Civil Rights Timeline

Brown v. Board of Education

May 17, 1954

Brown v. Board of Education was a decision by United States Supreme Court that made school segregation illegal.

White Citizens' Councils

Jul 11, 1954

These groups were formed by white supremacists, mainly to oppose racial integration in schools and black voter registration in the South.

Rosa Parks arrested

Dec 1, 1955

Rosa Parks wouldn't give up her seat and move to the back of the bus, so she was arrested in Montomery, AL.

Kennedy sends in federal troops

1962

President Kennedy sent 3,000 federal troops to keep the peace in Mississippi after James Meredith enrolled at the university.

Birmingham church bombing

Sep 15, 1963

White supremacists bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church, killing four little girls and injuring 22 people.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Jul 2, 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal to discriminate against someone based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin

Black Panthers formed

1966

Bobby Seale and Huey Newton formed the Black Panther Party, a revolutionary Black Power movement, in Oakland, CA.

Detroit Riots

Jul 23, 1967

The worst riot in the 'Long Hot Summer' started after Detroit police raided an unlicensed bar. 43 people died in just 5 days.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Apr 4, 1968

Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, TN.

Assassination of Robert F. 'Bobby' Kennedy

Jun 6, 1968

Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles, CA.