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Brown v. Board of Education
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund begins looking for the ideal case to fight segregation in public schools. It chooses a group of elementary school students and their parents in Topeka, Kansas. They sue the school board . The case makes it to the supreme court. There is a unanimous decision issued on May 17, 1954. It finds that the separate but equal rule could never work. The NAACP won! It takes nearly 20 years for American public schools to fully desegregate. -
Emmett Till is Murdered
Emmett Till, a who was a fourteen year-old African American from Chicago, takes a summer trip to visit relatives in Mississippi. After Till whistled at a white woman, her husband kidnapped Emmett, killed him, and dumped his body in a river. People were deeply concerned when Till's attackers are acquitted from charges in court.
People realize that there is a long way to go until equality is reached especially in the South. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. After her arrest, meetings were held and pamphlets were distributed to organize a bus boycott. The leader was Martin Luther King Jr., a newcomer to the civil rights movement. African Americans walked long distances to avoid using the buses.
The buses were officially desegregated on December 20, 1956, over a year after the start of the boycott. -
Little Rock 9 Integration
Nine black students are finally allowed to enroll at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas On Sept. 4, 1957. The governor of Arkansas orders the National Guard to not let the students in because it is too dangerous. Three weeks later, a judge orders the National Guard to be removed. The next day, the "Little Rock Nine" enter the school, but a crowd outside turns into a violent mob. The police said it is not safe so they go home. The president uses solderers to let the black students in. -
Freedom Rides
The Freedom Riders were Black people who rode on buses in the South to test the segregation laws there. The group traveled through many states without any issues, however, once they reached Anniston, Alabama, they encountered any angry mob with weapons and the police did not get involved. After that, in Birmingham, Alabama the group is attacked once more. Even after it is announced that segregation will be banned in all public places, the rides continue to show the resilience of the protesters. -
The Children’s Crusade
On May 2, 2963, black children skip school in order to protest civil rights. The Public Safety Commissioner of Alabama orders thousands of children to be arrested. The next day over a thousand children turn out for day #2. This time, the march ends violently with police officers hosing off protesters and police dogs attacking them. The event sparked national outrage and they agreed to desegregate lunch counters and hire black workers in exchange for an end to boycotts and demonstrations. -
March on Washington
Over 200,000 people participated in the March on Washington. The point of the march was for equality for African Americans and to improve job opportunities for them. The marchers also supported school integration and an end to racial discrimination. The event was held in Washington D.C. by the Lincoln Memorial. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech during the march. The event's critics were White supremacist groups, as well as some black activists such as Malcolm X. -
Baptist Church Bombing
Four African American girls, who were all 14, are killed at a church in Birmingham, Alabama when a bomb explodes. In addition, 20 other people are injured. The church was known to host civil rights meetings. Over 8,000 people attend the girls funerals. It isn't until 1977 that Ku Klux Klan leader Robert "Dynamite Bob" Chambliss is convicted in the church bombing. -
Freedom Summer
Less than 10 percent of the African American population in Mississippi are registered to vote. The NAACP launches a campaign to try to increase that number. Also, many white college students volunteer to teach African American students who still have to use segregated schools with outdated text books. On June 21, 1964, three members of the program disappear after resistance from White Supremacist groups. The bodies around found dead under a dam. Some KKK members are convicted, others walk free. -
Bloody Sunday (Selma)
Around 600 black people were marching 50 miles from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama on March 7, 1965. The governor of Alabama says that the march is not allowed, and when the Mayor of Selma also orders the march to stop, and the marches do not comply, things get violent. Police Officers use nightclubs and tear gas on the marchers, causing dozens of injuries. President Johnson i concerned and has congress initiate a bill to allow blacks to vote. The protests continue, now with over 25,000 marchers. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was initiated because president Lyndon B. Johnson needed more laws to back up the fifteenth Amendment, which guaranteed African Americans the right to vote. The act bans racial discrimination in voting practices by local, state and federal governments and also makes sure that no literacy tests are required, which have been a problem in the past. The bill was passed and signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
