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Emmett Till
Emmett Till was a 14 year old boy who supposedly flirted with an older white woman. Later, he was kidnapped, shot in the head, and lynched by a group of white men. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
After the Rosa Parks incident, MLK and supporters went on a 13 month boycott, where they all refused to ride buses in Montgomery, Alabama. It resulted in the Supreme Court telling Alabama to integrate its buses. -
Little Rock 9
Nine black students enrolled in a traditionally all-white school in Little Rock, Arkansas. On the first day of school, state guards blocked the entrance from the black students, until Eisenhower sent federal troops to escort them into the building -
Youth Movement: SNCC and Sit-Ins
The youth played a huge role in the Civil Rights Movement. Students joined together and participated in movements such as "sit-ins," where they would go to restaurants and sit themselves down at all-white counters and wait to be served. -
Freedom Riders
A program launched by 13 civil rights activists, that fought against segregation in interstate bus terminals. They were met with violence at times, but eventually, Kennedy issued regulations that prohibited segregation in the terminals. -
James Meredith and Ole Miss
African-American, James Meredith, wanted to attend the University of Mississippi, and after riots and two deaths, the Supreme Court decided to allow his enrollment. -
Project C and Children's March
The Birmingham Campaign lasted a couple months, and consisted of many peaceful demonstrations and children marches that were met with violence. The violent reactions caused so much upset, that the government was forced to act on them and find a solution. -
The Philosophy of Nonviolence: Letters from a Birmingham Jail
While in prison, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote about how the civil rights movement should not be fought with violence. He explains that people have the moral responsibility to break unjust laws, in order to make a difference. -
March on Washington
A political rally of 200,000 people for jobs and freedom. During this march, MLK gave his famous "I have a dream" speech. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Proposed by Kennedy, signed by Johnson. -
Freedom Summer
A voter registration drive was organized in the summer of 1964, in order to increase the voters in Mississippi. People were attacked by many anti-civil rights groups, including the KKK. -
Malcom X
He was the public voice of the Black Muslim race, who unlike MLK, urged people to defend themselves by any means necessary. He was assassinated at one of his rallies. -
Selma to Montgomery March
Protesters trying to gain black voters, attempted to march from Selma to the state capitol of Montgomery. The march raised awareness of the difficulties of Blacks in the South. -
Voting Rights Act
Allowed African Americans to vote legally. It was the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution, signed by Johnson.
