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Brown vs Board of Education
The case involved Oliver Brown and other African-American families against the Topeka Board of Education, Kansas. Families sued because their children had to attend segregated and lower quality schools. The Supreme Court ruled that school segregation was unconstitutional. This led to the integration of schools and strengthened the civil rights movement. -
Murder of Emmett Till
Emmett Till, an African-American teenager, was murdered in 1955 in Money, Mississippi. He was accused of flirting with Carolyn Bryant, a white woman. Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, her husband and her brother-in-law, kidnapped him, tortured and brutally killed him. His body was thrown into the Tallahatchie River and found days later. The trial acquitted the murderers, which boosted the civil rights movement. -
Rosa Parks and the Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat to a white man. His arrest inspired the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Martin Luther King Jr. For more than a year, the black community stopped using buses in protest against segregation. The boycott weakened the transport system economically and attracted national attention. Finally, the Supreme Court declared segregation on public buses illegal. -
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was founded in 1957 in Atlanta, Georgia. Its main leaders were Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy and other civil rights activists. The organization promoted nonviolent resistance against segregation and racial injustice in the United States. His work was key to the passage of civil rights laws in the 1960s. -
Little Rock 9
The Little Rock Nine were nine African-American students who tried to join Little Rock Central High School, Arkansas, in 1957. Governor Orval Faubus ordered the National Guard to block his entrance. President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent federal troops to escort them and ensure their safety. They faced harassment and violence, but managed to attend classes. His courage marked a milestone in the fight for school integration in the US. -
Greensboro Sit ins
Four African-American students from North Carolina AT University began the sit-ins in Greensboro in 1960. They sat at the segregated counter of a Woolworth's store and refused to leave. His peaceful protest inspired thousands of young people to carry out similar actions throughout the country. Despite the violence and arrests, the movement grew. Finally, the pressure led to the disintegration of many restaurants and businesses. -
Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges, a six-year-old African-American girl, was the first to join a white school in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1960. His parents and the National Association for the Progress of People of Color (NAACP) supported his entry. He faced daily protests and threats from furious white crowds. A single teacher, Barbara Henry, agreed to teach him in an empty room. His courage helped advance school integration in the US. -
Freedom Riders
The Freedom Riders were interracial activists who traveled by bus through the southern USA in 1961. They challenged segregation at bus terminals, despite the fact that the Supreme Court had declared it illegal. They faced violent attacks by white crowds and the indifference of local authorities. His courage attracted national attention and forced the federal government to intervene. Finally, laws were applied that prohibited segregation in interstate transport. -
March on Washington
The March in Washington occurred on August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C. It was organized by leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and A. Philip Randolph It brought together more than 250,000 people to demand civil and economic rights for African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech "I Have a Dream". The march helped drive the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
Civil Rights Act
It was promoted by President John F. Kennedy and approved under the mandate of Lyndon B. Johnson It was signed in Washington, D.C., and had the support of leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. The law prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin in public places and employment. It also strengthened the right to vote and school integration. It marked a breakthrough in the fight for civil rights in the United States. -
Assassination of Malcom X
Malcolm X was murdered on February 21, 1965 at the Audubon Ballroom in New York. Three members of the Nation of Islam, the group to which he had belonged, were responsible for the attack. While giving a speech, he was shot multiple times in front of a crowd. His death was the result of tensions with the Nation of Islam after his separation from the group. His murder shot the civil rights movement in the United States. -
Selma to Montgomery Marches (Bloody Sunday)
The marches from Selma to Montgomery occurred in Alabama in March 1965. They were organized by leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr and John Lewis to demand the right to vote for African Americans. The first march, known as Bloody Sunday, ended in violence when police attacked protesters on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. After the intervention of the federal government, a third march came to Montgomery with thousands of participants.These protests helped the passage of the Right to Vote Act of 1965. -
Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was promoted by President Lyndon B. Johnson and civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. It was signed in Washington, D.C., in response to the repression of the African-American vote in the southern US. The law prohibited literacy tests and other discriminatory restrictions in elections. It also allowed federal supervision in areas with a history of discrimination. As a result, millions of African Americans were able to exercise their right to vote. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King
Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered on April 4, 1968 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. James Earl Ray, a white criminal, was arrested and convicted of the murder. King was shot while on the balcony of his motel. His death caused protests and riots in several US cities. His legacy strengthened the struggle for civil rights and racial justice.