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Greensboro Sit Ins
The Greensboro Sit-ins began in 1960 when four African American college students sat at a "whites-only" lunch counter at a Woolworth's store in Greensboro, North Carolina, and were denied service. Their peaceful protest sparked similar demonstrations across the country, challenging segregation in public places. The sit-ins helped lead to the desegregation of lunch counters and inspired the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), becoming a key event in the Civil rights -
Brown vs Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court case in 1954 that ruled racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The case challenged the idea that it was okay to have separate schools for Black and white students as long as they were “equal,” which was the basis of a previous ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson. The Court decided that segregating schools created feelings of inferiority in Black children, and that separate schools were never truly equal. -
Murder of Emmit Till
The murder of Emmett Till in 1955 was a tragic event that became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. A 14-year-old African American boy, Till was brutally beaten and killed by two white men in Mississippi after being accused of flirting with a white woman. His mother's decision to hold an open-casket funeral, showing the world the horrific violence he endured, shocked the nation. The acquittal of the killers sparked widespread outrage and drew attention to the racial injustices in America. -
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was an African American woman who became a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement when she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which resulted in a Supreme Court decision that ended bus segregation. Parks' brave action helped inspire a nationwide movement for racial equality and justice. -
Southern Christian leadership conference
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), founded in 1957 by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other Black clergy, was a key civil rights organization that fought segregation and racial injustice through nonviolent protests. The SCLC played a crucial role in major events like the March on Washington and local boycotts, using its religious roots and commitment to peaceful resistance to push for social change and equality. -
Little Rock 9
The Little Rock Nine were nine African American students who, in 1957, integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, following the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Despite facing violent protests and hostility, they attended the previously all-white school with the protection of federal troops sent by President Eisenhower. Their bravery in the face of intense resistance became a powerful symbol of the Civil Rights Movement and the fight for equal education.