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Brown v. Board of Education
Acknowledged as being one of the greatest Supreme Court decisions of the 20th century, the United States Supreme Court unanimously voted that racial segregation in public schools was illegal. The Brown v Board decision helped break the back of state-sponsored segregation and provided a spark to the Black Power Movement. -
SCLC is founded
Martin Luther King, Jr. and other southern black ministers founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to bring about the end of segregation. The SCLC adopted nonviolent protests as the cornerstone of its strategy and build alliances with local community organizations across the South. -
"I Have a Dream"
On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to 250,000 people attending the March on Washington and gave his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. This was the high-water mark of the African American civil rights movement. -
Civil Rights Act is passed
In the wake of President Kennedy's assassination, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed. The Act effectively desegrated public facilities and allowed everyone the right to full and equal enjoyment of services, privileges, advantages, public transportation regardless of their race, color, religion, or national origin. -
Assassination of Malcolm X
Malcolm X was shot to death by three radical members of the Nation of Islam before his speech at the Audubon Ballroom in New York's Washington Heights. He was 39 years old. 50 years after his death and Malcolm X is still considered to be an influnetial historical figure in the Black Power Movement. -
Voting Rights Act is passed
Congress passed the Voting Rights Act which prohibited racial discrimination in voting practices. The 1965 Act banned the literary tests and poll taxes used since Reconstruction to prevent blacks from voting. -
Black Panther Party is founded
Bobby Seale and Huey Newton co-found the Black Panthers. Unlike the civil rights activists who preach non-violence, the Black Panthers authorized the use of violence as self-defense. The party gained popularity quickly and their message of self-determination/power won thousands of followers throughout the country.
