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The Montgomery Bus Boycott
In response to Rosa Parks's court date, there was a meeting held with Martin Luther King, Jr. running the Montgomery Improvement Association. At the meeting King persuaded the people to keep a peaceful protest. It was decided that from that on, blacks would ride biks, organize car pools, or walk to where they needed to be. They boycotted the transportation system for over a year. Fun Fact: Rosa Parks was not sitting in a "whites-only" section of the bus. -
The Little Rock 9
In Arkansas, nine African American students were to be admitted to Central High, an all white school. Orval Faubus, the governor, ordered troops to keep the nine students out of the building. A white mob formed, the students were let in, and people were hurt. Eisenhower sent troops to enforce authority. Fun Fact: Melba Patillo became a reporter for NBC News when she grew up. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was made to protect the right of African Americans to vote. Eisenhower sent the bill to Congress in hopes to split the democratic party and convince African Americans to vote for him. The bill passed and it created a civil rights division within the Department of Justice. Fun Fact: Several Southern senators attempted to block the Civil Rights Act of 1957. -
The Sit-In Movement
Four black students, who attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College, decided to have a sit-in at a whites-only counter in a department store. 300 other students joined them, declaring they would not moved until they were served. Sit-in spread to over 100 cities. The NAACP and SCLC got involved and persuaded them to create their own organization, the SNCC. Fun Fact: By August 1961, they had made over 3,000 arrests. -
The Freedom Riders
African Americans and whites made teams to go to the South and draw attention to the non-integrated bus terminals, the teams were called Freedom Riders. The Freedom Riders were attacked by angry white mobs. They were beaten almost to death, by baseball bats, chains, and lead pipes. Later, evidence proved the head of police and the KKK were behind the attack. Fun Fact: Some towns were harder to ride through than others; the hardest were Atlanta and Alabama. -
James Meredith and the Desegregation of the University of Mississippi
James Meredith, a colored air force veteran, applied to the University of Mississippi. The school had ignored the ending of segregated education. The governor told Meredith he would never be accepted. Kennedy ordered 500 federal marshalls to take Meredith into the school. There were violent riots. Meredith continued classes, while guarded by troops. Fun Fact: Meredith had a law degree from Columbia University. -
Protests in Birmingham
Martin Luther King, Jr. decided to hold a demonstration in Birmingham to get Kennedy to support civil rights. The protests started, and 8 days later, King was arrested. He was released and the protests continued. The Public Safety Commissioner ordered police to use dogs, clubs, and fire hoses on the protesters. The riots became very violent and brutal. Kennedy responded by preparing a new civil rights bill. Fun Fact: The Birmingham Campaign was also known as "Project C". -
The March on Washington
A. Philip Randolph suggested a march on Washington to gain more public support, and Dr.King agreed. 200,000 people walked to the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 to hear songs and hymns. Once everyone settled, Martin Luther King, Jr. delievered a powerful speech about freedom and equality. It inspired everyone who supported the campaign, but opponents continued to fight it. Fun Fact: The time limit for speeches was 4 minutes, but Martin Luther King, Jr.'s lasted 16 minutes. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
George Wallace, Alabama's governor was completely set on the idea of segregation. He chose to stand at the doors of University of Alabama, not allowing two African Americans to enroll. Federal marshals ordered him to move, but he stayed put until then. The next day, a civil rights activist, Medgar Evers, was murdered by a white segregationist. Kennedy chose to speak to the American people and announce his civil rights bill. Fun Fact: The legislation passed the vote by a vote of 290-130. -
The Selma March
Dr.King and the SCLC selected Selma, Alabama, as the focal point for the voting rights campaign. Sheriff Jim Clark deputized and armed dozens of white citizens. Clark's men attacked demonstrators and arrested over 2,000 African Americans. King organized a march for freedom, members of SCLS and SNCC led protesters towards Montgomery. Clark ordered his men to block and beat the citizens. Over 70 were hospitalized. Fun Fact: The march is reenacted on it's anniversary. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 authorized the US attorney general to send federal examiners to register qualified voters, bypassing local officials who often refused to registers African Americans. The law also suspended discriminatory devices, such as literacy tests, in counties where less than half of all adults had been registered to vote. Fun Fact: The Voting Rights Act traces back to the Civil War. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr.King went to Tennessee to support an African American sanitation workers' strike. The SCLC planned a Poor People's Campaign, King would speak at the nation's capital again. Before it took place, King was shot on his balcony in Memphis. People were distraught, and kept his campaings alive in his honor. It marked an end of an era in American history. Fun Fact: It was the second attempt at killing him.
