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Jackie Robinson and the desegregation of baseball
An African American broke the segregated barrier of a professional sport. Jackie Robinson influenced the hope of desegregation of blacks to other professions and facilities, for example, public schools. -
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Civil Rights Movement
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Brown v. Baord of Education of Topeka Kansas
Brown v. Board ruled that segregation in public schools was considered unconstitutional. The passage of Brown v. Board lead to further violent retaliation against blacks. -
Emmitt Till
An African American from Chicago visited Mississippi and got brutally murdered for flirting with a white woman. Violence and unfair treatment towards blacks was increasing driving blacks to finally revolt. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Blacks refused to ride city buses in Montgomery, Alabama, to protest segregated seating. In result of seating not being the only public facility that blacks were denied the right to, the boycott lead by the blacks eventually desegregated other public facilities, including schools. Even after the passage of Brown v. Board integration was still easier said than done. -
Crisis in Little Rock
Federal troops were sent at a school in little rock to grant nine black students access into the school. -
Sit-ins (Greensboro, NC)
The Civil Rights movement had gained further momentum when the SNCC began the pattern of non-violent protests. Sit-ins were an effective way to eventually integrate more public facilities that weren't just the lunch counter. -
Freedom Riders
CORE launched the freedom rides in response to the previous momentum gained by the sit-in movement to integrate public facilities. Protesters encountered brutal violence along the way, gaining international attention to their cause. -
Meredith and Ole Miss
James Meredith became the first African American to attend the university of Mississippi. More federal troops had to be sent to allow Meredith to have a safer environment to go to school in. After Brown vs.Board’s ruling overturned separate but equal, and the crisis in little rock incident, blacks are still receiving violent treatment towards them when trying to have the rights as equal citizens. -
Civil Rights protest in Birmingham
A protest to achieve integration was being exposed from televised images of protesters being brutally attacked by dogs and fire hoses. The broadcasting of the inhumane treatment towards the protesters gained more sympathy towards them, providing a turning point for the civil rights movement. -
March on Washington
Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested during protests. While residing in jail he composed “Letter From Birmingham” which turned into his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. The speech was spoken to over 200,000 people who congregated at Lincoln Memorial in support of eventual freedoms and job oppurtunities. The March on Washington empowered many and rose much awareness as it was the largest demonstration that happened in support of the Civil Rights cause. -
Birmingham Church Bombing
Four young girls were attending sunday school when a bomb exploded at a popular Baptist church. Even more riots erupted because of the bombing. -
Freedom Summer Project
Groups such as CORE and SNCC sought to expand black voting into the South. African American voting registration was very low in the South, so blacks were pushing to achieve the right to vote without any restriction, -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act was passed by president Lyndon Johnson. The Act prohibits any discrimination and gives the federal government the power to enforce desegregation. -
Selma March
The Civil Rights Act was a step towards freedom, but blacks were still denied the right to vote. The Selma March to Montgomery was used as a catalyst in eventually achieving voting rights. -
Voting Rights Act
Any form of restriction against blacks voting was made illegal. The passage of this Act proved to be one of the most important pieces of legislation in the U.S. because African Americans can now have their ultimate rights.
