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Brown vs. The Board of Education
This was the lawsuit that took place in Kansas over segregation in schools. Oliver Brown tried to admit his daughter into an all-white school, but was denied entry due to her race. Brown then sued the Board of Education. This resulted in the B.O.E. ruling that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. This ruling was a large step into desegregating schools and other facilities. -
Montgomery Bus Boycotts
The Montgomery bus boycotts started when a black woman refused to give her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. She was arrested, and this sparked an outrage among activists. This act of defiance of not sitting on buses caused the bus companies to loose a huge amount of money. This event is one of the larger events that led to the start of the civil rights movement. -
Little Rock Nine
Little rock nine was an event that happened at Little Rock High School. Nine African American students were the first black students to go to a desegregated school. This was very significant in terms of desegregation. It was the first time a school had been desegregated, and came after the Brown vs.the Board of Education. -
The "I Have a Dream" Speech
This speech by Martin Luther King Jr. is possibly the most important speech in America. He spoke of freedom for African Americans, and what he dreams the future to be. This inspired many people to start protesting and step up. This speech also shifted many of the public's opinions on civil rights. This was defiant in a sense that it was directly against the government policies in place. -
the March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom
This was the largest march for rights in American history. It was an assembly attended by over 220,000 people at the capitol to demand equal treatment from the government. It was an act of defiance, and was successful in pressuring congress to pass a civil rights bill in congress. -
Birmingham Church Bombing
A year before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, an African American church in Birmingham was bombed on Sunday morning by the KKK, which resulted in four little girls and injured 14 more. This gained nationwide attention and brought more widespread attention to the violence African Americans faced in the South and specifically Birmingham. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This ruling by the supreme court was the most significant law passed in the civil rights movement. It ruled that it was illegal to discriminate against someone based on race, sex, or religion. This was a huge win for civil rights activists, but still did not outlaw everything. -
Black Arts Movement
This movement was the most present during the 60's and 70's. It was a cultural movement fueled by the civil rights movement that many emerging artists, singers, writers, and many more would make politically motivated pieces. This motivated the black community and invoked nationalism in the African American community. It was formally started when the Black Arts Repertory Theatre opened in Harlem. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 granted more rights to African Americans attempting to register to vote. Southern states had implemented heavy restrictions on voting registration in order to prevent African Americans from being able to register. This act eased the restrictions on voting in the south. -
Watts, Los Angles riots
In 1965, a six day riot broke out in a section of Los Angles called Watts. This broke out because a black man was aggressively arrested along with his family members for drinking and driving. This riot killed 34 people and injured many more, with many buildings being burned in Watts, and entire blocks of streets being destroyed. This showed police brutality being very high in cities during this period after the laws had been passed. -
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party was a group formed to protect African Americans. They would patrol black neighborhoods to protect the families there. This was defensive, as it helped protect African Americans facing discrimination. They would patrol the streets for over twenty years, and always parade for civil rights. This showed the government that they were ready to fight back and protect themselves if needed. -
Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination
Martin Luther King Jr. was a huge figure and leader in the civil rights movement. He was largely loved among all supporters of the civil rights movement. He was assassinated while giving a speech. This sparked outrage among the African American community, and left the movement without a leader. -
Fair Housing Act
This act was passed a week after Martin Luther King Jr.'s death. It was a law that prohibited discrimination based off race when selling property to someone. This addressed the housing issue in America, and also led to more integrated neighborhoods in America and more African Americans having better living conditions. -
Runyon vs. Mccray
This was a supreme court case in the 1970s. Years after the Brown vs. B.O.E. case, this hearing ruled that private schools, rather they received funding from the government or not, could not discriminate against students based on race. This was one of the final and important segregation cases relating to school.
