-
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
On the day of Rosa Park's trial court apperence, several African Americans formed a boycott in order to negotiate segregation with city leaders. On Decemebr 5, Martin Luther King, Jr. decided the protest had to be peaceful. He decided to follow the footsteps of Mohandas Gandhi, in doing so. The boycott contunied for a yearIn Novemebr 1956, Alabama's laws on segregation on buses was declared unconstitutional. -
The Little Rock 9
Nine African American students were admitted in Central High, a white school containing 2,000 students. The governer of Arkansas was rasists and ordered the state's national guard to guard the school. Once violence broke out, Eisenhower stepped in. He sent in federal authority and brought the students into the school in an army station wagon, this contunied in the following school year. In 1959, steps to integrete schools began happening. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act was the first law since Reconstruction. This law was intended to protect the rights for African Americans to vote. Eisenhower believed in it. The final form of the atc was weaker then orginally planned, but after the act was published, 2 million African Americans became voters. -
The Sit- In Movement
Four African Americans were enrolled into North Carolina Argicultural and Technicial College, they were able to buy school supplies but were refused service at the lunch counter. The boys refused to leave until they were granted service. News of the sit-in spread around Greensboro, within a week, over 300 students had joined the sit-in. Nine states joined the sit-in within two months. The sit-in eventually created the SNCC or the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. -
The Freedom Riders
The Freedom Riders were a group of African Americans and White Americans who traveled through southern states on a bus. The bus was attacked by white mobs, a firebomb was even used. The KKK was even caled to injure the Freedom Riders. -
James Meredith and the Desegregation of the University of Mississippi
James Meredith was a war veteran who tried to transfer to the University of Mississippi. Th governer would not allow him too. President Kennedy sent 500 federal marshals to escort Meredith onto the campas, to which an angry mob arrived. This led to a fight which injured 160 marshals. Meredith attended classes untill his graduation being watched by federal guards. -
Protests in Birmingham
King created a violet protest in order to get Kennedy's attenion. Shortly after the protests, King was arrested. He wrote the "Letter from Birmingham Jail", this explained why he did what he did. The protests quickly began again once King was realsed, millions watched this happen. Kennedy then ordered a new civil rights bill to be made. -
The March on Washington
Over 200,000 people marched near the the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. This march was to help the bill pass although it onluy slowed the bill down. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Kennedy needed a dramatic movement to pass his bill. When someone was murdered due to white superiority, he stepped in. The Universary of Alabama refused to enroll two African American students. The March in Washington, which contained 200,000 people, helped push the bill along, but not enough to pass it. Once Kennedy was assassinated, all African Americans lost hope of gaining their rights, until Johnsom decided to help pass the bill. On July 2, 1964, the bill was signed declaring it a law. -
The Selma March
The Selma March happened so African Americans could fight for their voting rights. The people even agreed that they would accept 3% registration for voting. A sheriff, Jim CLack began injuring African Americans so they would not and were scared to vote. When King won the Nobel Peace Prize, he demanded a ballot. Soon came Bloody Sunday, more then 70 African Americans were injured or hospitialized. Due to this event being displayed on national tv, new voting laws were discussed. -
THe Voting RIghts Act of 1965
This law stated that local officials could no onger prevent African Americans from voting. 250,000 African Americans quickly registered to be able to vote. This Act was a turning point in the civil rights movement. -
Martin Luther King, Jr. Assassination
MLK was killed due to his active participation in the civil rights movement. He was assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, TN.
