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Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
The SCLC was a major civil rights organization led by Martin Luther King, and was a proponent of non-violent protest for African American rights -
Freedom Rides
To test southern compliance with a recent Supreme Court case expanding the banning of segregation on buses on other public transportation, CORE and SNCC organized the Freedom Rides. Riders in Alabama were unprepared for the level of violence they received from a white mob, which set the train on fire and beat those who escaped. The horror this caused Americans across the nation further intensified the need for change -
March on Washington
Over 200,000 black and white Americans gathered at the Washington Memorial in Washington, D.C. to march to the Lincoln Memorial for a peaceful demonstration demanding civil rights for African Americans. This is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. -
Twenty-Fourth Amendment
The Twenty-fourth Amendment to the Constitution made poll taxes unconstitutional. This Amendment made it clear once again that the Civil Rights Movement was taken very seriously, and proved that America as a nation would become united in stopping civil right infringement. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Proposed by President Kennedy and signed into law by President Johnson, this act prevented public segregation and discrimination in the employment of people based on race, religion, gender, or national origin. This act was considered one of the biggest achievements for the Civil Rights Movement. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This Act allowed federal officials to give voting rights to African Americans who were being withheld these rights by local officials. This also removed literacy tests and other voting barriers directed at African Americans.
