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Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court rules to end racial segregation in public schools. Many schools however, remained segregated. This was one of the earlier events in the Civil Rights Movement. -
Emmett Till is Murdered
Emmett Till is brutally murdered in Mississippi for allegedly flirting with a white woman. The case brings attention to the Civil Rights Movement after a photo of Till’s beaten body is published in a magazine. -
Rosa Parks
While on an Alabama bus, Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat to a white man. This starts the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott. -
The Little Rock Nine
Nine black students are blocked from integrating into Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. President Dwight D. Eisenhower eventually sends federal troops to escort the students, however, they continue to be harassed. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
President Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1957 into law to help protect voter rights. The law allows federal prosecution of those who suppress another’s right to vote. -
Ruby Bridges
6 year old Ruby Bridges is escorted by four federal marshals as she becomes the first student to integrate into William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. -
The March On Washington
250,000 people take part in The March on Washington and Martin Luther King gives his “I Have A Dream” speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial, stating, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’” -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prevents employment discrimination due to race, color, sex, religion or national origin. -
Martin Luther King Jr.'s Assassination
Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray is convicted of his murder a year later. -
Fair Housing Act Passed
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, providing equal housing opportunity regardless of race, religion or national origin.