1950-1960's

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr

1968 BCE

King is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, sparking nationwide riots.
Civil Rights Act of 1968: Also known as the Fair Housing Act, it prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing.

Loving v. Virginia

1967 BCE

Supreme Court strikes down laws banning interracial marriage

Selma to Montgomery Marches

1965 BCE

Highlighted by "Bloody Sunday," these marches led to national support for voting rights.
- Voting Rights Act of 1965: Eliminates discriminatory voting practices.

Civil Rights Act

1964 BCE

Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Freedom Summer: A campaign to register African American voters in Mississippi.

Birmingham Campaign

1963 BCE

Birmingham Campaign: Nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama, face violent opposition, drawing national attention.
March on Washington: Over 250,000 people gather, and Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech.
16th Street Baptist Church Bombing: Four young girls are killed in a bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.

Freedom Rides

1961 BCE

Activists ride interstate buses to challenge segregation in bus terminals.

Greensboro Sit-ins

1960 BCE

Four African American college students in North Carolina begin sit-ins at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter.

Little Rock

1957 BCE

Nine African American students integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, under federal protection.
Civil Rights Act of 1957: Establishes the Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice.

Emmett Till's Murder

1955 BCE

The killing of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi galvanizes national attention.
Montgomery Bus Boycott: Rosa Parks's arrest for refusing to give up her seat led to a year-long boycott led by Martin Luther King Jr.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 BCE

The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.