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Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court decided that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. -
Rosa Parks
On December 1st, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to white person. She was subsequently arrested. Her defiance and resolution to fight for her rights inspired civil rights activists everywhere. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The black population of Montgomery, Alabama, decided to completely boycott transportation until they were allowed to sit wherever they liked on the buses. -
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
This foundation was started in 1957 with Dr. Martin Luther King as its first president. It played a monumental role in getting bus systems desegregated and in the civil rights movement in general. -
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine was a group of 9 African American students who were integrated into a formerly all white school in Little Rock, Arkansas. They were the first black students to be integrated into a white school in the nation. -
Greensboro Sit-ins
A group of college freshmen in Greensboro, NC refused to leave a white's only restaurant counter when asked to do so. This "sit-in" sparked other nonviolent resistance throughout the nation when it received lots of media attention. -
Freedom Riders
A group of civil rights activists determined that they should test the anti-segregation laws now in effect in the south. They attempted to do this by riding public transportation into southern states and using their new rights. This often sparked violent reactions. -
March on Washington
Some 250,000 people marched into Washington DC in order to "force" the government to pass meaningful civil rights legislation. -
"I Have a Dream" Speech
Martin Luther King delivered a famous speech during the March on Washington. Below is an excerpt that captures its message: "And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing... -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Major legislation that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation, was passed in 1964, forever changing the nation. -
Malcolm X
Malcolm X was a civil rights activist who was more militant than many of his counterparts. Some accuse him of being a black supremacist. He was assassinated on February 21, 1965. -
Bloody Sunday
600 civil rights activists set out to march form Selma to Montgomery in protest of continuing discrimination. Law enforcement beat them and used tear gas to drive them back into Selma. -
Selma March
This march was a continuation of "bloody Sunday." This time, it succeeded in making it all the way to Montgomery. It helped to secure voting rights for all people in America. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This was another huge law passed that outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in America. -
Black Power
This phrase was popularized by Stokley Carmichael in 1966. The movement was prominent in the late 1960s and early 1970s, emphasizing racial pride and the creation of black political and cultural institutions to nurture and promote black collective interests. -
Stokely Carmichael
Stokely Carmichael was a black American activist who popularized the phrase "black power." He was a leading member of the Black Panthers. -
Black Panthers
This was a group of black activists. They were more militant than many of their contemporaries. They disbanded in 1982. -
Martin Luther King, Jr.
On this day, Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. He was a religious leader who believed in nonviolent resistance to gain rights. He is probably the single most recognized leader of the American Civil Rights Movement.
