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Brown vs. Board of education of Topeka, Kansas
On the date May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States of America unanimously ruled that the segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. This ruling overturned the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson back in 1896, which ruled that Blacks and Whites could be separate but equal. Head attorney of the NAACP, Thurgood Marshall, won this case for the Brown family. This event was significant because it lead the way for desegregation in southern schools. -
The Death of Emmett Till
In August of 1955 Emmett Till was kidnapped, beaten, and shot while visiting his family in Mississippi. Two white men named J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant committed the murder. When they were taken to court they were tried by an all-white jury and then acquitted. Soon after this case the two murderers boasted about committing the murder in a magazine interview. This case was incredibly significant due to the fact that it displayed the horrible amount of hatred that whites harbored towards blacks. -
"The Little Rock Nine"
On September 4, 1957, the “Little Rock Nine,” a group of nine black students chosen to integrate into a former white-only school, were denied entry by Governor Orval Faubus. President Eisenhower called in the National Guard and federal troops the next day to allow the black students to enter the school. -
The Assassination of Malcolm X
Malcolm X was killed on February 21st, 1965. Islamic nationals shot him while he was speaking at a rally in New York. Unlike Martin Luther King, Malcolm X spoke out against white people and promoted violence only in the form of self-defense. He provided a alternate view to the Civil Rights movement and his death caused lots of anger within the black community. This allowed African Americans to further advance on their goals of Civil Rights. -
The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. occurred on April 4th, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray shot King with a snipers bullet from a .30 caliber rifle while he was standing on the balcony in front of his room at the Lorraine Motel. King was visiting Memphis to support a massive strike by black workers. This death led to an outpouring of anger among African Americans. This anger, accompanied by a long period of mourning quickly led to the creation of the Fair Housing Law.
