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Brown V. Board of Education
Oliver and Linda Brown were involved. This took place in Topeka, Kansas on May 17th, 1954. The NAACP combined 2 cases into 1 case to go to the Supreme Court. The court decided 9-0, that “separate but equal” was wrong. However, Linda never went to a desecrated school. All this led to many schools being closed until 1964. -
Murder of Emmett Till
Roy and Cordyn Bryant were involved with this murder. This happened in August 28th, 1955 in Money, Mississippi. Emmett had been accused of whistling at a white woman. 3 days later Roy Bryant and others kidnapped, eye detached, ear cut off, bar wire wrapped around his neck, and was weighted down by a 75 pound cotton gin fan, and thrown into water. -
Rosa Parks and the Bus Boycott
Rosa parks and Martin Luther King Jr. were involved. This happened on December 1st 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks was arrested for failing to move seats on the bus. She then was fined with $10. MLK Jr and the church then sent out flyers to boycott the bus system on Dec 5th. The buses then ran empty for 38 days and the Supreme Court ruled buses and had to let the blacks ride them. -
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
MLK and 60 pastors were involved. This took place in Atlanta, Georgia from January 10-11, 1957. It was a meeting of black church pastors to coordinate events for black people. MLK was elected the 1st president. This group used a non-violent strategy, and also registered blacks to vote, opposed. Vietnam war and provide better jobs for blacks. -
Little Rock 9
The NAACP and 9 black students were involved. This took place in Little Rock, Arkansas on September 4th, 1957. 9 students wanted to go to a white school. The Governor of Arkansas called out to the national guard to stop them. President Eisenhower then called in 1,200 military men to escort these students from home to class. In 1959 all schools fully integrated. -
Greensboro Sit ins
4 college students were involved, this occurred in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1st, 1960. The students went to Wodworths to buy items. Then they went to sit at the lunch counter, and they were refused service and asked to leave. They didn’t listen and stay, day after day they came back and did the same thing. The amount of students eventually grew over the days to 1000. -
Freedom Riders
It involved 426 individuals in 60 separate freedom rides. This started in Washington D.C then went to the Deep South to desecrate bus stations and diners and hotels. A diverse group of volunteers from 39 states, most were college students. They arrived in Anniston, Alabama blocked by KKK, and their tires were slashed, were fie bombed, buses burned and beatings, town after town. -
March on Washington
It happened in Washington D.C on August 28th, 1963. 250,000 people marched in Washington D.C. It was a peaceful and respectful protests for jobs and freedom. Martin Luther King gave his famous “I have a dream” speech. MLK was the last speaker of the day. -
Civil Rights Act (1964)
Lyndon B. Johnson and Martin Luther King Jr were involved. This took place in Washington D.C on July 2nd, 1964. They enabled the federal government to prevent racial discrimination and segregation based on race, color, religion or natural origin in private businesses or public facilities. -
Assassination of Malcom X
Malcom Little was involved. This took place in Audubon Ballroom, New York on February 21st, 1965. The civil rights leader who was part of the Nation of Islam. He wanted black people to believe in themselves and start their own businesses. He was shot 21 times. Thomas Hagen convicted of killing. -
Selma to Montgomery Marches (Bloody Sunday)
600 marchers and John Lewis were involved. This happened in Selma, Alabama on March 7th, 1965. Black marchers wanted to walk 54 miles to Montgomery to register to vote. At the Edmond Bridge troopers brutally beat them. -
Voting Rights Act (1965)
LBJ was involved. It took place on Washington D.C on August 6th, 1965. They were enabling the right to vote of African Americans any discrimination in voting. Now a federal matter not state. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King
MLK was involved. This took place in the Loraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4th, 1968. Striking sanitation workers were protesting in Memphis. They went back to the motel. He was shot on the lower right side of his face, with a Remington rifle. James Earl Ray was sentenced to 99 years. His death marks the end of a civil rights movement.