This also overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision which allowed segregation in states. This case ruled that de jure racial segregation was a violation of the 14th amendment. This case was significant because it created a pathway for integration in the United States. -
Emmett Till is murdered
Emmett Till was a black boy from Chicago. He was visiting his relatives in Mississippi when he was murdered after allegedly flirting with a white woman. His death prompted black support and white sympathy throughout the United States. It also brought down scrutiny against black civil rights in Mississippi. Emmett Till’s murder was a pivotal event in motivation the African-American Civil Rights Movement. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political protest against racial segregation in public transit. Rosa Parks started this campaign when she refused to give up her seat to a white person. Parks was later arrested, but her refusal led to a federal ruling. The Supreme Court decided that the Alabama and Montgomery law that required buses to be segregated was unconstitutional. It also stimulated activism and participation in the Civil Rights Movement, as well as gave Martin Luther King a leadership ro -
Little Rock School Desegregation
After the Brown v. Board of Education case the NAACP attempted to register black students to white schools throughout the South. One of these attempts was to desegregate the schools of Little Rock, specifically on high school, Little Rock Central. The governor had the Arkansas National Guard to block the black students from the school as they attempted to desegregate the high school. Federal troops then came in to escort the students in school. This event later ended with the first graduation of -
Sit-ins at Greensboro
The Sit-ins in Greensboro were a set of nonviolent protests. College students sat down at the lunch counter inside of Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, North Carolina. The store refused to serve theblack students at the “whites only” counter and asked the students to leave. This continued while white customers heckled students. As students got arrested, their families refused to purchase products at the store leading to drop in sales. The store’s owners later abandoned their segregation policies -
March on Birmingham
Birmingham Alabama was, at the time, one of the most segregated cities in the United States. It was organized that students and children would meet up and march through town as a demonstration. In doing so, the police officers of Birmingham set dogs on the marchers, as well as sprayed them with fire hoses. The campaign aimed to fill jails with protestors in order to force the city to negotiate as demonstrations continued to occur. This demonstration caused Birmingham to slowly desegregate. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington was one of the largest rallies for human rights in history. The goal of the march was to start equal civil and economic rights for African Americans. At this rally Martin Luther King. Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech which advocated racial equality and harmony. This march helped pass the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson, this piece of legislation outlawed discrimination against ethnicity, race, religion, and women. It also ended unequal voter registration rules and racial segregation in schools, workplaces, and public facilities. -
March on Selma
The march took place from Selma to Montgomery and aimed to ask Governor George Wallace if he had any affiliation with the state troopers who shot Jimmie Lee Jackson during a march. The march allowed those who wanted to address Jackson’s death with violence to participate in a nonviolent goal. The marchers wanted to bring attention to their violation of rights in Selma. During the first march, state troopers attacked demonstrators and fired tear gas. The marches caused public opinion about the Ci -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act (signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson) outlawed voting practices that discriminated against African Americans in the U.S. The act does not allow states to put into place voting qualifications that would deny U.S citizens the right to vote because of their race. This act aimed to stop states from requiring a literacy test before registering to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark in civil-rights legislation because it allowed African Americans to vote without prerequisites. -
Civil Rights Act of 1968
This act provided equal housing opportunities for all people regardless of race. This act came into law after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr when civil unrest engulfed the country. This act was significant because it allowed all people to get housing no matter their sex, race, or physical condition.