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The Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott began on December 1, 1955 when Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to move her seat for a white man on the bus. This was a 13 month protest that ended with the Supreme Court ruling segregation on public buses to be unconstitutional. The NAACP, Martin Luther King and other activists got involved. Fun Fact: More than 75 percent of the city's bus riders were black. -
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The Civil Rights Movement
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The Little Rock 9
On September 4, 1957 a white mob gathered around Central High School protesting the admission of nine African American students. This became known as the little rock nine desegregation. NAACP lawyers got ivolved, and so did President Eisenhower. Fun Fact: Eisenhower sent around 1,000 troops to escort the students into their first day of school, -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 marked the first time since the Reconstruction that the government decided to take action to protect civil rights. Eisenhower signed this and it began a beginning committment for the civil rights movement. Fun Fact: More Republicans voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act than Democrats did. -
The Sit-In Movement
The sit in movement began on February 1, 1960 when four African American students decided to sit down at a Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. Martin Luther King and the NAACP got involved to help African American activists gain support around the country. Fun Fact: Many of the protesters involved in sit-ins were arrested on various charges including disturbing the peace, trespassing, and disorderly conduct -
The Freedom Riders
On May 4, 1961 a group of thirteen African American and white civil right activists launched what was called freedom rides. These were a series of bus trips through the south to protest against segregation on buses. The CORE got involved. This was also a part of the Boynton v Virginia case in Supreme Court. Fun Fact: When the freedom riders reached Atlanta and Alabama, they were either beaten or the bug got set on fire. -
James Meredith and the Desegregation of the University of Mississippi
In late September 1962, James Meredith, an African American, attempted to enroll at the University of Mississippi. Chaos broke out and two people were even killed. Meredith filed a lawsuit against the university, for racial discrimination. The case was ruled in his favor in September 1962. Meredith registered on October 1, 1962 and graduated the following year. Fun Fact: Hundreds were injured after the riots at the University, and the Kennedy Administration had to step in. -
Protests in Birmingham
In spring of 1963, activists in Birmingham, Alabama launched a bunch of lunch counter sit ins, marches at city hall and boycotts protesting the segregation laws. These peaceful events became violent when whites attacked them with firehoses or police dogs. JFK and MLK got involved. This campaign ended with a victory in May 1963 when officials moved the "whites only" and "blacks only" signs and try to desegregate. Fun Fact: Birmingham was America’s worst city for racism. -
The March on Washington
On August 28, 1963, around 200,000 Americans went to Washington D.C. for the March on Washington. These events were to shed light on the struggles African Americans faced throughout the country. Many civil rights and religious groups got involved. This event climaxed when MLK delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. Fun Fact: There were many celebrities there, including Bob Dylan, Jackie Robinson, Josephine Baker, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Marian Anderson and Joan Baez. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Senate voted 73-27 for this bill and President Johnson signed it into law on July 2, 1964. This law outlawed discrimination based on color, race, religion, sex or antuional origin. Blacks could no longer be denied service based on their color. MLK got involved as well as the NAACP. Fun Fact: Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. met for the first and only time during Senate's debate about this act. -
The Selma March
In early 1965, the SCLC made Selma, Alabama the focus of its goal to to register black voters in the south. On March 25, protsestors attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery. They were met with violent resistance, but they reached their goal. Thsi march and MLK's participation in it raised awareness and got the Voting Rights Act passed next year. Fun Fact: The church where the marchers left from was built in 1908 by an African American builder. -
The Voting Rights Act og 1965
On August 6, 1965, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This act's goal was to overcome the legal barriers that stood in African Americans' way from exercising their right to vote under the 15th amendment. MLK and other civil rights activists were involved and present at the ceremony for this act being passed. Fun Fact: The act states that citizen cannot be denied the right to vote for failed compliance with devices such as literacy tests. -
The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr
Shortly after 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. Martin Luther King was fatally shot. He was standing on his balcony outside of his hotel room. He was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. at St. Joseph's hospital. The assassin's name was James Earl Ray, and he pleaded guilty voluntarily and knowingly in court. He was sentenced to 99 years at the state pentitentiary. Fun Fact: The shot that killed Dr. King was fired from the bathroom window at the rear of a roominghouse at 422 1/2 S.
