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Brown V. Board of Education
In this Supreme Court case, judges anonymously ruled that it was unconstitutional to segregate children in schools. This was for public schools and lead to the previous slogan "separate but equal". -
White Citizens Council
The White Citizens Council was a group of activists and citizens fighting against equality. They had 250,000 members by 1956 and would not tolerate an integrated south. They created children’s books with segregated heaven and supported white schools. This group used economical and political influences against those that were supporting the decisions of the Supreme Court. -
Brown V. Board of Education II
Although Brown V. Board I ruled that it was illegal to deny black children an entrance to public schools, it still was a problem. Many all-white schools still didn't allow it and this case ruled that it would be illegal. These schools and any school would be obligated to incorporate black children. -
Lynching of Emmett Till
Emmett Till had said "Bye Baby" to a white woman while walking out of a convenience store. The husband of the woman went to Till's house in the middle of the night with another man and dragged Emmet into their car. His body was mangled and beaten, therefore his mom chose to have an open casket so everyone could see the damage done to her innocent boy. -
Rosa Parks Arrested
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in a bus to a white man. This sparked a bus boycott and civil rights movements. The Supreme Court ended up ruling that segregation on buses was unconstitutional after a year. Rosa Parks lost her job through this time and got arrested for disobeying the law when she was forced off the bus. -
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
Within city buses in Alabama, African Americans refused to ride them. Rosa Parks was arrested before this began for not giving up her seat to a white man. She was also fined. This is when MLK emerged. Montgomery Improvement Association was formed and finally surpassed the court ruling that it was unconstitutional to segregate buses. -
Martin Luther King House Bombing
On this day, MLK's house was bombed. No person has been found as a criminal to be persecuted to this day. His family had not been injured and it was during his speech at a meeting that this had happened. The front porch was damaged and although many supporters of MLK were angered, he held his hand up and calmly spoke in God's word and told them not to panick. -
Bombing of Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth
Dying at the age of 89, Shuttlesworth survived many beatings and bombings. This day, Ku Klux Klan members bombed his house. There were no serious injuries but the blast even caused damage to the church next door. The white mob would continuously attack Shuttlesworth and his wife in the next years, especially when he tried to enroll his kids in an all-white school. -
SCLC Founded
This group was founded after the Bus Boycott ended. They were all for non-violence and wanted to help raise awareness and advance all efforts for civil rights in America. It's first president was Martin Luther King Jr. -
Eisenhower Sends in Federal Troops
Although against their Arkansas Governor and all-white school, nine black students went to a Central High School in Little Rock. This happened after Brown v. Board II, guaranteeing their rights. They entered with troop escorts to provide safety to them. President Eisenhower had sent in federal troops to enforce the court order. -
SNCC Formed
This organization was organized within the first "wave" of students trying to protest for the overall movement to go faster. This encouraged younger blacks to get involved. It also helped teach tactics like nonviolence. -
Greensboro Sit-ins
A Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, was segregated. A civil rights protest took place and many young African American protestors organized a sit-in. Soon many of them got arrested for disturbing the area and trespassing into the lunch area. In the end, Woolworth, as well as other places, changed their rules on segregation. -
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Albany Georgia "Failure"
The Albany Movement was a desegregation movement and focused on voting rights. It was considered to be a failure because the police chief refused to be persuaded to violence. They slowed Martin Luther King Jr.'s desires to gain attention and awareness for the movement. -
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Freedom Riders
Freedom Riders were people who were against the segregation in buses. They rode and tried to use white-only public areas like bathrooms or bus lines. They faced much violence from whites and were arrested often. They did gain international attention. -
White mob attacks federal marshals in Montgomery
Kennedy wanted to keep order with the Freedom Riders. He ended up sending in 600 Federal Marshals who were attacked by a white mob. The mob riders used bats and pipes to attack the Marshals and freedom riders. The federal Marshals had to use tear gas to force the white mob to back off. -
Bailey V. Patterson
African Americans living in Jackson (Mississippi) brought this to court. They wanted more equality on interstate and intrastate transportation. Involving the service, the supreme court concluded that it would be unconstitutional for the transportation to be racially segregated. -
MLK goes to Birmingham Jail
Martin Luther King was arrested for being involved in the non-violent protests. He was sent to jail where he sent a famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail" addressed to white clergymen who were against his ways. There were boycotts, marches, and sit-ins as part of this non-violence. -
