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Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a Supreme Court decision, ruling segregation in U.S. public schools unconstitutional. This landmark decision marked the beginning of change for African Americans, regarding public domain, because it overruled the Plessey v. Ferguson ruling of "separate but equal". -
White Citizens Council
The white citizens council was created by white segregationists in the south to combat the passing of Brown v. Board Education. Belonging to this council was mainly middle and upper class individuals. Their goal was to socially and economically oppress African Americans. As soon as the Montgomery Bus Boycott began, MLK began facing the WCC. -
Brown v. Board of Education II
After the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, the court requested further directives to instate this law, creating Brown v. Board of Education II. It was created to prompt local solutions to segregation remaining in certain public schools. -
Lynching of Emmett Till
Emmett Till, a 14 year-old African American boy, was accused of being flirtatious with a woman, Carolyn Bryant, in a grocery store. Because of this, Emmett Till was lynched in Money, MS. -
Rosa Parks Arrested
Rosa Parks was arrested for civil disobedience. On this day, she refused to give up her seat to a white man, and she was also sitting in the front half of the bus, the whites only section. Failing to move, she was arrested by the Alabama police. Her arrest led to the 381 day bus boycott led by MLK. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
This boycott was prompted by Rosa Parks arrest. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by MLK, was a civil rights and social protest. For 381 days (until December 20, 1956), African Americans refused to ride the bus to protest segregated seating. As a result of the bus boycott, Montgomery buses were desegregated, and MLK became a rising leader of the Civil Rights Movement. -
Martin Luther King House Bombing
Martin Luther King's home in Montgomery, Alabama was bombed by a white supremacist terrorist. Luckily no one was hurt, but the bombing resulted in an outraged African American community. Despite this tragic event, King preached nonviolence, emphasizing the strength he has in his belief. -
Bombing of Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth
Shuttlesworth's, a civil rights activist, had his Alabama home bombed by the KKK with a 16-stick dynamite. Inside was his family and two Bethel Church members but there were no serious injuries. With the wreckage of his home also came damage to his church nextdoor. This is not the last time white supremacists attempt to murder Shuttlesworth. -
SCLC Founded
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is an African American civil rights organization. It was established by MLK and aimed to demonstrate to end racial segregation. They also practiced boycotts on businesses with unfair hiring practices. SCLC's main goal was to implement non-violent protests to raise awareness of the injustices African Americans were facing. -
Eisenhower Sends in Federal Troops
After "separate but equal" was ruled unconstitutional, 9 African Americans were to attend Little Rock High School. After some chaos from white parents and even students, Eisenhower ordered Federal Troops to the High School to ensure students and safe and granted access due to the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. -
Greensboro Sit Ins
The Greensboro Sit Ins were protests during the Civil Rights Movement. African American students would sit in at lunch counters , refusing to leave after being denied service at the segregated Woolworth's counter. The sit ins resulted in desegregated lunch counters, and they led to the formation of SNCC. -
SNCC Formed
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was formed at Shaw University in North Carolina. It was formed by, Ella Baker, Diane Nash, Julian Bond, Bernard Lafayette, Charles Sherrod. The goal of this committee was to provide a voice for younger African Americans. The group was largely involved in the Freedom Rides, sit ins, The March on Washington, and voter registration projects. They used non-violent direct action to protest segregation and various forms of racism. -
Freedom Rides
Freedom Rides, led by Charles Perkins, carried freedom riders (around 35 students), African Americans, who rode interstate buses to the South to protest public transit segregation. The first freedom ride was intended to challenge the Supreme Court's decision of Boynton v. Virginia, declaring segregation on interstate buses and rails unconstitutional. With these rides came obstacles, such as a bus bombing (May 14, 1961) in Alabama and violence from whites when students exited the buses. -
White Mob Attacks Federal Marshals in Montgomery
Violence towards the Freedom Riders uneasy. White mobs would attack students with bats and clubs as they exited the bus. It was to the point where General Attorney Kennedy had to call in Federal Marshals. It got so out of hand, the marshals had to use teargas to break apart the white mob attacking African Americans. -
24th Amendment
The House passed the 24th amendment, which outlawed poll tax as a requirement in federal voting elections. The poll tax was a reflection of "Jim Crow" laws during the post-reconstruction era. These poll taxes aimed to eliminate the number of African Americans that could vote. This amendment was later ratified on January 23, 1964. -
Bailey v. Patterson
This was a case where the Supreme Court ruled segregation in public transportation facilities unconstitutional. It was against the law to have separate transportation facilities for white and colored people. -
Albany Georgia "Failure"
November of 1961, SNCC and NAACP joined together to create the Albany movement. At first, it was successful through its massive protests, but later on stopped being as successful. Its goal was to end all forms of public segregation. At each nonviolent demonstration, many were jailed with various charges. After having been arrested 3 times, King halted demonstrations. -
MLK Goes to Birmingham Jail
