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Plessy v. Ferguson
Louisina passed a law in 1890 that required that there be seperate train cars for whites, and for blacks. An individual named Homer Plessy, who was only 1/8 African American, was arrested for sitting in the whites only train car. Plessy was voted against, and did not win the trial to appeal the arrest. This event shows how strict racial laws were in the late 1800's -
Brown v. Board of Education
A very important Supreme Court Case, where segregated schools were considered unconstitutional. This marked the true beginning of the civil rights moovement, and was a big leap forward considering how racist America still was, -
Emmett Till Is Murdered
Emment Till, a young black boy, was brutally murdered by two white men, after reportedly flirting with a white woman. Emmett's mother insisted on having an open casket funeral to demonstrate just how brutal the murder was. Due to problems with identifying Emmett's face, the murderers did not face charges, but this showed just how bad racial injustice was getting in the US. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
It all started when Rosa Parks, an icon in the civil rights movement,was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. Many African Americans boycotted the bus, which lead to a depreciation in a large number of bus riders. This eventually lead to a court ruling that bus laws were unconstitutional. -
Little Rock School Desegregation
9 students, known as the Little Rock 9, were applied to Little Rock Highschool. Whites were furious at this, and the governor even sent the national guard to try and keep the students out. Eisenhower then sent the army to escort the students in the highschool. Although only one of the students gradutated, it was a big leap in the desegregation of schools. -
Sit-ins in Greensboro/Nashville
A series of non violent protests were commited to try and desegregate lunch tables. Strategies were set up to keep waves of African Americans to come in every time one group was arrested. This proved quite effective, as eventually, lunch tables were desegregated. -
Birmingham Civil Rights March
In an attempt to promote civil rights by the SCLC, many young students got out of school to march into downtown Alabama. Authority figures then continued to use many means of force to try and stop them. Images of the authorities injuring young children really made an impact on the image of racism. -
March on Washington
As one of the largest political rallies in the history of the United States, this march was a very effective protest. This was where Martin Luther King Jr. presented his famous I have a Dream speech. The march was focused on jobs and freedom, and led to the passing of many important civil rights laws. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
A very important milestone in the civil rights movement, this Act made it illegal to to discriminate based on skin color, and it also ended workplace and school segregation. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This Act made it illegal to deny any US citizen, no matter of skin color, the right to vote. This was an important landmark, and allowed African Americans to take part in politics. -
Martin Luther King Assassinated
As a key figure in the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr. did so much to help minimize discrimination in America. The alleged murdurer, James Earl Ray, was arrested for his wrong doing. It was a sad day for those affected by King's great words.
