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Montgomery Bus Boycott
This boycott was born after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Ala., to a white male passenger. The next day, Dec. 1, 1955, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. proposed a citywide boycott against racial segregation on the public transportation system. -
The sit-ins
In February 1960, four black college freshmen sat down at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, and politely asked to be served. They were ignored but remained seated until the counter closed. The next day they returned with more students, who sat peacefully at the counter waiting to be served. They, like the protesters in Montgomery, were practicing non-violent, civil disobedience. -
The Freedom Ride
In May 1961, black and white freedom riders boarded buses bound for Southern states. At each stop, they planned to enter the segregated areas. CORE Director James Farmer said: “We felt we could count on the racists of the South to create a crisis so that the federal government would be compelled to enforce the law.” -
Birmingham Campaign
The goal of the Birmingham campaign was to end discriminatory economic policies in the Alabama city against African American residents. They faced deep financial disparities and violent reprisal when addressing racial issues. -
March on Washington
This was the largest political rally for human rights ever in the United States. An estimated 200,000 to 300,000 participants converged on the Mall in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963, to protest for jobs and freedom for African Americans. King delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. -
Mississippi Freedom Summer
In 1964, SNCC and other civil rights organizations turned their attention to Mississippi. They planned to register Mississippi black people to vote, organize a “Freedom Democratic Party” to challenge the white people-only Mississippi Democratic Party, establish freedom schools, and open community centers where black people could obtain legal and medical assistance. -
Selma
In December 1964, the SCLC started a voter-registration campaign in Selma, Alabama. Although black people outnumbered white people in Selma, few were registered to vote. For almost two months, Martin Luther King led marches to the courthouse to register voters. The sheriff responded by jailing the demonstrators, including King. The SCLC got a federal court order to stop the sheriff from interfering, but election officials still refused to register any black people. -
Bloody Sunday
This march went down in history as Bloody Sunday for the violent beatings state troopers inflicted on protesters as they attempted to march peacefully from Selma, Ala., to the state capital, Montgomery. The march was aimed at fighting the lack of voting rights for African Americans. -
The Chicago Freedom movement
The Chicago Open Housing Movement, also called the Chicago Freedom Movement, was formed to protest segregated housing, educational deficiencies, and employment and health disparities based on racism. The movement included multiple rallies, marches and boycotts to address the variety of issues facing black Chicago residents. -
Poor People's Campaign
The goal of the Poor People’s Campaign was to gain more economic and human rights for poor Americans from all backgrounds. A multicultural movement, the campaign included Asian Americans, Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Native Americans and whites along with African Americans. -
Dr. Clifton Wharton Jr.
Dr. Clifton Wharton Jr. is appointed as president of Michigan State University. Dr. Wharton is the first African American to head a predominately White university in the 20th century. Wharton is also the first Black person admitted to the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, to earn a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago, and to serve as CEO of a Fortune 500 company (TIAA-CREF), a title he assumed in 1987. -
Kenneth Gibson
Kenneth Gibson (1932–2019) is elected the first Black mayor of Newark, New Jersey, ousting a two-term White incumbent and becoming the first Black mayor of a major Northeastern U.S. city. During his tenure, Gibson acquires and uses federal funds to build and rehabilitate thousands of housing units in the city. He serves five terms as mayor, leaving office only after being defeated for reelection in 1986. -
George Ellis Johnsons
George Ellis Johnson's Johnson Products becomes the first Black-owned company to be listed on a major U.S. stock exchange when it begins trading on the American Stock Exchange. Johnson had started the company—famous for its Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen hair dressing products—with only a $500 loan. -
PUSH
The People United to Save Humanity (later renamed the People United to Serve Humanity or Operation PUSH) is founded by the Reverend Jesse Jackson. According to BlackPast, the group seeks "to improve the economic status of African Americans in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to founding PUSH, Jackson was head of the Southern Leadership Conference’s Operation Breadbasket in Chicago." -
Barbara Jordan and Andrew Young
Barbara Jordan and Andrew Young become the first African American Congressional representatives from the South since 1898. Young, actually the first Black U.S. congressman from Georgia since Reconstruction, goes on to champion the causes he had as a civil rights activist, including anti-poverty and educational programs. He serves in the Congressional Black Caucus and advocates for pacifism; he objects to the Vietnam War and establishes the U.S. Institute for Peace. -
Thomas Bradley
Thomas Bradley (1917–1998) is elected mayor Los Angeles. Bradley is the first African American to hold this position and is reelected four times, holding the position for 20 years. Bradley also ran for governor of California on the Democratic ticket in 1982 and 1986 but is defeated both times. -
Maynard H. Jackson Jr.
Maynard H. Jackson Jr. (1938–2003) is elected as the first Black mayor of Atlanta with nearly 60% of the vote, and the first to be elected in any major southern city. The New York Times notes that Maynard represents a "seismic shift in political power from Atlanta's white establishment to its growing Black middle class." -
Hammerin' Hank
Henry “Hank” Aaron hits his 715th home run for the Atlanta Braves. Aaron’s breaking Babe Ruth's legendary record makes him the all-time leader in home runs in major league baseball. -
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson is named the player-manager of the Cleveland Indians and the next spring becomes the first Black manager of any Major League Baseball team. He goes on to manage the Giants, Orioles, Expos, and Nationals. -
University of California Regents v. Bakke
The U.S. Supreme Court rules in the case of the University of California Regents v. Bakke that affirmative action can be used as a legal strategy to deal with past discrimination. The decision has historical and legal significance because it declares that race can be one of several determining factors in college admission policies, but it rejects the use of racial quotas.