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Civil Rights Movement
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Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which allowed state-sponsored segregation. -
Montgomery bus boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott officially started on December 1, 1955. That was the day when the blacks of Montgomery, Alabama, decided that they would boycott the city buses until they could sit anywhere they wanted, instead of being relegated to the back when a white boarded. It was not, however, the day that the movement to desegregate the buses started. -
Woolworth's sit-in
On February 1, 1960, four African American college students sat down at a lunch counter at Woolworth’s in Greensboro, North Carolina, and politely asked for service. Their request was refused. When asked to leave, they remained in their seats. Their passive resistance and peaceful sit-down demand helped ignite a youth-led movement to challenge racial inequality throughout the South. -
Freedom Rides
The first freedom ride left from Washington DC on May 4, 1961 and arrived in New Orleans on May 17. -
Birmingham Children's March and boycott
over 1000 African-American children marched in the Children's Crusade. Singing "We Shall Overcome," the children were sprayed with water from high-power hoses that could blast off clothing. They also attacked by vicious German shepherds. By the end of the day, police (under the order of Eugene "Bull" Connor) had arrested 959 boys and girls. -
March on Washington
The 1963 March on Washington attracted an estimated 250,000 people for a peaceful demonstration to promote Civil Rights and economic equality for African Americans. Participants walked down Constitution and Independence avenues, then — 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed — gathered before the Lincoln Monument for speeches, songs, and prayer. -
Selma to Montgomery March
The 1965 Selma to Montgomery March was the climactic event of the Selma voting rights demonstrations. It provided some of the most recognized imagery of the civil rights movement and sparked several infamous crimes.