Kennedy Sends in Federal Troops
Kennedy expresses the need to maintain riot-control in Birmingham and that the government will go to it’s extents to be sure that happens. He ordered the National Alabama Guard to federal uses if violence erupted again. He had to use them to maintain control the first time and wants citizens to have equal treatment and peaceful negotiations. He also sent in federal troops during the Freedom Bus Rides because of white activists attacking the riders. -
Assassination of Medgar Evers
Medgar was an African American civil rights leader and was shot in his driveway. Byron de la Beckwick shot him and when buried, Medgar had received full military honors after participating in the Normandy invasion. -
March on Washington “I have a Dream”
Martin Luther King gave a speech to about 250,000 people at the March for Freedom and Jobs. It was a peaceful rally and gave his famous "I have a Dream" speech, consisting of his dreams that his children will not be judged by the color of their skin when they grow up. The Civil Rights Movement soon made effect with the 24th Amendment and Civil Rights Act. -
Bombing of a church in Birmingham
Before the services of Sunday morning, the meeting place for many black civil rights leaders as well as a worship location for many African Americans was bombed. The outrage and protesters and police all gained the attention of the nation and demonstrated the risks that blacks take for equality. -
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
JFK was the 35th President of the United States. Driving down the streets of Dallas sitting in a convertible, he was shot next to his wife. Oswald was the shooter and later shot a policeman as well. Later, Jack Ruby shot Oswald out of anger and some call him a hero. -
24th Amendment
The 24th amendment got rid of any poll taxes. This prohibited the government from targeting any specific social classes. -
Freedom Summer
Freedom Summer was organized by multiple organizations. Its goal consisted of increasing black voter registration and many whites like the KKK used violence against the activists. After this, peace and violence were largely questioned. -
Killing of Goodman, Chaney, Schwerner
Three civil rights leaders went missing and were all three part of the CORE. There was a large FBI search that took place to find them called MIBURN, standing for "Mississippi Burn". They (all three) went to investigate a burnt down church (in Neshoba) that the KKK burnt down. They threw a man in jail and later when he got out on bail he chased the three down. The klansmen pulled up and killed them. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act ended segregation in locations that were public and stopped employment racism, where blacks wouldn't be employed because of their skin color. This act was primarily proposed by J. F. Kennedy, the president. Many Southerners opposed. -
Assassination of Malcolm X
Rival Black Muslims assassinated Malcolm X in New York City. He had the courage to advocate for human rights for the Organisation of African American Unity. His home was firebombed a week before his death. -
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Selma to Montgomery March
Happening in Alabama, protesters marched along a 54-mile route. Their goal was to register black voters in the South. They finally achieved the goal and brought attention to the issues of black lives. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed this act into the law in 1965. The goal of this law was to get rid of the obstacles in the way of African Americans right to vote. Some of these obstacles included legal state and local laws that didn't quite obey the 15th Amendment. -
Black Panthers Organization
Huey Newton and Bobby Seale created this organization in 1966. The organization challenged the police "brutality" used with African Americans. Internal tensions, shootouts, and FBI interventions declined the group. -
Loving v. Virginia
This Supreme Court Case allowed legal interracial marriage in the United States. Richard and Mildred Loving's marriage was illegal under Virginia's laws but they fought. In the end, the ban of their marriage was declared unconstitutional under the 14th amendment. -
Minneapolis Riots
More than 30 fires were lit within 30 days. Many buildings were burnt down. Racial tensions led to this flare where young African Americans saw government as unfair. Fires happened the night of the Minneapolis Aquatennial Torchlight parade. -
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Detroit Riots
These riots were one of the most violent streaks of riots in history. In only 5 days, 43 people had died, 342 were injured, and 1,400 buildings were burnt down in flames. National Guard and Army troops had to be called in because of the severity. The city had been facing unemployment rates going up and impoverished people. There were many arrests. -
Assassination of MLK
Martin Luther King was a major Civil Rights leader who taught non-violence. He was shot in Tennessee and many African Americans became outraged. Shot in the neck, he was pronounced dead only an hour later. -
Assassination of Robert “Bobby” Kennedy
Bobby Kennedy was shot right after winning the California presidential primary. Kennedy was seen as an opportunity of a person to reunite the people who were fighting against each other. Sirhan confessed and spent the rest of his life in prison. -
Equal Pay Act
The Equal Pay Act is a law that bans gender wages where men earn more than women. One of the first gender laws in workplaces, this bill stops the century-long problem of wage gaps. These efforts had first escalated during the ending of World War 2.
