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Brown v. Board of Education
This landmark Supreme Court decision declared that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson. It provided legal momentum for desegregation and inspired activism across the South. -
Emmett Till Murder
14-year-old Emmett Till, a Black boy from Chicago, was brutally murdered in Mississippi after allegedly whistling at a white woman. His open-casket funeral and the acquittal of his killers shocked the nation and helped catalyze the modern Civil Rights Movement. -
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
Sparked by Rosa Parks’ arrest for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger, this year-long boycott of buses in Montgomery, Alabama, led by Martin Luther King Jr., challenged segregation in public transportation and resulted in a Supreme Court ruling declaring it unconstitutional. -
Little Rock Nine
Nine Black students integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, under the protection of federal troops ordered by President Eisenhower, facing violent opposition. The event highlighted the federal government’s role in enforcing school desegregation. -
Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-ins
Four Black college students in Greensboro, North Carolina, began a sit-in at a Woolworth’s whites-only lunch counter. The protest spread rapidly, igniting a wave of nonviolent direct action targeting segregated facilities. -
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Freedom Rides
Interracial groups rode interstate buses into the segregated South to test Supreme Court rulings that banned segregation on public transportation. Riders faced beatings and arrests, but their bravery forced federal intervention and increased support for civil rights. -
March on Washington
Over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., to demand civil and economic rights for African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. The march helped build momentum for civil rights legislation. -
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Birmingham Protests
Led by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), these nonviolent demonstrations challenged segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. The use of police dogs and fire hoses on peaceful protesters, including children, shocked the nation and helped shift public opinion. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This sweeping legislation outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination, marking a major legal victory for the movement. -
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Freedom Summer
Also known as Mississippi Freedom Summer, this campaign involved college students and activists working to register Black voters and set up Freedom Schools. Volunteers faced extreme violence, including the murders of three civil rights workers. -
Selma Marches
A series of marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, aimed to secure voting rights. “Bloody Sunday” occurred when marchers were violently attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The national outrage led to federal action. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Passed after the Selma marches, this law banned literacy tests and other discriminatory voting practices. It empowered the federal government to oversee voter registration in areas with a history of disenfranchisement.