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John F. Kennedy Wins Presidential Election
Pushed for the release of MLK before winning the election, helped with releasing bills that banned discrimination in employment and housing, and more. -
Medgar Evers Is Killed
Director of the Mississippi NAACP, Medgar was murdered in his driveway shortly after JFK announced his civil rights bill to Congress, stating that "race has no place in American life". This shows how strongly people felt toward discrimination, and how quickly the Civil Rights Act needed to pass to prevent a similar action from occurring again. -
John F. Kennedy Releases a Civil Rights Bill to Congress
The first comprehensive civil rights bill ever released, it aims to make American life equal to all, including allowing voting rights to all, banning discrimination in public places and schools, guarantee equal employment, and more. -
House Judiciary Subcommittee No. 5 Begins Looking At Bill
The subcommittee begins hearings on the bill, which passes through easily as the committee is made up of mostly liberals. This shows movement of the act through the government, as well as a want for the act to pass. -
Howard W. Smith amends the Civil Rights Bill
Howard W. Smith, working with the National Woman's Party, added an amendment to the Civil Rights Bill that bans discrimination on race, creed, color, and national origin in employment, and also sex. This is a controversial change at the time, but it helps pass the entire bill and gain support for it later.