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Brown v. Board of Education
In a 9-0 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled racial segregation was a violation of the fourteenth amendment. This was important to the Civil Rights Movement because it forbids states from denying equal protection of the laws to any individual. -
Emmett Till Murder
Emmett Till, a fourteen year old African-American boy, was brutally murdered for harassing a white woman. This is important to the Civil Rights Movement because the sight of Emmett’s brutalized body sparked activism. -
Rosa Parks & the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white person to stand up against racial inequality. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a 13-month protest against racial segregation on city buses. This was important because Rosa Parks inspired others to lead the boycott. As a result, the Supreme Court ruled segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. -
The Little Rock Nine and Integration
The Little Rock Nine was a group of nine black students who enrolled at Central High School which was an all-white school. This was important because it challenged racial segregation in schools. -
Greensboro Woolworth's Sit-ins
African Americans protested at a lunch counter in Greensboro; they refused to leave after being denied service. This was important because this nonviolent protest persuaded others to take action of integration. -
Freedom Rides
Freedom Rides were civil rights activists who rode buses through the South as a protest against segregated bus terminals. This was important because it brought attention to the unequal laws in the South. -
MLK's Letter From Birmingham Jail
Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter while in prison against segregation. This was important because it expresses one’s personal opinion towards inequality and provides reasons for change. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington was for jobs and freedom in the nation’s capital. This was important because it helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
Birmingham Baptist Church Bombing
Four black girls were killed by a bomb explosion before a Sunday morning church service. The Birmingham Baptist Church Bombing was important because it supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This was important because it encouraged voting rights and desegregation of schools. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment banned poll taxes. This was important because it gave poor citizens the opportunity to vote. -
"Bloody Sunday"/Selma to Montgomery
On March 7, 1965 demonstrators were attacked in an attempt to stop the march from Selma to Montgomery. This was important because it contributed to the Voting Rights Act. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 removed barriers from African Americans privileges. It banned poll taxes, literacy tests, and other interferences that prohibited blacks from voting. -
Loving v. Virginia
Loving v. Virginia was brought to court because a white man and black woman’s marriage was considered illegal according to Virginia state law. This was important because the Supreme Court made interracial marriage legal in the US.