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Civil Rights Timeline

  • Period: to

    Birth of the Civil Rights Movement

    • Civil Rights Groups start to form
    • In Montgomery, groups like the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) and the local NAACP began working on issues like voting rights and ending segregation.
  • Rosa Park Gets Arrested

    Rosa Park Gets Arrested
    Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat to a white man and is arrested. This brave act sparks anger and support from the community.
  • MIA is fully formed

    MIA is fully formed
    Local leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and E.D. Nixon, meet to organize a boycott of the Montgomery buses.
  • Boycott officially begins

    Boycott officially begins
    The MIA kicks off the boycott, and people in Montgomery pledge not to ride the buses. Many use carpools or walk instead.
  • Boycott Grows Gaining Attention

    Boycott Grows Gaining Attention
    More people join the boycott, and local churches and organizations help spread the word. Flyers and announcements encourage everyone to participate.
  • Legal Challenges

    Legal Challenges
    MIA leaders, including King, face legal issues as city officials try to stop the boycott. They organize to fight back in court.
  • Court Victory!

    Court Victory!
    A federal court rules that segregation on the buses is illegal, which boosts the boycott and attracts national attention.
  • Boycott Finally Ends

    Boycott Finally Ends
    After 381 days, the boycott ends successfully when the Supreme Court rules that buses in Montgomery must be desegregated.
  • A New Organization Formed

    A New Organization Formed
    After the boycott, King and others create the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to organize more nonviolent protests across the South.