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Jackie Robinson Enters Major League Baseball
At the age of 28, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in the major leagues of baseball. He was the first African American to play in a sport that had been segregated for over 50 years. He had broken the color barrier in this sport. -
Executive Order 9981
Executive Order 9981 was signed by President Truman. The goal was to end segregation in the Armed Forces. This order was to establish equal opportunity for all men, no matter what color they were. -
Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court Ruling
Brown v. Board of Education was decided unanimously by the Supreme Court in 1954, led by Justice Earl Warren. This was a civil rights case in Topeka, Kansas. This was a historic decision that marked the end of the "separate but equal" precedent established by the Supreme Court nearly sixty years earlier in Plessy v. Ferguson and served as a catalyst for the civil rights movement during the 1950s. State-sanctioned segregation of public schools violated the 14th amendment and was unconstitutional. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott started on the morning of December 5, 1955. It lasted five days. This was a civil rights protest. African Americans refused to ride city buses in Mongomery, Alabama. They were protesting to stop segregation. Eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Montgomery, Alabama to integrate its bus system. This was a win for the protesters. African Americans would be able to ride the bus and be treated better. -
The Murder of Emmett Hill
Emmett was 14 years old when he was kidnapped and violently murdered. Emmett was visiting family in Mississippi when his murder happened. After Emmett had whistled at a woman, her husband and brother-in-law kidnapped and murdered him and put him in the Tallahatchie River. The trial was covered and brought fear to a young generation of African Americans. These young African Americans joined the civil rights movement out of fear that this could happen to them. -
Little Rock Nine Intervention
Nine African American students attempted to integrate Central High School in Arkansas. On the first day, a group of white people and Governor Faubus gathered in front of the school and refused to let the nine students in. A federal court case was filed to prevent the governor from barring the students' entry. The nine students successfully entered the school through a side entrance with the assistance of others. Fearing an escalation of violence, the students were hushed home shortly afterward. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957. This act was very important. The Act empowered federal agents to prosecute anyone that tried to deny a citizen's right to vote. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 showed a commitment to the cause of civil rights. -
Greensboro Sit-In Protest
In Greensboro, North Carolina, a young African American student staged a sit-in at a segregated Woolworths lunch counter in 1960. He was turned down for service and refused to leave. The Greensboro sit-in civil rights protest began as a result of this. Many people joined the protest, and many were arrested. However, the protest had a long-lasting impact. Woolworths and other businesses were forced to abandon their segregationist policies. -
Integration of Ole Miss Riots
The town erupted in violence when an African American boy was admitted to the University of Mississippi. A large number of people were killed, and many more were injured. Mississippi was segregated and did not want African Americans to live there. President John F. Kennedy and Governor Ross B. Barnett both spoke out. Finally, Meridith was escorted to his first class, American History. Some consider the integration of Ole Miss to be the final battle of the civil war. -
The Birmingham Children’s March
The march's goal was to come up with a plan to desegregate Birmingham. Birmingham was well-known for its discriminatory practices in public and in the workplace. The plan's goal was to use nonviolent protest tactics to persuade Birmingham civic and business leaders to agree to desegregation. -
March on Washington / I Have a Dream Speech
At the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered an iconic speech. His speech, "I Have a Dream," is still one of the most discussed. His speech was about Americans uniting as one and equality for all. He talked about African Americans' freedom and rights. -
George Wallace’s “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door”
Vivian Malone and James Hood were two African American students admitted to the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. A federal court ruled that the students could enter the school. Governor Wallace stood in the doorway to keep the students out. JFK's response advocated for civil rights. He dispatched 100 soldiers to the University. Wallace finally removed himself from the doorway when he realized things were going to get violent. -
16th St. Baptist Church Bombing
Congregation was held at Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church. Everyone at church was having a good time until 11 a.m. when a bomb exploded. Four little girls were killed, and another lost an eye. "The blood of our children is on your hands," Martin Luther King Jr. said in a telegram to Wallace. JFK was assassinated two months after the four little girls were murdered. -
Freedom Summer
"Freedom Summer" was a voter registration drive. Its aim was to increase the number of black voters. Some people believed that the attention that the Freedom Summer project had helped in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Many white people came to volunteer and fight alongside African Americans in Mississippi against voter intimidation and discrimination at the polls. -
Selma March
The Selma March was a defining moment in American history. Protesters marched 54 miles from Selma to Montgomery in an effort to register black voters in the South. Local authorities and white vigilante groups confronted them with deadly violence. They kept going until they reached their goal.