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Montgomery Bus Boycott
A protest in which African Americans refused to ride city buses in Alabama to protest segregated seating. It was the first large-scale U.S. demonstration against segregation and it brought attention to civil rights. Four days before the boycott, Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat to a white man. This brought African-Americans to protest together until the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Montgomery to integrate its bus system since the federal court ruled it broke the 14th amendment. -
Little Rock 9
The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine black students who enrolled at a formerly all-white high school in Arkansas to test Brown v. Board of Education ruling. On the first day of classes, governor Orval Faubus called in the Arkansas National Guard to block their entry into school. Later, President Eisenhower sent in federal troops to escort them into school. Harassment and violence occurred but they were part of the fight for equal opportunity when they dared to challenge segregation. -
1960 Greensboro Sit-In
It was a protest that started when young African-American students staged a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, and refused to leave after being denied service.The Greensboro Four(the four young black men who staged the sit-in) were inspired by peaceful protesting. The sit-in movement soon spread to college towns throughout the South and national media coverage of the sit-ins brought increasing attention to the civil rights movement. -
1961 Freedom Rides
Groups of white and African American activists who participated in Freedom Rides(bus trips through the South to protest segregated bus terminals) testing the 1946 Morgan v. Virginia ruling. The groups even tried to use whites-only facilities. Throughout the "rides" violence and arrests continued to call national and international attention, and draw hundreds of new Freedom Riders to the cause. In fall of 1961, the ICC issued regulations prohibiting segregation in interstate transit terminals. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It was first proposed by JFK, surviving opposition from southern members of Congress and was then signed into law by Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. Brutality and protests motivated JFK to act. This act paved the way for follow-up laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965, prohibiting literacy tests and other discriminatory voting practices. -
March on Washington
A massive protest march in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.to draw attention to continuing challenges and inequalities faced by African Americans a century after emancipation. MLK jr's “I Have A Dream” speech occurred in this occasion. With Randolph(a statesman of the civil rights movement) planning a march for jobs, and King planning one for freedom, the groups decided to join into a big march. They called for fair treatment and equal opportunities for black Americans. -
Freedom Summer
Freedom summer, or the Mississippi Summer project, was a voter registration drive set up by civil rights organizations. The Ku Klux Klan and police carried out a series of attacks on the activists which included arson, beatings, and 3 murders. This project was not very successful since they only got 12 new voters. This event made many African Americans lose hope but it also encouraged leaders like MLK and Malcolm X to get more involved and made them want to fight even harder. -
24th Amendment
The 24th amendment is the right to vote in any election should not be denied the right for any reason including the failure to pay any poll tax. Poll taxes made it difficult for many Blacks in the south since some were unable to pay these taxes. This was an important day because it gave the Blacks the right to finally vote. -
Malcolm X Assasination
Malcolm X was an African American nationalist and religious leaders. Malcolm and his family had to relocate due to threats and then his father was murdered. Malcolm was very religious and went to Mecca to practice the Muslim religion. When he returned back, he started a group to advocate black identity. His house was bombed and then 1 week later, he was killed by a group of Islam members. This event was significant because it showed how the African Americans could be defeated and many lost hope. -
Selma Campaign
The Selma campaign was a 54 mile march from Selma to Montgomery that was part of a protest in Alabama. The march was to raise awareness for the difficulties black voters faced and the need to implement a voting rights act. This event is significant because it led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was aimed to overcome legal barriers that that prevented African Americans from voting. This act if said to be on of the most far-reaching parts of the movements. The act also banned the use of literacy tests and gave the Attorney General the right to investigate poll taxes. This act was important because it verified that the Blacks were not breaking the laws when they were trying to vote. -
MLK Assasination
Martin Luther King was A Baptist minister and founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King was shot by a sniper in Memphis Tennessee after one of his speeches. There were many riots in over 100 cities and some of these protests involved burning and looting. This event sparked a lot of anger and mourning in many African Americans and this anger and mourning led to the equal housing bill that was an important achievement in the civil rights era. -
Civil Rights Act of 1968
This act prohibited discrimination against the rise in sale and rental prices because of a person's race, religion, or sex. The unfair pricing of homes of people of different race or religion made it difficult for those people to buy a home in the newly built residential areas. From 1950-1980, the number of Black Americans in urban areas increased from about 6 million to 15 million people. This act led to the amendment stating there would be no discrimination in housing.
