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Plessy v Ferguson
The Supreme Court case of Plessy v Ferguson declared that separate but equal accommodations for whites and blacks was legal. This made segregation legal. Jim Crow laws remained in the South. http://greenwoodlakessocialstudies.weebly.com/plessy-v-ferguson.html -
Brown v Board of Education
The court case of Brown v. the Board of Education ruled that segregation in public schools was illegal as African Americans did not receive equal education as whites. As a result, schools were forced to integrate. This court case was significant as Thurgood Marshall, an attorney involved in the court case, later becomes the first African American in the Supreme Court.https://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/121brown/121visual4.htm -
Murder Of Emmett Til
Emmett Till went to the store to visit relatives in Mississippi but Roy Bryant and his brother in law, JW Milam kidnapped and murdered Till while he whistled at Carolyn Bryant. This event provoked a movement of African Americans top join the Civil Rights Movement in order to avoid such disaster to happen to them of their loved ones. https://www.history.com/news/new-book-sheds-light-on-the-murder-of-emmett-till-the-civil-rights-movement -
Rosa Parks & the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery boycott resulted in the desegregation system of buses as she refused to give up her seat to a white man. The boycott of buses lasted 381 days and ended on December 21, 1956. It was carried out by the Montgomery Improvement Association or MIA. https://the1950sdecade.weebly.com/montgomery-bus-boycott.html -
Founding of SCLC
Followed by the Montgomery bus boycott, 60 people from 10 states assembled the Southern Leadership Conference on Transportation and Nonviolent Integration. They issued documentation claiming that civil rights are essential for democracy. The organization shortened the name at their first Montgomery meeting to Southern Leadership Conference and appointed Martin Luther King Jr. as the president of the association. http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2015/07/15/sclc-founded-by-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-says -
Little Rock Nine & Central High School
A white mob had gathered at Central High School since nine black students were enrolled there. However, the governor put a blockage to prevent students from entering. This created the desegregation of many schools because of the Supreme Court decision. https://www.worldbook.com/behind-the-headlines/Little-Rock-Nine-60-Years -
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) & Freedom Summer
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee emerged from a series of students led by Ella Baker in North Carolina who had labored for civil rights in rural Mississippi since 1961. They had the 1964 Freedom Summer Project which was designed to draw the nations attention to the violent oppression experienced in Mississippi by African Americans that tried to exercise their rights from the Constitution. http://singyoursongthemovie.com/student-nonviolent-coordinating-committee-sncc/ -
Greensboro Sit-in
The Greensboro sit-in was a non-violent protest that occurred in Greensboro, North Carolina. Students sat at a diner asking for the same service that white people received, until they were able to desegregate the lunch counter. The protest created a catalyst for the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in order to bring attention widespread. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/courage-at-the-greensboro-lunch-counter-4507661/ -
Freedom Ride/Freedom Riders
The Freedom riders was constructed by mixed race groups who rode interstate buses deep into the South in order to draw attention and protest against racial segregation. This began in 1961. It was young people's effort to challenge racism. http://www.neatorama.com/2017/07/24/Freedom-Ride/ -
March On Washington
The March on Washington was initially a political rally that took place in Washington D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous speech "I have a dream" in which he advocated for racial harmony at the Lincoln Memorial during the march. This was credited for helping lead to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Most marchers were African Americans. http://www.historybyzim.com/2018/01/martin-luther-king-jr-waves-to-march-on-washington-supporters-1963/ -
Civil Rights Act (1964)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was first proposed by President F John Kennedy and was strongly opposed by southern members in Congress but it was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, Kennedy's successor. This ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, and religion. It also created Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with the power to file lawsuits by any aggravated worker. -
Assassination of Malcolm X
Malcolm X was assassinated by rival Black Muslims while addressing his Organization of Afro-American Unity. This occurred at the Audubon Ballroom in Washinton Heights at age 39. https://www.biography.com/news/assassination-of-malcolm-x -
Voting Rights Act(1965)
The Voting Rights Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Its purpose was the overcome legal barriers at the state and events that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote as it was guaranteed under the 15th Amendment in the Constitution. This led to more blacks becoming politically active and elected representatives which encouraged greater social equality. ttps://www.thedailybeast.com/lyndon-johnsons-last-miracle-the-civil-rights-act-turns-50 -
Assassination of MLK
Martin Luther King Jr, the civil rights leader, was shot at a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was staying with other SCLC associates. A sniper's bullet stroke him in the neck while he was standing in the second-floor balcony and he was rushed to the hospital where he was announced death an hour after his arrival. James Earl Pear, a white man, was was found and plead guilty for the murder or King. http://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1726656_1726689_1726040,00.html
