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The Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional, energized the civil rights movement and pushed for integration across the U.S.
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Initiated by Rosa Parks refusing to sit in the back of the buss and being arrested, African Americans then boycotted city buses, leading to the Supreme Court to ban bus segregation. -
Nine African American students integrated Central HS with federal troops. Later on it encouraged families like Ruby Bridges to integrate their children.
"Don't follow the path. Go where there is no path and begin the trail." - Ruby Bridges -
Four African American students peacefully protested by sitting at a whites only lunch counter.
"It was about choice. It was about having the ability to say I choose to sit down. Or I choose to drink from that water fountain. I don't choose black water or white water or colored water. I want water." - Joseph McNeil -
Interracial groups of Freedom Riders rode interstate buses through the South to challenge illegal segregation in bus terminals. They faced violent attacks, but their actions forced the federal government to enforce desegregation laws.
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James Meredith became the first Black student admitted to the University of Mississippi. Riots broke out, and federal marshals had to escort him. His enrollment was a major victory against segregated higher education.
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Over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C. to demand civil rights and economic equality. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, helping build momentum for the Civil Rights Act.
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The Civil Rights Act banned segregation in public places and made discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin illegal. It marked one of the strongest federal steps toward ending Jim Crow laws and protecting equal rights nationwide. -
Civil rights activists marched 54 miles from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, demanding voting rights after decades of discrimination. The first march became known as “Bloody Sunday” when troopers violently attacked peaceful protesters on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Public outrage helped Congress pass the Voting Rights Act later that year. -
In 1966, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California. The organization began as a response to police violence in Black communities and worked to protect residents through community patrols. It also created social programs like free breakfast for children and health clinics. The Panthers became an influential, but often controversial, part of the civil rights movement, pushing for racial equality, self-defense, and economic justice.
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A federal law eliminating discrimination based on gender in schools and educational programs.
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The Supreme Court ruled that busing students could be used to achieve racial integration in schools. This decision shaped desegregation efforts across many U.S. cities.
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Congress expanded the Voting Rights Act to protect language minorities, including Spanish-speaking, Native American, and Asian American voters. It required bilingual ballots and helped increase voter participation.
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Supreme Court case which protected women’s rights to abortions.
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Federal Judge ruled that Boston public schools were illegally segregated. Ordered mandatory busing to create racially balanced busing
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A federal judge ordered Boston to use busing to integrate its racially divided school system. The ruling caused major protests but pushed the city toward long-delayed desegregation. -
The supreme court ruled that private schools legally could not deny admissions from African American students.
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The Collective organized several retreats for black feminists along the east coast. Women were allowed to share their personal struggles and stories, and developed ideas that later supported the combahee river collective statement.
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Humphrey Hawkins, the first black congressman from California, helped pass a law that aimed to reduce unemployment for black communities.
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In major cities across the US, civilians started electing the first black mayors, which was a huge shift in political power. Because of this, the percentage of racism and discrimination lowered, and schools, neighborhoods, and jobs programs were improved.
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