During the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans faced much brutality in Birmingham. MLK and and others were protesting in that city when they were arrested. Sent to Birmingham jail, King wrote the "Letter From Birmingham Jail". From his cell, he responses to the religious criticism he received for nonviolent protesting. This document served as a tangible item during the Civil Rights era, and clearly stated within is the account of African Americans road to freedom. -
Equal Pay Act
This Act, signed by John F. Kennedy, is an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938). It called for equal pay between men and women. -
Kennedy Sends in Federal Troops
John F. Kennedy brought in the National Guard to the University of Alabama to force its desegregation. While the school attempted to stop desegregation, they were unsuccessful and the two African American students attended. -
Assassination of Medgar Evers
Medgar Evers, a civil rights activist and State Secretary for the NAACP, was shot in Jackson, MS. He was shot by Bryan De La Beckwith Jr, a white supremacist Klansman from Greenwood, MS. -
March On Washington "I Have a Dream"
The March on Washington was a political demonstration in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. 250,000 of African Americans gathered to protest racial inequalities faced by African Americans and the pending legislation in Congress. At the march, MLK gave his famous speech "I Have a Dream". It was aimed to vocalize his and African Americans goals to reach civil and economic equality. -
Bombing of a Church in Birmingham
At the predominantly black church in Alabama, 16th Street Baptist Church, a bomb exploded before a Sunday church service, resulting in 4 deaths. This church also served as a meeting place for civil rights leaders. It was found that four men from the United Klans of America were responsible because they were for racial segregation. -
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the U.S, was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. He shot Kennedy in the back of the head in Dealey Plaza, downtown, located in Dallas, Texas. His assassination led to the presidency of Lyndon B Johnson, who who helped the civil rights movement because of his support. -
Freedom Summer
Freedom Summer was a campaign organized by CORE and SNCC. Its goal was to increase the number of African American registered voters in Mississippi. Opposed to this campaign, the Klu Klux Klan brought much violence, but it spread awareness of the injustices. News of the violence increased awareness and led to the creation of the Civil Rights Act 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. -
Killing of Goodman, Chaney, Schwerner
Schwerner and Goodman, both white males, and Chaney, a local African American, were all members of CORE. After returning from the investigation of a burned church, they were stopped by sheriff Cecil Price. After their release from jail, KKK members were alerted, and they were abducted and killed in Philadelphia, MS. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a law established to outlaw discrimination based on race, color, gender, religion, or national origin. It banned unequal voter registration requirements, racial segregation in public, schools and employment. -
Selma to Montgomery March
This march was included in a series of civil rights protests in Alabama. During the 54 mile march from Selma to the Montgomery State Capitol, protestors were confronted by whites using violence. The march which MLK participated in, rose awareness of the injustices of the voting system for African Americans. -
Assassination of Malcolm X
Malcolm X, a human rights activist and black racial advocate, was shot at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights, New York while giving a speech to the Afro-American unity organization. He was shot by rival muslims. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act, signed by Lyndon b. Johnson, was meant to get rid of the national and state barriers that prevented African Americans from voting and exercising their 15th amendment. It outlawed literacy tests as a prerequisite to vote. After this law was passed, voting percentages greatly increased. -
Black Panthers Formed
The Black Panthers, founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, was a political organization founded to combat the police brutality of African Americans. It was formed due to the assassination of Malcolm X. Starting in Oakland, California, and other surrounding cities, the group gained support from urban centers, increasing the organization's size to around 2,000 during its peak time. -
Detroit Riots
In the neighborhood of Virginia, racial tension was rapidly growing. On 12th street, violence broke out. It started as vocal and turned into fires. It was the 3rd worst riot in U.S history, resulting in 43 deaths, 342 injuries, 1,400 burned buildings, and required 7,000 National Guards and Army troops to contain the riot. -
Loving v. Virginia
This case was brought to the Supreme Court when Richard Loving, a white male, wanted to marry Mildred Jeter, and African American woman. White interracial marriage was against the law in Virginia, the supreme court ruled that it was breaking the 14th amendment. This case made interracial marriage legal. -
Minneapolis Riots
The rising racial tensions led to the street of Plymouth Avenue in Minneapolis to burn in flames. Angry young African Americans from the north side set fire to storefronts, consisting of many Jewish owned shops, to rebel against unfair power structures, causing the deployment of National Guard Troops. As a result, the Urban Coalition was formed to address the unjustices. -
Assassination of MLK
Martin Luther King, leader of the civil rights movement, and leader of SCLC was shot at The Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee at 6:01pm. He soon at St. Joseph's Hospital at 7:05 pm. He was shot by James Earl Ray. -
Assassination of Robert "Bobby" Kennedy
Robert Kennedy, 64th US Attorney General, was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. He was shot by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian.
