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Period: to
Civil Rights Era
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Montgomery Bus Boycott
A physical and social protest campaign against racial segregation of bus transportation that began with the arrest of Rosa Parks when she refused to give her seat to a white man. African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama refused to ride bus transit until the U.S. Supreme Court declared bus segregation unconstitutional.
The protest is regarded as one of the earliest mass protests of the Civil Rights Movement. -
Little Rock Nine
After school segregation was declared unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education, school districts began to diversify.
In Little Rock, Arkansas nine black students were met with an angry mob of white students, parents, and citizens determined to stop the integration, preventing them from entering the building. The event became the center of national debate about civil rights, racial discrimination and State’s rights. -
1960 Greensboro Sit-In
Four black college students staged a non-violent protest by sitting at an all-white lunch counter at a WOOLWORTH’s store in a Greensboro, NC. Sparked a sit-in movement that quickly spread to college towns throughout the region. Many were arrested for trespassing, disorderly conduct or disturbing the peace in the facility. Eventually Woolworth’s and other store chains changed their segregation policies. -
Freedom Rides
13 African-American and White civil rights activists departed from D.C. and made a series of bus trips through the South to protest segregation in international bus terminals. At stops, riders used “white-only” restrooms and lunch counters, and vise versa for white activists. They drew both international attention and enormous violences from white protesters along their route. By September 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission banned bus and train stations nationwide. -
March on Washington
A march that attracted more than 200,000 participants in Washington D.C. Its goal was to convince Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act and reiterated African American’s desire for economic equality. This is where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. -
Passage of the 24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment states that no voter may be turned away for failure to pay a poll tax. It was significant because it gave poor African Americans as well as Whites the opportunity to vote without having to pay taxes. -
Freedom Summer
Also known as the Mississippi Summer Project, civil rights groups such as the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) and Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) helped to register 1200 Afro-Americans to vote. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
A progressive bill passed to end segregated facilities, as well as outlawing discrimination based on race, sex, religion, or national origin. Instrumental in the fight for racial equality, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson. It came to include disabled citizens and the elderly in its declaration for equal opportunity, and was a tremendous step to level the playing field for all Americans. -
Malcolm X Assasination
Malcolm X was a major advocate for African American rights, but unlike Dr King and other advocates of nonviolence; he wanted rights by any means necessary. He combined his Muslim religion with the Civil Rights movement until he was eventually assassinated by another African American Muslim group. -
Selma Campaign
Three protest marches were held from Selma to Montgomery by MLK Jr to nonviolently protest the abuse of African Americans and their rights. It was significant because it showed the intensity and the seriousness of the issue of civil rights and was played out in a mature, nonviolent manner. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act outlawed discriminatory practices such as literacy tests and the grandfather clause pt in place it prevent african americans from voting. This greatly increased the political power of African Americans, particularly in the south who were now about to register to vote without having drawbacks. -
Civil Rights Act of 1968
The Civil Rights Act of 1968 allowed for African Americans and people of other ethnic backgrounds to not be discriminated against because of their race, sex, or religion when buying or financing a home. This was significant because it allowed more people to get an equal opportunity within their community and to have a sturdy foundation for their lives. -
Martin Luther King Jr's Assasination
MLK Jr’s death really shook the Civil Rights activist community. Since his nonviolent marches and inspiring speeches about the rights and freedoms of all people were so motivating and really propelled the movement forward, his death was greatly significant.