Civil Rights Movement Timeline

  • Jackie Robinson Debuts in MLB

    Jackie Robinson Debuts in MLB
    He was the first African American to play Major League Baseball when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. He is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • Executive Order 9981 signed by President Truman

    Executive Order 9981 signed by President Truman
    Executive Order 9981 declared or stated that "there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed forces without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin." It abolished racial discrimination in the United States Armed Forces and eventually led to the end of segregation in the services.
  • Montgomery Bus Boycott

    Montgomery Bus Boycott
    Montgomery Bus Boycott is a protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation. It was a protest for segregated seating, which African Americans refused to ride buses in Montgomery, Alabama.
  • Emmett Till is murdered

    Emmett Till is murdered
    Emmett Till was murdered because he was being accused of flirting with a white woman. He was captured, beaten, and brutally murdered.
  • Little Rock Nine Intervention

    Little Rock Nine Intervention
    Little Rock Nine were nine African American students to apply to Little Rock High School. They were the first African American students to desegregate this school.
  • Greensboro Sit-In Protest

    Greensboro Sit-In Protest
    Greensboro Sit-In was a protest where African American students sit-in at Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro because they were being denied for service.
  • Integration of Ole Miss Riots

    Integration of Ole Miss Riots
    Ole Miss Riots was an incident of mob violence by proponents of racial segregation. Riots erupted where locals, students, and committed segregationists have gathered to protest the enrollment of James Meredith, a Black Air Force veteran attempting to integrate the all-white school.
  • March on Washington / I Have a Dream Speech

    March on Washington / I Have a Dream Speech
    The March on Washington was a march that supported civil rights and economic rights. They marched and protest for jobs and freedom. I Have a Dream was a speech for equality and freedom. This speech is requesting them to restrict discrimination on their race.
  • 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing

    16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
    16th Street Baptist Church was bombed by white supremacist terrorists in Birmingham, Alabama. This church is mainly a black congregation that also served as a meeting place for civil rights leaders.
  • The Birmingham Children's March

    The Birmingham Children's March
    The Birmingham Children's March was a march to draw attention to the Civil Rights Movement. They tried to talk to the mayor about segregation in their city.
  • Freedom Summer

    Freedom Summer
    Freedom Summer was a campaign to register as many African-American voters as possible to draw attention to the violent abuse experienced by Mississippi blacks.
  • Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed

    Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed
    Addressing a joint session of Congress just after Kennedy's death, Johnson urged members of Congress to honor Kennedy's memory by passing a civil rights bill to end racial discrimination and segregation in public accommodations, public education, and federally assisted programs.
  • The Selma Marches

    The Selma Marches
    The Selma Marches was a march to make sure that African Americans could exercise their constitutional right to vote. This made a great difference between black and white voters. This also increases the number of African Americans taking part in politics and every level of government.
  • Black Panther Party is formed

    Black Panther Party is formed
    The Black Panther Party was an organization for African Americans to protect residents in black neighborhoods. They confronted politicians, challenged the police, and protected black citizens from brutality.
  • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated

    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated
    Martin Luther King was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was shot in the jaw and severed his spinal cord. This led to anger which resulted in riots and looting.