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In Topeka, Kansas, Oliver Brown was told that his daughter could not attend a nearby white school. The NAACP then filed a class-action lawsuit in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously 9-0 that racial segregation in public schools violated the 14th Amendment. In ended the “separate but equal” precedent in the Plessy v. Ferguson 60 years ago. The case helped inspire the American civil rights movement in the 50’s and 60’s. -
In a town named Money, Mississippi, a 14-year old boy, Emmit Till, was brutally murdered. He allegedly whistled at a white woman as a way to flirt, before being beaten, shot, and drowned to death. He had an open-casket funeral where people witnessed the true horrors done to Emmit. In 2017, Carolyn Bryant admitted that Till never harassed her by saying “Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him.” It was a spark to the Civil Rights Movement. -
In Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks was riding a crowded bus when she got told to surrender her seat and refused to. She then got arrested and was fined $14. She was an accomplished activist by working with NAACP on other civil rights cases. She ignited the successful campaign that brought many people to a bus boycott. Her case forced the city to desegregate city buses permanently. -
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 individuals cities. It played key roles in March on Washington in 1963 and the Voting Rights Campaign and March to Montgomery in 1965. -
Nine black students were chosen to integrate in a Central High School in Arkansas. After the Supreme Court ruled for desegregating schools, Little Rock 9 made a plan of gradual integration. The NAACP city police escorted the Little Rock 9 into the school. They faced threats and bullying, but one girl named Carlotta, was brave and determined to graduate. They inspired further civil rights demonstrations. -
In Greensboro, North Carolina, 4 African American students started a civil rights protest inspired by the action of the 1955 brutal murder of Emmit Till. They refused to leave after being denied service in a Woolworth’s lunch counter. 4 days later, 300 students had joined the protest and the sit-in movement spread quickly to college towns. It also led to other segregation protests. The Greensboro Sit-Ins were a turning point in Black history bringing equal rights in the U.S. -
In New Orleans, Luisiana, a test was assigned to 6 children to get the smartest kid to enter an all-white school. Among one of those 6 children, Ruby Bridges, a 6yr old passed the test. Protests from white parent’s led to concerns for her safety. She was escorted by federal marshals. After she was brought into the principal's office, the crowd immediately ran inside to get their kids. She was taught by one teacher. Her bravery helped pave the way for Civil Rights actions in the South. -
In Birmingham, Alabama, 13 civil rights activists rode from city to city in the South. They aimed to challenge racial segregation in bus stations. Many faced beatings and arrests. Robert Kennedy had no choice to enforce desegregation with I.C.C.. Still, riders would visit the south until all signs that were for segregation came down. -
In Washington D.C., the largest gathering of civil rights took place. About 250,000 people attended the March on Washington for jobs and freedom. The March was a peaceful occasion including many other races fighting for their civil rights and MLK giving his powerful speech known as “I have a dream.” -
The Civil Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. It enabled the federal government to prevent racial discrimination and segregation. It banned discriminatory practices in employment and ended segregation in public and private places. -
Malcom X was one of the most popular men in New York City. He was the face of the Nation of Islam. Although committed crimes at a young age and went to prison at the age of 20, he started inspiring African Americans to be proud of themselves. He also admitted that he had made a mistake about preaching hate against white people and agreed with Martin Luther King Jr. He was giving a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, and was assassinated at 39 years old, leaving his wife and 6 daughters. -
Series of civil rights protests occurred in Alabama in an effort to register Black voters in the South. They marched a 54-mile route from Selma to Montgomery. They were confronted with the local authorities and white vigilant groups, and many were attacked now known as Bloody Sunday. The second March, Martin Luther King Jr led 2,000 marchers. where they prayed on the bridge and they were told to leave. The marches allowed Blacks to vote without racist structures. -
In Alabama, President Lyndon B. Johnson gave a speech that called for nationwide support for voting rights. The Voting Rights Act would pass the House and Senate with civil rights activists present. Johnson then signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into a law. This allowed the right to vote for all Americans regardless of their ethnicity, sex, nationality, or other factors. -
Martin Luther King was the head of the SCLC. He studied medicine and law and spent 3 years in seminary. He went off to have a family and had 4 children. One of his biggest and well known protests was his speech that took place in Washington. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and was able to continue the growth of the civil rights movement. Unfortunately, he was killed at the Lorraine Motel by a sniper’s bullet. He is still remember and honored to this day.