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1909: Founding of the NAACP
This organization, co-founded by W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells-Barnett, aimed to achieve equality for African Americans through legal challenges, lobbying, and public education campaigns. -
1954: Brown v. Board of Education
This Supreme Court decision overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, which had established the "separate but equal" doctrine for racial segregation in public facilities. Brown v. Board declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, sparking the modern Civil Rights Movement. -
1955-1956: Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger ignited a year-long boycott of the Montgomery, Alabama bus system. This successful protest, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., brought national attention to the fight against segregation -
1960: Sit-In Movement
Students in Greensboro, North Carolina, began a wave of sit-in protests at segregated lunch counters, refusing to leave until they were served. This tactic spread across the South, highlighting the injustice of segregation in public spaces. -
1963: Birmingham Campaign and March on Washington
Mass demonstrations and marches in Birmingham, Alabama, led by Dr. King, faced violent police repression. These events, along with the powerful "I Have a Dream" speech delivered by Dr. King at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, further galvanized public support for civil rights legislation.