Civil Rights timeline

  • Brown V. Board of Education

    Brown V. Board of Education
    Brown V. Board of Education Supreme Court decision declares segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Oliver Brown suit against the BOE in Topeka after his daughter was denied access to a white elementary school.
  • Rosa Parks arrested

    Rosa Parks arrested
    Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat to a white man on a crowded bus in Alabama. She was a civil rights activist she also launched a bus boycott with 17,000 AA citizens. This lead to the Montgomery bus boycott (December 5, 1955).
  • Start of Little Rock 9

    Start of Little Rock 9
    Little Rock 9 was the first 9 AA students to attend Little Rock High School(all white school). On the first day the National Guard came and stopped them from going into the school; they ended up having to go home, that day.
  • MLK jr. Famous Speech

    MLK jr. Famous Speech
    MLK jr.'s most famous speech was his "I have a dream" speech. This speech was during the March On Washington. He also was the president of the SCLC and lead many peaceful marches. He was also one of the most publicised activists during the civil rights movement.
  • Poll Tax on African American voters gone

    Poll Tax on African American voters gone
    The Poll Tax on AA to make it harder, or impossible, for them to be able to vote was outlawed when the 24th amendment was passed.
  • The Start of Freedom Summer

    The Start of Freedom Summer
    The 1st day of "Freedom Summer" 300 volunteers came to help AA's register to vote. They brought black and white college students to help AA's register to vote. Fannie Lou Hamer helped organize Freedom Summer.
  • Activist deaths by ku klux klan

    Activist deaths by ku klux klan
    Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney were all murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi . All 3 men were civil rights activists trying to help AA's vote.
  • Assassnation of Malcolm X

    Assassnation of Malcolm X
    Malcolm X was murdered by Thomas Hagan in Washington Heights. Malcolm X was a civil rights activist and part of the Nation of Islam.
  • Voting Rights Act

    Voting Rights Act
    The Voting Rights Act made it so the government can't make any laws against a certain race. For example, this took away to tax a certain race when voting.
  • Watts Riot

    Watts Riot
    The Watts Riots in LA lasted for 6 days, until the National Guard made a curfew. They started because an AA man, Frye, was arrested for supposedly being intoxicated while driving.
  • The Black Panther Party was Founded

    The Black Panther Party was Founded
    The Black Panther Party was founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton. The Black Panther Party was a group to support Black Nationalism, and self-defense.
  • Loving v. Virginia

    Loving v. Virginia
    In Loving v. Virginia the Supreme Court ruled that prohibiting interracial marriage is unconstitutional 9 years after a white man and a colored women, illegally, were married.
  • Detroit Riot

    Detroit Riot
    The Detroit Riot was a series of violent interactions between city police and a mainly AA neighborhood. After Police raided an illegal club, arresting many AA's.
  • Assassination of MLK jr.

    Assassination of MLK jr.
    MLK jr. was and still is one of the most influential civil rights activists. He conducted peaceful protests, marches, boycotts, and speeches. He was assassinated by James Earl Ray in the Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee.
  • Civil Rights Act of 1968

    Civil Rights Act of 1968
    This act prohibited the discrimination of AA's in housing.