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The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) is founded in Chicago, Illinois. CORE becomes one of the leading organizations advocating for racial equality and nonviolent direct action. -
In the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, the court declares racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. This ruling inspires civil rights activists across the nation. -
Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old African American girl, refuses to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery bus. This act of resistance predates the more well-known incident involving Rosa Parks but does not gain as much attention at the time. -
The Women's Political Council (WPC), an organization of African American women in Montgomery, holds a meeting to discuss strategies for combating racial segregation on city buses. Jo Ann Robinson, an English professor and WPC president, proposes a one-day boycott of the bus system. -
Rosa Parks, a civil rights activist and NAACP member, refuses to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, leading to her arrest. This event gains widespread attention and becomes a catalyst for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. -
The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) is formed at a mass meeting held at Holt Street Baptist Church. Martin Luther King Jr., a young minister, is elected as the president of the MIA, and the organization becomes the central coordinating body for the bus boycott. -
The Montgomery Bus Boycott officially begins. African American residents of Montgomery, led by the MIA, refuse to ride the city buses in protest against segregation. The boycott receives extensive media coverage. -
The Montgomery bus segregation case, Browder v. Gayle, is argued before the Supreme Court. The court rules that segregation on public buses is unconstitutional. -
The Supreme Court's ruling in Browder v. Gayle is implemented, officially desegregating the Montgomery bus system. The Montgomery Bus Boycott ends in victory for the civil rights movement.