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Separate but equal was not equal, white people's schools had better resources while black people had worse resources. In 1952 the NAACP brought cases that proved the black student schools were not equal. May 17 1954 the super court 9-0 declared that separate but equal was unconstitutional. -
The murder of Emmet Till took place on August 28, 1955, in Money, Mississippi. Emmett Till, a 14-years-old African American boy from Chicago, was visiting relatives in Mississippi when he was accused of offending a white woman, a few days later, her husband and his half brother kidnapped him and tortured him and then they throw him to the Tallahatchie River. A few days later his body was found and his mother held an open casket funeral to expose the brutality of his murder. -
In 1955, Rosa Parks, an African American woman, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The boycott lasted for over a year, from December 5, 1955, to December 20, 1956. It aimed to challenge racial segregation on public transportation. Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional. -
The SCLC was an organization linked to the black churches. 60 black ministers were pivotal in organizing civil right activism. Martin Luther King Jr was elected President. They focused its non violent strategy on citizenship, schools and efforts to desegregate individual cities. It played key roles in the March on Washington in 1963 and the Selma Voting Rights Campaign and March to Montgomery in 1965. -
The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine African American students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. They faced intense opposition and hostility from white segregationists. Their courage played a key role in the Civil Rights Movement, challenging racial segregation in public schools. -
The Greensboro Sit-ins were led by four Black college students Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain, and Joseph McNeil on February 1, 1960, at a Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. They protested racial segregation by sitting at the "whites-only" counter. Their actions sparked a wave of sit-ins across the South, contributing to the Civil Rights Movement. -
Ruby Bridges was a six year old African American girl who, on November 14, 1960, became the first to integrate an all-white public school, William Frantz Elementary, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was escorted by federal marshals due to violent protests and threats. -
The Freedom Riders were a group of civil rights activists, both Black and white, who rode interstate buses in the 1960s to challenge segregation in the South. They were primarily active from 1961, targeting segregated bus terminals and public facilities. Their efforts were met with violent resistance, drawing national attention to racial injustice. -
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place on August 28, 1963, in Washington, D.C. It was led by civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., advocating for racial equality, jobs, and freedom. The event culminated in Dr. King's iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, drawing around 250,000 participants. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in employment, education, and public accommodations. The Act was a major victory in the Civil Rights Movement, aiming to end segregation and promote equality. -
The Selma to Montgomery Marches, including Bloody Sunday, involved civil rights activists, primarily led by figures like John Lewis and Hosea Williams. They marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in March 1965 to demand voting rights for African Americans. On March 7, law enforcement brutally attacked protesters, sparking national outrage and leading to the eventual passage of the Voting Rights Act. -
Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965.
He was shot while giving a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City.
Three gunmen, believed to be associated with the Nation of Islam, were responsible for his death. -
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting, particularly in the South, where laws like literacy tests and poll taxes were used to disenfranchise Black voters. The Act's passage followed the Selma to Montgomery marches and was a key victory in the Civil Rights Movement. -
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. The shooter, James Earl Ray, was arrested and charged with the murder. King's assassination shocked the nation and fueled further civil rights activism.