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Brown vs Board
It was a Supreme Court case to end segregation. It was a unanimous decision for equal protection under the 14th amendment. After the decision violence and riots broke out, with some schools closing. -
Emmet Till
A 14 year old boy from Chicago went to visit family. He got accused of whistling at a white woman. Roy Bryant and JW Milan kidnap, beat, shoot, kill, and throw Emmet’s body in a river. Maime Till, Emmet’s mother, had an open casket funeral. Both men stood trial, and were not found guilty. This was the spark to the start of the Civil Rights Movement. -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was the face of the bus boycotts. Rosa Parks was told to move to the back of the bus along with other colored passengers to make room for the white passengers. Rosa Parks refused and was arrested. Colored people started to avoid riding buses and went 381 days until there was a change in the buses. -
SCLC
Southern Christian Leadership Conference was a group that helped fight against the discrimination of colored people. The leader of the group was MLK. MLK was chosen to be the leader since he was new to the town which left him with almost no enemies or friends. -
Little Rock Nine
This was a test for the decision of Brown v Board of Education. Nine students were vetted to undergo this test. Airborn 101 escorted the students to class. The following year, all of the public schools closed and reopened after a year. -
Greensboro
Four college students sat down at a lunch counter at Woolworths to be served. They were refused service. Continued to “sit-in” and others joined, the protest spread to other towns forcing change. -
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Freedom Summer
Youth group of students remained fiercely independent of MLK and SCLC, generating their own projects and strategies. The two organizations worked side by side throughout the early years of the civil rights movement. This group was the second half of the Freedom Riders and were a part of the March to Selma. -
Freedom Riders
Two week bus trip to the Deep South, to deliberately violate Jim Crow Laws. It was organized by CORE. The buses were burned and riders beaten by the KKK. Nov 1, 1961 white and colored signs were removed form bus stations, train stations, and lunch counters. -
March on Washington
March on Washington for jobs and freedom was to advocate for the civil and economic rights of African Americans. 250,000 people were in attendance at the Lincoln Memorial. MLK was the last to speak, and gave his “I have a dream speech”. 70-80% of Marchers were black. It helped to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Forbids employers and labor unions to discriminate against any person on grounds of race, color, religion, sex, physical disability or age in job related matters. Prohibits discrimination against race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or physical disability. People can not be refused service. -
Bloody Sunday
600 students march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to get the right to vote. They walked 54 miles and were stopped at the bridge. Seen on national television. LBJ orders the passage of 1965 voting rights law. 2nd march took place March 21-24 with 25,000 marchers including MLK. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
One of the most comprehensive pieces of legislation in US history. Blacks were registering to vote. They were also being elected to public offices.