-
Brown v. Board of Education
Chief Justice Earl Warren concluded that "separate but unequal" schools are inherently unequal. This was a huge step for civil rights. -
Rosa Parks Refuses to Give Up Her Seat
Rosa Parks was sitting in a seat in the colored section of the bus when the driver asked her to give up her seat for a white person. She refused and was arrested, becoming a leader of the Civil Rights Movement. -
Supreme Court Declares Bus Segregation Unconstitutional
The Supreme Court affirms a lower court's ruling. The bus segregation rules of Montgomery, Alabama are unjust and illegal. -
Founding of SCLC
A group of Cicil Rights Activists meet in Atlanta,Georgia. They decided to eatbalish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Martin Luther King, Jr. as its first president. -
The Little Rock Nine
The governor of Arkansas prohibited nine black students from entering a school. Military personnel arrived to escort the students outof the building. -
Woolworth's Sit-In
Four black students were refused service at the whites-only counter so they stayed until the store closed. They later became known as the Greensboro Four. -
Freedom Riders
Many African Americans take bus rides through the American South to test new anti-segregation laws. Many of these groups were attacked. -
The Albany Movement
The Albany Movement was a desegregation coalition formed in Albany, Georgia. It sought to oragnize protests against racial inequality. -
Bailey v. Patterson
The Supreme Court ruled that the states could not segregate interstate or intrastate transportation. This was a very important step in the Civil Rights Movement. -
Letter from Birmingham Jail
In response those who urge him to stop causing disturbances, King sends a letter from jail after being arrested. He declares that African Americans have a moral obligation to fight for their rights. -
Medgar Evers Murdered
Mississippi's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Secretary is murdered outside his home. This is a very frightening event for African Americans. -
March on Washington
Hundreds of thousands of American's gathered in Washington DC. They peacefully protested and African Americans demanded, jobs, equality, and freedom. -
"I Have a Dream"
Martin Luther King, Jr. gives his famous speech in front of hundreds of thousands of African Americans. He called for an end to racism. -
16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
The Ku Klux Klan plants dynamite sticks at the steps of this church that killed 4 girls and injured 22 others. MLK described it as "one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity." -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This piece of legislation outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It also made segregation illegal.
