The Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968)

By ApolloPerono

  • Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

    Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
    The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.

  • Montgomery Bus Boycott Begins

    Montgomery Bus Boycott Begins
    Sparked by Rosa Parks' arrest on December 1, African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, led by Martin Luther King Jr., launched a boycott against segregated buses. It lasted over a year and ended with a Supreme Court ruling desegregating public transportation.

  • Little Rock Nine and School Integration

    Little Rock Nine and School Integration
    Nine Black students attempted to enter Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, facing violent resistance. President Eisenhower sent federal troops to enforce desegregation.

  • Greensboro Sit-ins

    Greensboro Sit-ins
    Four African American college students in Greensboro, North Carolina, sat at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter and refused to leave, igniting a wave of nonviolent protests.

  • Freedom Rides Begin

    Freedom Rides Begin
    Activists, both Black and white, rode interstate buses into the segregated South to challenge illegal segregation in bus terminals. Riders faced violent resistance but drew national attention.

  • March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

    March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
    Over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., to advocate for civil rights. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.

  • Civil Rights Act of 1964 Signed into Law

    Civil Rights Act of 1964 Signed into Law
    President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, banning discrimination in public places, schools, and workplaces based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

  • Voting Rights Act of 1965 Passed

    Voting Rights Act of 1965 Passed
    The Voting Rights Act outlawed discriminatory voting practices, such as literacy tests, that were used to suppress Black voters in the South.

  • Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

    Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
    Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, while supporting a sanitation workers' strike. His death marked a turning point in the movement.

  • Fair Housing Act of 1968 Passed

    Fair Housing Act of 1968 Passed
    This law banned discrimination in housing based on race, religion, or national origin, making it illegal to refuse housing opportunities based on these factors.