Civil rights movement

Civil Rights Movement Timeline

  • Southern Christian Leadership Conference formed

    Southern Christian Leadership Conference formed
    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to organize southern church leaders to participate in non-violent demonstrations for advocacy of civil rights
  • SNCC & CORE started organizing Freedom Rides

    SNCC & CORE started organizing Freedom Rides
    Freedom Rides were organized as sit-ins on buses, bus stations, and station restaurants to oppose the 1960 Boynton v. Virginia ruling allowing segregation on buses and in stations.
  • March on Washington, DC

    March on Washington, DC
    250,000 people peacefully marched in DC to bring national attention to Kennedy's civil rights bill. Dr. MLK's speech started based on President Lincoln's emancipation speech 100 years prior but halfway through, MLK put down his notes and spoke from his heart and it became the I Have A Dream speech.
  • Civil Rights Act of 1964

    Civil Rights Act of 1964
    Most impactful legislation since the Reconstruction. Started by President Kennedy and banned voting and employment discriminations, as well as banning discrimination in public businesses and withholding federal grant money to any agency that participated in discrimination.
  • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Assassinated

    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Assassinated
    MLK assassinated resulting in riots breaking out in over 120 cities
  • President Kennedy Assassinated

    President Kennedy Assassinated
    President Kennedy shot to death while riding in a convertible doing campaigning just after winning the California primary in preparation for the coming re-election.