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Landmark Supreme Court ruling establishing racial segregation as separate but equal.
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The Plessy v. Ferguson case ruled that segregated facilities had to be equal. In Topeka, Kansas schools for blacks were in bad condition and that's what started the case. The Supreme Court ruled segregated black and white schools unconstitutional.
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On December, 1st, 1955, Rosa Parks ignited the civil rights movement by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person. Later that day she was arrested.
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Schools in the south do not follow the Brown v. Education ruling and cut funding to integrated schools.
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When 9 African American students went to an all white high school, there were major riots around the school. The government sent in about a thousand U.S. troops to stop the mobs.
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President Eisenhower and congress passed the Civil Rights Act in 1957. This was the first civil rights law passed and gave the right to vote to all Americans.
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The Freedom Riders were a civil rights group of all races that rode buses into the south to protest that the Supreme Courts ruling of desegregation was not being enforced.
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Meredith was denied enrollment to Ole Miss by the governor of Mississippi causing riots, injuries and two deaths. President Kennedy sent the National Guard to stop the riots and he became the first African-American student.
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Medger Evens was a civil rights activists for voting rights and to stop segregation. He was shot in the back in his driveway by a member of the White Citizens' group trying to stop school integration.
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The March on Washington was one of the biggest marches for rights and freedom. At the end, Martin Luther King gave his famous "I have a dream" speech.
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Martin Luther King's peaceful demonstrations usually turned violent due to angry white mobs. He knew this is what it would take to the government involved.
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Governor of Alabama, George Wallace, tries to physically block a door to stop African American from enrolling at the University of Alabama. He allows them the National Guard shows up.
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President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law gave rights to vote, stopped discrimination and made all public places available to everyone.
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The March to Selma was organized to be a peaceful demonstration for voting rights. They were met by a blockade of state troopers who attacked the crowd with clubs and tear gas. This day became know as "Bloody Sunday" which led to nation wide attention of what was going on.
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Before he became a judge, Thurgood Marshall, was a successful lawyer and argued the Brown v. Education case. This was important because it showed equality at the highest level since he was appointed by President Kennedy,
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Dr. King was shot on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel where he often stayed. Dr. King's death impacted both black and whites leading to the passing of the biggest civil right's bill of the movement.
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Supreme Court ruling to bus students to different schools to integrate. Many schools do not agree but do it anyways.
