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Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
NAACP brought case to SUPREME COURT
LINDA BROWN
NAACP lawyer: THURGOOD MARSHALL
CHIEF JUSTICE EARL WARREN ruled in favour of Brown, ordered Southern States to set up INTEGRATED SCHOOLS 'with all deliberate speed'. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
ROSA PARKS (NAACP) refuses to give up seat on bus to a white person, arrested and convicted of breaking bus laws. This sparks the MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT organized by MLK, SCLC (southern christian Leadership Conference + MIA. Boycott lasted over a year. Bus company lost 65% of income. Feb 1956, gov ordered buses to be DESEGREGATED. -
Little Rock Nine
9 blacks students were enrolled into Little Rock central high school. Governor, ORVAL FAUBUS orders state troops to prevent them from attending.
President EISENHOWER send FEDERAL TROOPS to protect the nine while they attend school. -
Greensboro sit-ins
four black students sat in a white restaurant. Staff refused to serve them. Next few days, they were joined by more students. Sit ins quickly spread to other southern cities and received significant media and government attention. -
Freedom Riders
Freedoom riders were civil rights activists who rode on interstate buses deep into the segregated southern states to test the bus desegration. Buses were FIREBOMBED and attacked by the KKK in ALABAMA. -
Birmingham campaign, Alabama
SCLC, MLK organized a NON-VIOLENT march on BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, Birmingham was one of the most racially divided cities in US. The march aimed to turn MEDIA ATTENTION on Birmingham. To dissuade protestors, the police, led by police CHIEF EUGENE 'BULL' CONNOR, used high-pressure WATER JETS and POLICE DOGS on peaceful protestors, including children and bystanders. 1000 protestors including MLK were arrested.
JFK ordered protestors to be released and Birmingham to be desegregated. -
March on Washington
over 200,000 blacks and 50,000 whites marched together to Washington. Their aim was to pressure JFK to introduce a CIVIL RIGHTS BILLS to end discrimination. At rally, King gave 'I HAVE A DREAM' speech. Rally had tremendous impact on public opinion. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT signed by Lyndon B Johnson following year. VOTING RIGHTS ACT a year after that so that all blacks had right to vote. -
Civil Rights Act
signed by president LYNDON B. JOHNSON.
cannot discriminate against coloured people. -
Selma to Montgomery Marches
Protestors marched from SELMA to MONTGOMERY, state capital of Alabama, protest against barriers on black people voting. They were met with VIOLENT RESISTANCE by state and local authorities. There were three marches. -
Voting Rights Act
signed by LYNDON B. JOHNSON.
outlawed discriminatory voting practice. -
Assassination of MLK
MLK was killed by a SNIPER on April 4th 1968, at 18:01. He was shot as he stepped out onto the balcony outside a motel in MEPHIS. JAMES EARL RAY arrested and charged, suspicion whether he was responsible.
