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Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark United States Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in public facilities under the doctrine of "separate but equal". This court case set back civil rights in the United States for decades to come. -
NAACP
It stands for National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. NAACP was one of the earliest and most influential civil rights organization in the United States. During its early years, the NAACP focused on legal strategies designed to confront the critical civil rights issues of the day. -
Race Riots
White police officer killed 15-year-old african american boy, which is significant because it immediately raised a rally of over 300 african american students. -
Brown v. board of Education of Topeka
A court case which stated that separate schools for blacks and whites was unconstitutional. It signaled the start of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, while for others, it represented the fall of segregation. -
Emmett Till
Emmett Till was an African-American teenager who was lynched in Mississippi at the age of 14 after reportedly flirting with a white woman. His death provided a catalyst for the emerging civil rights movement. -
Rosa Parks
She is known as the “mother of the civil rights movement” because her arrest for refusing to give up her bus seat sparked the pivotal Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, and was arrested. From this moment on blacks boycotted Montgomery Buses. -
Little Rock School Integration
Enrolled 9 black children into an all white school, after the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.This tested a landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. This marked a step in the right direction regarding equality towards each race. -
The Sit-Ins
Four African American students sat at a "white-only" lunch counter, as a non-violent protest. Up until then, they accepted segregation, but they wanted to make a change. This symbolized a change in the mood of African-American people towards segregation. -
Freedom Rides
Civil Rights activist that would ride buses into segregated southern states in 1961. The rides helped to inspire African Americans in the South. The bravery of the riders in the face of the violence was important in persuading more African Americans to get involved. -
Malcom X
Malcom X, the American-Muslim minister and Human Rights Activist challenged the mainstream civil rights movement and the nonviolent pursuit of integration championed by Martin Luther King Jr.He urged followers to defend themselves against white aggression “by any means necessary.” -
March on Birmingham, Alabama
Movement in Birmingham, Alabama to bring attention to integration efforts by African-Americans. Although it was a non-violent protest, many African-Americans were attacked by law enforcement.The Children’s Crusade marked a significant victory in Birmingham. The local officials knew that they could no longer ignore the Civil Rights Movement. The March marked a significant victory in Birmingham. The city was in the world spotlight, and local officials knew that they could no longer ignore the CRM. -
March on Washington
Largest Political Rally in the U.S. for Human Rights. This is the Rally where MLK had spoken. MLK had spoke about legislation, unemployment, and racial injustice. Altogether, the march created momentum for the Civil Rights Act. -
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr./Gandhi/Thoreau/ Randolph
This is how all of these people influenced MLK to do whatever he decided to do. Gandhi influenced MLK to use non-violent protest against the government. Henry David Thoreau has lead MLK to resist immoral government actions without cooperating. Randolph proposed the idea of having a March on Washington. Altogether, the influences from all three of the people made MLK the successful civil rights activist that he was. -
24th Amendment
Not long ago, citizens in some states had to pay a fee to vote in a national election. This fee was called a poll tax. On January 23, 1964, the United States ratified the 24th Amendment to the Constitution, prohibiting any poll tax in elections for federal officials. The 24th amendment is important because African Americans in the South faced significant discrimination and could not vote, but now could. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination against race, religion, sex, or national origin. It is considered one of the crowning legislative achievements of the civil rights movement to this day. -
March from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights
MLK and the SCLC marched from Selma to Montgomery in order to bring the focus on being able to register African-Americans to vote. This was a step in getting African-Americans equal rights as whites. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
When Lyndon B Johnson overcame the 15th amendment and allowed African Americans the right to vote. The Voting Rights Act itself has been called the single most effective piece of civil rights legislation ever passed by Congress. -
De Jure vs. De Facto Segregation
De Jure Segregation was forced by law while De Facto segregation was segregation by practice. It showed that some segregation was chosen rather than forced. -
Black Panther Party
The Panthers practiced militant self-defense of minority communities against the U.S. government, and fought to establish revolutionary socialism through mass organizing and community based programs. -
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was the first African-American Supreme Court Justice. This marked a significant step when a black man was elected such a high authority.
