Civil Rights Illustrated Timeline

Brown vs. Board of Education

1954

This was a court case that decided that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This went against the "Separate But Equal" doctrine that was set in Plessy v. Ferguson. There were multiple cases that led up to this decision which completely changed the country.

Emmett Till Murder

Aug 28, 1955

In this event, a boy named Emmett Till was beaten and then murdered. He was murdered after he whistled and talked to a white woman in a store. He had been visiting family in Mississippi hen he was dared to talk to the lady. This was around the start of the Civil Rights Movement so many people still didn't think it was right for him to talk to her.

Rosa Parks and The Montgomery Bus Boycott

Dec 1, 1955

In this event, an African American named Rosa Parks was arrested after she didn't want to give her seat up to a white man on the bus. This led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott which was led by Martin Luther King Jr. The bus boycott was where they peacefully protested in hopes of changing the laws.

Little Rock Nine

1957

This event was at the beginning of integrating black into white schools. Nine students were chosen for their behavior and smarts to be the first integrated. They were sent to Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. During this event there were a lot kickback and chaos because people didn't agree.

Greensboro Woolworth's Sit-ins

1960

This was a series of sit-ins by led by four African American students. During this event, African Americans would sit at all white counters and refuse to get up until they were served. This led to a series of sit-ins all over the country.

Freedom Rides

1961

These were a series of bus trips through the south to protest segregated bus terminals. This was led by both black and white groups and they were challenging the fact that they hadn't integrated them yet.

March on Washington

Aug 28, 1963

This was a huge protest march that occured at Washington D.C., in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Over 250,000 people marched to bring attention to the inequalities, challenges, jobs, and freedom for African Americans. This is when Martin Luther King Jr. said his "I Have A Dream" speech.

Birmingham Baptist Church Bombing

Sep 15, 1963

This event was where the KKK blew up a baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama. As a result of this bombing, four girls were killed. The KKK did this as part of the resistance to racial integration.

Civil Rights Act

Jul 2, 1964

This was the act that led to the outlawing of discrimination of people based on their race, sex, religion,etc. This act led to equal access for people employment, schools, public places, etc.

Selma to Montgomery March (on "Bloody Sunday")

Mar 7, 1965

This was a protest march led by Martin Luther King Jr. that involved nonviolent protests. This was a 54 mile march in support of he campaigns for voting rights. They believed that voting was unfair and they wanted the same rights as whites.

Voting Rights Act

Aug 6, 1965

This was an act that was adopted by the southern states. This occured after the Civil War and it outlawed discriminatory voting practices. For example:literacy tests that used to be required before becoming a voter for African Americans.

Loving v. Virginia

1967

This court case reversed the laws that didn't allow interracial marriage. The Supreme Court stated that this law violated the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses stated in the constitution.