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Plessy v. Ferguson
A case in which Homer Plessy, who refused to sit in a Jim Crow car, lost and the Court ruled that a state law that implies a legal distinction between whites and blacks does not violate their amendments. The idea of "separate but equal". -
Formation of the NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was a large civil rights organization formed in response to violence against blacks. Their goal was to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority groups in the U.S. and to eliminate racial prejudice. -
Brown V. BOE of Topeka
A case in which separate educational facilities were declared unequal and put the idea of "separate but equal" to rest -
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
Picture The boycott in which African Americans refused to ride on city buses in Montgomery, Alabama due to segregated seating. The boycott started after Rosa Park's hearing and was the emergence of Martin Luther King Jr. -
Formation of the SCLC
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference was an African American Civil Rights organization who had non-violent protests and were under Martin Luther King Jr. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
When Eisenhower signed into law an act which protect voting rights. This act was the first Civil Rights act since Reconstruction. -
Integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas
In Little Rock, Arkansas nine black students enrolled at Central High School. They were barred from entry on September 4, 1957 but President Eisenhower got the National Guard to escort them. -
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Greensboro Sit-ins
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The Greensboro Sit-ins were a series of nonviolent protests in Greensboro, North Carolina. During these protests, blacks would sit at the counters in Woolworth and would ask for service. This resulted in many arrested, but also forced changes to segregationist policies. -
Malcolm X leads the Nation of Islam
Malcolm X was an African American who highly distrusted whites due to groups like the KKK. The Nation of Islam was a movement in which blacks that believed in the religion of Islam known as the Black Muslims. Elijah, the leader of the group, made Malcolm X the spokesperson due to his talents. Malcolm X preached that whites were to not be trusted and that blacks needed to use whatever they could to achieve freedom. -
Formation of the SNCC
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was an important Civil Rights organization that was created from a student meeting organized by Ella Baker. They set out to give younger blacks more voice in the Civil Rights Movement and was more radical compared to the SCLC. -
Boynton v. Virginia
An African American named Bruce Boynton was trialed for refusing to leave the white side of a restaurant as he was a interstate bus passenger. The first court ruled that he was guilty of trespassing, but then he appealed to another court in which the result was that they violated the interstate commerce act and so racial discrimination in interstate commerce was prohibited. It also sparked the Freedom Rides Movement. -
First Freedom Ride
When a group of 13 African-American and white civil rights activists started a series of bus trips in the South to protest segregation in interstate bus terminals. The group of blacks went to white only areas. -
James Meredith enrolls in Ole Miss
An African American named James Meredith tried to enroll at the University of Mississippi, but this brought chaos. Riots broke out and the Kennedy administration had to call out Nation Guardsmen. -
Birmingham Protests
When activists in Birmingham, Alabama launched a Civil Rights campaign consisting of sit-ins, marches, and boycotts to protest segregation laws in the city. The police used violence against these protests. -
March on Washington
When more than 200,000 Americans gathered in Washington D.C. in a rally for jobs and freedom. It was organized by numerous organizations in order to make the challenges of African Americans known. Where Martin Luther King Jr. gives his "I have a Dream" speech. -
24th Amendment Passed
An amendment passed that stated the citizens had the right to vote and that was not to be denied by reason of failure to pay poll or other tax. This eliminated poll taxes. -
Freedom Summer
A voter registration drive who's goal was to dramatically increase voter registration in Mississippi. They would face abuse and harassment however. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
An act placed to outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in employment and banned segregation in places. -
Malcolm X Assassinated
In New York City, Malcolm X was assassinated by rival Black Muslims while giving a speech about his Organization of Afro-American Unity at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights. -
Selma March
A march in which protesters attempted to go from Selma to the state capital of Montgomery, but were met with violent resistance by state and local authorities. They hoped to raise awareness about black voters. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
An act that outlawed discriminatory voting practices found in the South like literacy tests. -
Black Panthers Founded
A group formed in California who believed in the non-violent campaign of Martin Luther King Jr. would take too long. They preached for a revolutionary war and were willing to use violence to achieve their goals. -
MLK Jr. Assassinated
Martin Luther King Jr. was a very important Civil Rights Activist. He gave a speech in Maple Temple Church in Memphis. Later, he was shot at the Lorraine Motel which led to his death and caused riots. -
Civil Rights Act of 1968
An act that prohibited discrimination by refusal to sell/rent housing to any person because of his race, color, religion, or national origin. -
Robert F. Kennedy Assassinated
After winning the California presidential primary, Kennedy was shot at the Ambassador Hotel. He was shot several times by a Palestinian named Sirah Sirah. Robert Kennedy was a US junior senator.
