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Plessy v. Ferguson
Supreme Court case regarding segregated railroad cars in Lousiana. "Separate but equal" facilities for blacks and whites were deemed constitutional. -
Formation of NAACP
Civil rights organization founded by W.E.B. DuBois, Mary White Ovington, and Moorefield Storey. It was formed during a time of race riots and lynching. -
Malcolm X leads the Nation of Islam
Malcolm X took a more violent approach to civil rights. He led black Muslims through his teachings that blacks were superior to whites and blacks should retaliate against whites with violence. -
Brown v. BOE of Topeka
Landmark Supreme Court case in which it was determined that public schools segregated by race were unconstitutional. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
A boycott against the policy of racial discrimination on the public buses in Montgomery, Alabama. It began after a black woman, Rosa Parks, was arrested after refusing to move to the back of the bus for a white man. -
Formation of SCLC
Following the Montgomery Bus Boycott victory, Martin Luther King Jr. called for a meeting of black religious leaders. This led to the founding of the SCLC, Southern Christian Leadership Conference. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Act called for the federal Justice Department to monitor abuses of civil rights and race relations to be reported. The goal of the Act was to ensure every American could exercise their right to vote. -
Integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas
The first racial integration in a school after the ruling of Brown v. BOE. Nine black students, known as the Little Rock Nine, enrolled at formally all-white Central High School. -
Greensboro Sit-In
A series of non-violent protests against racial discrimination at a department store, Woolsworth's, in North Carolina. It ended the company's policy of segregation. -
Formation of SNCC
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee emerged from student meetings organized by Ella Baker at Shaw University. It gave younger blacks a voice in civil rights and was a radical branch of the movement. -
Boynton v. Virginia
This Supreme Court case overturned the conviction of a black student for being in a bus terminal labeled "white's only." It stated that segregation in public transportation illegal under that Interstate Commerece Act. -
First Freedom Ride
The Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode buses in mixed racial groups to protest segregation. They rode after the ruling of Boynton v. Virginia was not upheld. -
James Meredith enrolls in Ole Miss
James Meredith was a black man who's application to the all-white University of Mississippi. After filing a lawsuit for discrimination, Meredith was allowed to enroll. Riots erupted on campus because of his enrollment, but they were put down police. Meredith ended up being the first black student at Ole Miss. -
Birmingham Protests
A movement organized by the SCLC to bring attention to efforts to integrate Birmingham, Alabama. The peaceful protestors were faced by violent attacks from the police. The protests were made public and led to the previously segregated city to change its policies on discrimination. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington was a political rally to bring the struggles black Americans still faced to attention. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech and was a key moment in the civil rights movement. -
24th Amendment Passed
The 24th Amendment abolished poll taxes in the voting process. The tax had previously prevented poor Americans from voting, as they couldn't pay the necessary fee. This amendment eliminated that issue. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
A landmark civil rights legislation that ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination based on race, religion, gender, or national origin. -
Freedom Summer
Freedom Summer was a volunteer campaign to register as many black voters as possible in Mississippi. The project set up Freedom Schools and other organizations as well. -
Malcolm X assassinated
After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was shot to death by Islamic members while speaking at a rally in New York. -
Selma March
The Selma to Washington marches were marches organized by civil rights leaders to protest discriminatory legislation in the South and focus on racial injustice. The march led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This Act outlawed discriminatory voting processes the South adopted after the Civil War. This included literacy tests and the grandfather clause. -
Black Panthers founded
The Black Panthers Party was a black revolutionary party and socialist organization. The party's original purpose was to patrol black communities to protect residents from police brutality. -
MLK Jr. assassinated
Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was killed while staying at a hotel in Memphis, Tenessee. His death led to an outpour of anger and mourning from the black community. -
Civil Rights Act of 1968
The Act prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, gender, and national origin. -
Robert F. Kennedy Assassinated
Robert F. Kennedy was shot in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary. Kennedy fought organized crime and worked for civil rights for black Americans.
