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Civil rights movement
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Montgomery bus boycott
The Montgomery bus boycott was a political and social protest against the practice of racial segregation on Montgomery, Alabama's public transportation system. “An oppressed but brave people, whose pride and dignity rose to the occasion, conquered fear, and faced whatever perils had to be confronted. The boycott was the most beautiful memory that all of us who participated will carry to our final resting place” (Robinson, 11). By Jo Ann Robinson the who organized the boycott. -
The Supreme Court Declares Bus Segregation Unconstitutional
On December 20, 1956, Mayor Gayle received official written notification of the Supreme Court's decision. She immediately ordered the desegregation of the buses and the 381-day boycott was over. -
Supreme Court decision in Boynton
It was a significant ruling by the US Supreme Court. The case overturned a conviction in which an African American law student had been found guilty of trespassing for entering a "whites only" restaurant inside a bus terminal. It determined that racial segregation in public transportation was prohibited by the Interstate Commerce Act. -
Formation of the student nonviolent coordinating committees
It was established in April 1960 by young people committed to using direct action without resorting to violence. Martin Luther King Jr. and others had hoped that the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Eventually fell out over differing ideologies, they collaborated closely in the early years of the civil rights movement. -
Civil Rights leaders assassinated
Many Civil Rights leaders would be assassinated because of skin color. This was very common in the 1960’s. -
The 1960 Presidential Election.
In 1960, Massachusetts's rich Democratic senator John F. Kennedy defeated Vice President Richard Nixon to win the presidency. Kennedy garnered just 118,000 more votes than Nixon did in this tight race, despite the fact that he decisively won the electoral vote. He promised that new civil rights legislation would be introduced in Congress to ensure equal access to public facilities, eliminate segregation in education, and offer government protection for the right to vote. -
Freedom riders
Freedom Riders were groups of white and African American civil rights activists who participated in Freedom Rides, bus trips through the American South in 1961 to protest segregated bus terminals. -
March on washington
“It ought to be possible for American consumers of any color to receive equal service in places of public accommodation, such as hotels and restaurants and theaters and retail stores, without being forced to resort to demonstrations in the street, and it ought to be possible for American citizens of any color to register and to vote in a free election without interference or fear of reprisal.” Was said by John F kennedy During the march on washington that was led by Martin Luther king jr. -
Voting rights act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, aimed to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote as guaranteed under the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. -
Poor People's Campaign
The Poor People's Campaign intended to combat poverty by focusing on housing and income. The campaign would aid the underprivileged by emphasizing their needs, bringing all races together in their shared suffering, and laying forth a strategy to begin finding a solution.