Civil Rights Timeline

  • Keys v. Carolina Coach

    Keys v. Carolina Coach
    Ruled against segregation on public transport - it was a Supreme Court Case
  • Emmett Till is Murdered

    Emmett Till is Murdered
    A fourteen-year-old African American kid named Emmett Till is murdered for allegedly flirting with a white woman. - Violence by the opposition
  • Montgomery Bus Boycott

    Montgomery Bus Boycott
    African Americans refused to use the city transport. It was the first large-scale demonstration against segregation. Rosa Park's arrest also inspired it for refusing to surrender her seat four days before - Protest
  • Little Rock Nine Crisis

    Little Rock Nine Crisis
    Nine African American students were selected to enroll in an all-white school. The governor of Arkansas called in the Arkansas national guard to keep the students out of the school, provoking Eisenhower to override his authority and use the national guard to protect the students. - Protest, Legislation
  • Civil Rights Act of 1957

    Civil Rights Act of 1957
    Federal protection guarantees African American voting rights due to disenfranchisement in the South - Legislation
  • Freedom Rides

    Freedom Rides
    Black and white civil rights activists protest segregation at bus terminals - protest
  • March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

    March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
    An estimated 200-300,000 people marched in order to pressure the government into creating more job opportunities - Protest
  • Civil Rights Act of 1964

    Civil Rights Act of 1964
    It ended segregation in public places and discrimination of employment based on race, religion, gender, and nationality - Legislation, Achievement
  • Voting Rights Act of 1965

    Voting Rights Act of 1965
    It prohibited Jim Crow laws, which allowed racial discrimination in voting centers - Legislation
  • Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

    Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
    Major civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, TN, following a civil rights rally he led the day before - Violence by Opposition
  • Swann v Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

    Swann v Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
    Charlotte-Mecklenbug schools still had racially segregated transportation for students. It was found unconstitutional - Achievement, Supreme Court Case
  • Shirley Chisholm’s Presidential Campaign

    Shirley Chisholm’s Presidential Campaign
    Shirley Chisholm was the first African American who ran in a US presidential election - Achievement
  • Hank Aaron's Home Run Record

    Hank Aaron's Home Run Record
    Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run, breaking the record previously set by Babe Ruth - Achievement
  • Barbara Jordan's Address at Democratic National Convention

    Barbara Jordan's Address at Democratic National Convention
    Barbara Jordan, a black woman, gave an address at the National Democratic Convention - Achievement
  • University of California Regents v Bakke

    University of California Regents v Bakke
    The University of California admitted to racial bias as a factor in admission to their school. This went against the 14th amendment - Supreme Court Case, Achievement