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Murder of Emmett Till
In August of 1955 Emmett was kidnapped, beaten, shot in the head, had a large metal fan tied to his neck with barbed wire, and was thrown into the Tallahatchie River. This caused many people to join the civil rights movement and fight against the acts of racism. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
the Montgomery bus boycott was a 13-month mass protest that ended with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses is unconstitutional. This Boycott was sparked by Rosa Parks arrest. -
Creation of the Montgomery Improvement Association
The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) was formed on 5 December 1955 by black leaders in Montgomery, Alabama. It was a successful campaign that focused on racial segregation in the south. -
Little Rock Nine Crisis
The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. The students were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school by Orval Faubus. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 authorized the prosecution for those who violated the right to vote for United States citizens. this bill was passed by president Dwight D. Eisenhower. -
Freedom Rides
Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated Southern United States in 1961. their main goal was to challenge segregation on interstate buses and bus terminals. -
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
It was the largest gathering for civil rights of its time. An estimated 250,000 people attended the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic rights of African Americans. -
Mississippi Freedom Summer
During the summer of 1964, hundreds of college students flooded Mississippi. The students came from different backgrounds, colleges, and Civil Rights organizations. Despite these differences, they had one goal, increase voter registration among African Americans in Mississippi. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Provisions of this civil rights act forbade discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as, race in hiring, promoting, and firing. -
March from Selma to Montgomery
The March from Selma to Montgomery was a protest to support voting rights for African Americans. The protesters made a 54-mile walk between the Alabama town of Selma and the capital, Montgomery. -
Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
The judge favored Charlotte Mecklenburg schools. the United States Supreme Court holding that federal courts can direct public schools to bus students of different races across district lines to integrate schools. -
Shirley Chisolm’s Presidential Campaign
Chisholm was also the first African American woman to campaign for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 1972. She was also the first African American woman to be elected to Congress. -
Hank Aaron’s Home Run Record
Aaron hit 755 home runs from 1954-76, a mark that stood until Barry Bonds. There was a bronze statue placed in the baseball hall of Fame eventually after he was admitted. -
Barbara Jordan’s Address at the Democratic National Convention
Jordan called for Americans to commit themselves to a “national community” and the “common good.” Jordan began by noting she was the first black woman to ever deliver a keynote address at a major party convention -
University of California Regents vs. Bakke
The supreme court ruled in favor of Bakke. the supreme court agreed that the university's use of strict racial quotas was unconstitutional and ordered that the medical school admit Bakke, but it also contended that race could be used as one criterion in the admissions decisions of institutions