Civil Rights Movement

Plessy vs Ferguson

Apr 18, 1896

Legalized state ordered segregation as long as the facilities for whites & blacks were equal

Formation of NAACP

Feb 12, 1909

Created by a liberal group who wanted to end racial discrimination.

Brown vs BOE of Topeka

Apr 18, 1954

Topeka denied Brown's enrollment into an all white school.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Dec 1, 1955

Rosa Parks denied her seat to a white person in the front of the bus.

Formation of SCLC

Apr 18, 1957

Churches linked together to inform blacks about the Civil Rights Movement changes that was led by MLK Jr.

Civil rights Act of 1957

Sep 9, 1957

Mainly a voting rights bill but was the first civil rights legislation enacted by Republicans.

Integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas

Sep 25, 1957

Students were unable to enter the racially segregated school.

Greensboro Sit-In

Feb 1, 1960

4 students from Carolina decided to sit-in at an all-white counter in civil protests. It lasted for weeks and other cities joined in as well.

Formation of SNCC

Apr 18, 1960

Promoted non-violent means to protect against racial discrimination.

Boynton vs Virginia

Apr 18, 1960

Held radical discrimination in businesses that serve interstate commerce as unconstitutional.

First Freedom Ride

May 4, 1961

Organized mixed-race groups who rode interstate buses deep into the south to draw attention and protest against racial segregation.

James Meredith enrolls in Ole Miss

Sep 18, 1962

Blacks who attempted to enroll at Ole Miss and Kennedy was forced to send troops to help this happen.

Birmingham Protests

Apr 18, 1963

March that started out as a non-violent protest but soon escalated.

March on Washington

Aug 28, 1963

Large political rally where MLK Jr. gave his speech on racial harmony.

24th Amendment Passed

Jan 23, 1964

Eliminated the poll tax to vote in national elections.

Malcolm X Leads the Nation of Islam

Mar 18, 1964

Activist for civil rights, like MLK Jr.

Freedom Summer

Jun 18, 1964

Massive voter registration drive held in Mississippi and staffed by black and white civil rights workers but turned violent when 3 workers were found murdered.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Jul 2, 1964

Passed by Johnson to honor the death of JFK and banned segregation in public areas.

Malcolm X Assassinated

Feb 21, 1965

Assassinated by rival Black Muslims while addressing his Organization of Afro-American Unity

Selma March

Mar 17, 1965

Organized by MLK Jr. where thousands of black protesters petitioned for the right to vote outside of city hall in which they were all ignored

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Aug 6, 1965

This was in response to the Freedom Summer, it outlawed literacy tests and sent federal voter registrators into several southern states

Black Panthers Founded

Oct 15, 1966

Led by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton when they believed that racism was an inherent part of the US capitalist society and were militant,self-styled revolutionaries for Black Powers.

MLK Jr. Assassinated

Apr 4, 1968

James Earl Ray was convicted in killing MLK Jr.

Civil Rights Act of 1968

Apr 11, 1968

Banned discrimination in housing, segregation of education, transportation and employment, and helped African Americans gain their full voting rights back.

Robert F. Kennedy Assassinated

Jun 5, 1968

Killed by Sirhan Sirhan.