-
Brown v. Board of Education
Oliver Brown sued the Topeka Board of Education because his African American daughter was not allowed to attend an all-white public school. The Supreme Court ruled that 'separate but equal' has no place and one year later, segregation in schools was made illegal. -
Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks, a black woman, refused to give up her seat to a white man and was arrested for not obeying the driver's order. After hearing news of this, African Americans organized a bus boycott where blacks would not ride the buses. One year later, the Supreme Court ruled that the segregated buses were unconstitutional. -
Little Rock Nine
After a federal judge ordered for the desegregation of public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, nine black students tried to enter Central High School, an all-white public school. When Orval Faubus, the governor of Arkansas, sent troops from the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the entrance of these nine students, President Eisenhower, for the first time in 81 years, sent federal troops to allow the integration of the school. -
Sit-ins
To have a nonviolent protest, four black college students sat in the whites-only section at the Woolworth store. After this, several other African Americans joined them and when faced with losing business or making peace with African Americans, many business owners chose peace and allowed people to sit where they wanted. -
Children's Marches
Since several black adults were in jail, King turned to children and they were taught the rules of nonviolent protest. Hpwever, the chief police in Birmingham sent the police to brutally attack the children with powerful fire hoses, police dogs, and nightsticks. -
"I Have a Dream"
A quarter of a million people gathered around the Lincoln Memorial and listened to speeches from preachers and politicans. Of those speeches, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, which gave hope and encouragement to all African Americans that one day, everyone would be treated equally. -
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing
After Birmingham had achieved desegregation, members of the Ku Klux Klan bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, killing four African American girls. Blacks realized that some whites were so furious about the desegregation that they would cause fear in one of the only places they were equal. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
After years of nonviolent protesting, this act made it illegal to have segregation in public facilities and it banned discrimination in employment because of a person's race, gender, religion, or nationality. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed the "literary tests" African Americans were given in southern states to prevent them from registering to vote. After years of being treated as inferiors, this was a major victory for African Americans, as well as equality in general. -
Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot to death by James Earl Ray. Being one of the most influential Civil Rights leaders, this was a very tragic day for people in favor of equality.
