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Brown v. Board of Education Verdict Handed Down
The supreme court declared that seperate schools for blacks and whites was unconstitutional, which overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1897. The court decided that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." -
Rosa Park Arrested
Rosa Parks, the "first lady of civil rights" and the "mother of the freedom movement", was arrested for refusing to get up and let a white take her spot in the colored section, as the white section was full. For this, she was arrested - quoting that she was "tired of giving in". -
SCLC Is Formed
SLCL (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) is a very large advocater for equal rights betweens blacks and whites. They played a large role in the Civil Rights movement, most likely due to the large influence it's first president - Martin Luther King Jr., had. -
Little Rock Nine attend Central High School
Following the Supreme Court's ruling that all schools, nation-wide, must desegregrate, the first black students to enter an all-white school (in the south) were 9 students selected for outstanding acheivment and attendance. There was much strife and difficulty in even entering the school, but eventually (and under the protection of the National Guard) they entered and attended the school. -
SNCC Formed
It was an organization, during the Civil Rights Movement, to organize student across America (mainly the North) to promote equality the nation-over. They organized sit-ins, freedom rides, and led events like the March on Washington, Freedom Summer, and others. -
James Meredith admitted to Ole Miss
After having been denied entry twice to Ole Miss, James Meredith contacted the NAACP who filed suit to the U.S. District Court, who "alleged [sic] that the university had rejected Meredith only because of the color of his skin, as he had a higly successful record." The case went through to the Supreme Court, where they ruled that he must be accepted into the university. -
"Letter from a Birmingham Jail" Written by MLK Jr.
While having been arrested for being part of the Birmingham Campaign, an non-violent protest against racial segragation, MLK Jr. sent a letter in response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen on April 12th, 1963 - entitled, "A Call for Unity". The 8 men "agreed that social injustices existed but argued that the battle against racial segregation should be fought solely in the courts, not in the streets." Martin Luther King Jr. disagreed, and so he wrote this letter. -
I Have A Dream Speech
It was a speech by Martin Luther King Jr. during the march on Washington, in which he called for an end to racism. It is one the most famous speeches from the history of America, with its line "I have a dream . . . " His speech held a great impact on the future of Civil Rights for blacks in America. -
John F. Kennedy is Assassinated
While campaigning for the upcoming election in Dallas, Texas, JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in an open-air limousine. -
24th Amendment Passed
The 24th Amendment "prohibits both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax." -
Freedom Summer
Freedom Summer was a movement in Georgia to inspire as many African-American's as possible to vote - as constant discrimination and even threats had prevented them from excersizing their constitutional rights. -
Three CORE Members Disappear
On this night, 3 members of the CORE Party were threatened, intimiated, beaten, shot, and buried by members of the Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Their death quickened the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
"An act to enforce the constitutional right to vote, to confer jurisdiction upon the district courts of the United States of America to provide injunctive relief against discrimination in public accommodations, to authorize the Attorney General to institute suits to protect constitutional rights in public facilities and public education, to extend the Commission on Civil Rights, to prevent discrimination in federally assisted programs, . . . and to prevent discrimination." -
Malcom X is Assassinated
In New York City, while preparing to address the Organization of Afro-American Unity in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom, a man burst up from the front row and shot him once, in the chest, with a shotgun. Shortly after, two other men rushed the stage and shot him multiple times with semi-automatic hanguns. Overall, by the time he died, he had over 21 gunshot wounds to his chest, left shoulder, and arms and legs. -
The First March from Selma
600 people came together to advocate equality for blacks in whites in a march from Selma to Montogomery. After a number of miles of walking, the protesters were met with heavily armed state troopers and warned not to progress. They did anyways, and the demonstraters were "gassed, clubbed, spat on, whipped, trampled by horses, and jeered by others for demanding the right to register to vote. -
Watts Riot
A 6-day long riot which lasted for 6 days and caused over $40 million of damages was a very large riot that lasted for nearly 6 days and cost over fourty-million dollars! It happened when Marquette Frye, a young African-American motorist, was pulled over and arrested fora DUI. As people gathered around to watch, tensions gtew and violence broke and fists were readied and scuffles were had. Things got pretty bad, and over 14,000 National Guard Troops were mobilized to maintain the peace. -
Black Panther's Formed
The Black Panthers was a group founded in order to advocate the empowering of Black Citizens in the United States of America. Their first doctrine called "primarily for the protection of African-American neighborhoods from police brutality". By 1969, they held a membership of nearly 10,000 people. Soon after, they began a number of programs to "alleviate poverty, improve health . . . and soften the Party's public image." -
Detroit Riot
In Detroit, on Sunday, a police raid was conducted of an "unlicensced, after-hours bar". The confrontation there then grew much greater as the patrons of the bar resisted arrest, and others joined in to fight as well - prompting the police to call in for backup. All in all, the riot lasted for 5 days and killed over 43 people. -
Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated
MLK Jr., a very prominent advocater of Civil Rights and Equality for all people, was assassinated on this day in Memphis (TN) by James Earl Ray.
