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1965 BCE
Selma to Montgomery
An effort run by Dr. King's SCLC to register more voters in the south. These activists were often met with violence state authorities. -
Emmit Till
On August 24, 1955, Emmet Till was visiting with family in Money, Mississippi. Emmet was flirting with a cashier at a grocery store and four days later was kidnapped by two white men, beaten, and eventually shot in the head. The two men reported to have done the killing were tried by an all white jury and acquitted of all charges. -
Little Rock 9
Nine black students enrolled in an all white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas following the Supreme Courts decision that segregation in schools is unconstitutional. The students were barred entry at first but were eventually escorted in by federal troops sent by president Dwight D. Eisenhower. -
Youth Movement: SNCC and Sit-Ins
The SNCC, or the Student Non-Violent Coordination Committee, was a monumental part of the Civil Rights movement, particularly in involving the youth. It was started in a meeting at Shaw University in April of 1960 by Ella Baker. Sit Ins were also a key part of the nonviolent resistance, some of which were organized by members of the SNCC. At these sit-ins activists would occupy a certain area in protest. -
Freedom Riders
In may of 1961, a group of 13 African Americans and White civil rights activists rode buses into the south to protest segregation in bus terminals. -
James Meredith and Ole Miss
In September of 1962, a man named James Meredith tried to enroll at Ole Miss Univeristy. There was uproar across the campus and throughout the town, with many riots occuring. -
The Philosophy of Non-Violence: Letters From a Birmingham Jail
Martin Luther King wrote a letter advocating the use of nonviolent resistance to combat racism. In the letter, King argues that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws in efforts to achieve racial equality. -
March on Washington
200,000 gathered in Washington DC where Martin Luther King gave his famous I have a dream speech. The march was designed to call to attention the social and political difficulties that African Americans were experiencing. -
Project C and Children's March
Project C consisted of a series of sit-ins, marches, and boycotts, all which were often met with acts of violence from police. In the children's plan, many children were trained in the ways of nonviolent resistance. They marched through streets in route the mayor's office. Many children were arrested and some sprayed with powerful water hoses. -
The Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act was a piece of legislation that made illegal discrimination based on race,color, religion, sex, or national origin. -
Freedom Summer
An event was organized by the SNCC and CORE to increase voter registration in Mississippi. The group faced constant abuse from police and even the KKK. -
Malcom X
Malcom X was an American-born Muslim who was seen as a key leader in the movement for civil rights. He was very well spoken and articulate and used these skills to draw more into the movement. He was assassinated on February 21, 1965 by a member of Nation of Islam member, a group he led. -
The Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act that outlawed racial discrimination in voting. It was passed by President Johnson on -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Citizens of Montgomery, Alabama refused to ride public buses from December 5th of 1955 to December 20th of 1956. This boycott, sparked by Rosa Parks and her refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger, led to the eventual decision by the supreme court to force Montgomery into integrating its bus system.
