-
Period: to
Civil Rights Movement
The civil rights movement was an organized effort by Black Americans to end racial discrimination and gain equal rights under the law. It began in the late 1940s and ended in the late 1960s. Although tumultuous at times, the movement was mostly nonviolent and resulted in laws to protect every American’s constitutional rights, regardless of color, race, sex, or national origin. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court case in which the justices ruled unanimously that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The lawsuit claimed black schools were not equal to white schools, violating the "equal protection" clause of the 14th amendment of the constitutions which states no state can "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.". This was a major spark in the civil rights movement for years to come. -
Murder of Emmett Till
Emmit Till, a 14-year-old was brutally murdered in Mississippi for allegedly flirting with a white woman and disrespecting a store clerk.
Roy Bryant, the proprietor of the store enraged, went to Till's great uncle's residence and forced Emmett into their car. Three days later his body was found in the river but so disfigured it was only identified by an initialed ring. His mother decided to have an open-casket funeral to show the world the extent of the attack. The murderers were not acquitted -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Born after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus. The next day Rev. Marin Luther King Jr. proposed a citywide boycott against racial segregation on the public transportation system. The boycott lasted for 381 days and in June 1956 the U.S Supreme COurts ruled segregation of buses was unconstitutional. -
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine black students who enrolled at formerly all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in September 1957. This was a test of Brown v. Board of Education in which the Supreme Court ruled that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. Later that month, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent in federal troops to escort the Little Rock Nine into the school -
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
Six-year-old Ruby Bridges is escorted by four armed federal marshals as she becomes the first student to integrate William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. -
Freedom Rides
Freedom riders were a group of African American and white civil right activist who participated in Freedom Rides, bus trips through the American south to protest segregated bus terminals. The groups were met with violence from white protestors and arresting cops, which drew international attention to the civil rights movements -
Albany Movement
Protesting the segregation in Albany, Ga. Many groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Local activist, and King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and spent 3 days in jail before being released. -
March on Washington
An estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people converged on Washington D.C to protest for freedom for African Americans. King delivered his iconic "I have a dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. -
Assassination of Malcom X
In New York City, Malcolm X, an African American nationalist, and religious leader is assassinated by rival Black Muslims while addressing his Organization of Afro-American Unity at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights. -
Bloody Sunday
As protestors attempted to march peacefully from Selma, Alabama to the state capitol Montgomery, they were met with violent beatings inflicted by state troopers. After successfully fighting in court for their right to march, Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders lead two more marches and finally reach Montgomery on March 25. Footage of the brutality broadcast across the nation sparked public outrage and boosted support for the civil rights movement. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to prevent the use of literacy tests as a voting requirement. It also allowed federal examiners to review voter qualifications and federal observers to monitor polling places. The Voting Rights Act is considered one of the most far-reaching pieces of civil rights legislation in U.S. history. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr
King was standing on the second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where he and his associates were staying when a sniper’s bullet struck him in the neck. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later, at the age of 39. James Earl Ray is convicted of the murder in 1969. -
Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, or sex. The bill once heavily debated was quickly passed following the untimely death of Martin Luther King Jr.