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Plessy v. Ferguson
The whole ordeal started when Plessy refused to sit in the "appropriate" spot in a train car (not unlike Rosa Parks!).
While Plessy fought for his case very valiantly, the "seperate but equal" doctrine remained law. This would remain in action until 1954. The offical declaration of the verdict. -
CORE is founded
The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) had expanded from a pacifist group, and pretty heavily encouraged peace by nonviolence. CORE had organized a few events (such as the Greensboro sit-in) amidst the Civil Rights Movement. Later on, CORE shifted focus to helping blacks' right to vote. The organization still exists, but it has little influence.More details here. -
Jackie Robinson joins Brooklin Dodgers
Some info about his life.Jackie Robinson had officially started playing for the Brooklin Dodgers this day; the first African-American to do so. By the end of his (short) carrer, Robinson had become the first black to both gain the MVP title and to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame. His whole appearance was one of many factors leading to the Civil Rights Movement. -
Sweatt v. Painter
For more details...This whole case started when Sweatt was denied entry to a law school, all because of his race. While they attempted to place him in a more "equal" facility. Sweatt couldn't stand for that; he opted to set up a case with the Supreme Court. Following a unanimous vote, Sweatt (and a few other blacks) were allowed in the main school. -
Brown v. Board of Education
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Montgomery bus boycotts begin
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
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Signing of the Southern Manifesto
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The SCLC is founded
History from the SCLC site.Shortly after the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference came to be. The group talked of nonviolent actions, starting with a series of demonstrations in Birmingham. Blacks were determined to get their rights, and get them in peace. -
Little Rock Nine start integration
More info Folling the ruling of Brown v. Board of Education, schools were free to integregate; resistance, however, was widespread. For example, the first few gays of attempted integregration with the Little Rock Nine failed. Later on, The National Guard had to be sent to accompany them, but the Little Rock Nine successfully made it through the year. There was even one among them who successfully graduated! -
Greensboro sit-in
More info, including a map.The "Greensboro Four" were close friends; they were inspired to start the sit-ins after one was denied based on his color. While the quartet were the only sitters during the early days, more and more students eventually opted to join in, breaking 1,000 towards the end. this sit-in would lead to many more accross the South, all with the same purpose: protest those that deny blacks their rights. -
The SNCC is founded
[http://www.sncclegacyproject.org/](A site showing the SNCC's legacy.)A byproduct of the SCLC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee serves as an aid for younger blacks, who demanded faster progress in providing rights. While the group had started with simple sit-ins, their protests grew towards the Freedom Summer. The SNCC was disbanded in 1968 following a tense period. -
James Meredith forces a school's desegregation
Meredith's letter to the Justice Department.Despite Brown v. Board of education making school segregation illegal, several schools maintained the seperate status. James Meredith was determined to defy this and go to the University of Mississippi anyway. It would take a case, a small series of riots, and an escourt with US soldiers for him to get in and start the integration process. -
King's letter from Birmingham jail
The letter itself.King had been arrested amidst the SCLC's "Birmingham Campaign"; a full-scale series of protests and sit-ins done in hopes of desegregating Birmingham. The letter itself was oriented towards civil rights- he still longed for blacks and whites to be equal. While it first appeared in a newspaper, the letter was espread about and added motivation to the movement. -
March on Washington
A map of the march. A demonstration had been necessary to garner the attention of avtivists and the general public. Requiring tons of organization to pull off, the March on Washington would prove able to amplify the movement. Especially notable was MLK's "I Have A Dream" speech; that speech would become famous, and the corresponding movement, well-supported. -
Birmingham Church is bombed
More details and originsDespite the phenomenal success of the march on Washington, Birmingham's bombing would show just how far activists have to go. The bombing itself was performed by a group of KKK white supremacists, and killed four young girls. However, the attack was yet another instance of racist attacks; the shock of this would lead to the passing of the Civil Rights Act despite this. -
24th amendment officially added to the Constitution
Legal wordingDespite African Americans having been allowed to vote for over 50 years, this was commonly hindered by poll taxes, literacy tests, and general aggression. The 24th amendment removes any poll taxes, enabling blacks to vote regardless of financial status. While the prospect of racism still remained, blacks (if they could read) were free to vote in any election. -
Freedom Summer begins
DetailsThe Freedom Summer program was started in hopes of getting more African Americans to vote. Multiple groups of volunteers, mainly white, were trained with the intention of teaching blacks basicsa like literacy and civics. Despite the efforts, very few blacks were accepted as voters, despite the many applicants. Plenty of blacks, however, were educated to support their civil rights. -
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Freedom Summer
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Civil Rights Act passed
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Malcolm X assassinated
Biography Malcolm X had been a dedicated, if unknown, civil rights activist. Prior to the movement, he spearheaded the Nation of Islam, and took his speech skills to the concept of civil rights. He was much like King in idea, but Malcolm was willing to be violent, if it means getting rights. This, and his break with the Nation of Islam, led to his assassination in 1965, shortly before he would perform a speech. -
Selma-Montgomery march
Modern map of route The whole journey was spurned by black violence-a so-called "Black Belt"-and a demand for rights. The protest itself, however, was peaceful. It took 2 attemts for the marchers to leave Selma: they were beaten back within the city on their first attempt. Once the protesters successfully reached Montgomery, however, the impact became clear. this cumulated to the passing of the Voting Rights Act. -
Voting Rights Act becomes law
The act itselfMuch like the 24th Amendment did for poll taxes, the Voting Rights Act made literacy tests illegal. The act itself was written to "enforce the 15th Amendment"; to further ensure that any race was free to vote. Some "special" provisions were added, primarily to prevent election procedure from being modified without government aid. -
Black Panther Party founded
A little detailThe Black panther Party had been set up in the name of black self-defence. They were cleanly against the brutal police killings and longed for more freedom. Their methods, however, were unfavorable; they were willing to extort oakland merchants. This, as well as the FBI's COINTELPRO, led to the party dying after the movement. -
King is assassinated
BiographyMartin Luther King had led the Civil Rights Movement for around 13 years, but that was cut short by his death. He had been shot in a motel within Memphis, and soon sent to Atlanta, his hometown. The assassin, James Earl Ray, was eventually arrested, convicted, and sentenced to 99 years jail time. King himself had spearheaded a good portion of the protests in this timeline.
