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Brown vs education board
The supreme court made a ruling that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. This overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson. This decision energized the civil rights movement. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a protest against public buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Park sparked this after she refused to give up her seat to a white person. MLK lead the boycott which lasted over a year, it severely impacted the public bus systems. It eventually ended after the Supreme court ruled segregation on buses unconstitutional. -
Little Rock Nine
Little Rock Nine were a group of nine black students who went to Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957 after Brown v. Board of education ruling. After they enrolled there was lots of controversy including protests so bad the National Guard had to get involved. Eisenhower had to have the students escorted for their own safety, despite all of the harassment, Little Rock Nine is a big symbol in the Civils rights movement. -
Freedom Riders
The freedom riders were both white and African Americans which was a big deal because it shows that the white people are now also starting to fight for African American civil rights movement. The freedom riders were basically a group of different people that questioned the Supreme Court saying that segregation goes against the constitution. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington was the largest gathering for civil rights of its time. There were 250,000 people in attendance for the March on Washington. People arrived in D.C. by plane, train, cars, and buses. People all around the world showed up for this historic event. The March on Washington focused on civil rights abuse against people of different races. This event took place on the National Mall, also known as “America’s Front Yard.” -
Birmingham Campaign
The Birmingham Campaign was a desegregation campaign launched with mass meetings, direct actions, lunch counter sit-ins, marches on City Hall, and a boycott of downtown merchants. The goal of this campaign was to desegregate Birmingham, Alabama, and draw attention to the racial segregation. -
Civils Right Act
The Civil Rights Act outlawed segregation and discrimination laws. The Civil Rights Act was a huge deal because this basically finalized in America that ALL humans were equal. Even after slavery was abolished laws and people didn't see African Americans and whites as equal. JFK signed the bill in 1963 which was a big deal because the face of the U.S. showed that African Americans and whites are equal. -
Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a historic act passed by the federal government in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. -
Assassination of Malcolm X
Malcolm X was a civil rights leader and former Nation of Islam minister. Malcolm was assassinated on February 21, 1965, in New York City’s Audubon Ballroom.Malcolm was getting ready to give a speech to a crowd, when all of a sudden he was gunned down by 3 men, he was pronounced dead shortly after. The attackers were later identified as members of the Nation of Islam, a group he had publicly broken away from after his ideological shift toward racial unity and Sunni Islam. -
Assassination of of MLK
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Martin was standing on the balcony at a motel, when suddenly one rifle shot struck him in the neck. Shortly after he was pronounced dead at the hospital. His assassination sparked nationwide riots and mourning. James Earl Ray, who was a fugitive and known racist, was arrested. Martin Luther King's death was a major turning point in the civil rights movement. -
Hank Aaron
Hank Aaron is an MLB Hall of Famer, who broke the record for most home runs ever. He played for the Atlanta Braves and became one of baseball’s most iconic players of all time. His hitting was outstanding, reaching the .300 mark in batting 14 times, and had 30 home runs in a season 15 times. He was awarded the Gold Glove award three times and had 25 All-Star Game selections. -
Ernest Green
After becoming the first AFRICAN AMERICAN to graduate from Little Rock Central High School, Ernest Green went on a successful career, serving as Assistant secretary of Labor under President Jimmy Carter and later working in the private sector, including as a Senior Managing Director Lehman Brothers. -
Andrew Young
first African American to serve as US Ambassador to the United Nations. He was a huge part of the Civil Rights movement and was a close friend to Martin Luther King Junior. He also become the mayor of Atlanta which was a huge deal at the time and a huge accomplishment for African Americans because it showed that the Civil Rights were really making progress. -
Establishment of MLK day
After his death, there was an immediate push forward in the movement. In the late 70s and early 80s many activists and labor unions pushed to make one certain day as a holiday to remember MLK and everything he has done to push for the African American community. -
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson worked closely with MLK, he helped with different campaigns and was very active in the community. Jackson pushed for opportunities for African Americans in things like education and employment. Jackson would run for president in 1984 and 1988. In 1984, is when he would surround a lot of his campaign with the issues that the African American community has to face. -
Rodney King
Rodney King was pulled over and beat by 4 officers after a chase in 1991. All of the officers got loose and didn't receive punishment from their actions. Because of this there was a huge spark of riots in LA that left over 60 people dead, and over 1 billion dollars in damage. -
Barack Obama
Barack Obama was the first African American president. He graduated from Harvard Law school in 1991. When he was president and even after he was president, he became a face for the African American community. -
BLM Movement
In 2013 a young boy in florida was killed unrightfully. This sparked protests and riots across the country. The main reason was because the man who killed the boy was let loose to keep walking and wasn't punished for his actions. -
George Floyd protests
George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis MN which sparked peaceful and unpeaceful protests across the nation. This event also sparked a push to defund the police in the country as well, not just in Minnesota. It also raised awareness that we still have people in America that don't believe everyone is equal. -
Kamala Harris
First Black Women as Vice President and first women as vice president. Kamala Harris wasn't just the first African American women to run for president but first women of color too.