Civil Rights Timeline

By lex2005
  • Keys v. Carolina Coach

    Ruled against segregation of public transport - Supreme Court Case
  • Emmett Till is Murdered

    Fourteen year-old African American child Emmett Till is murdered for allegedly flirting with a white woman a few days before the event - Violence by opposition
  • Montgomery Bus Boycott

    Montgomery Bus Boycott
    African Americans refused to use city transport, first large scale demonstration against segregation, inspired by Rosa Park's arrest for refusing to surrender her seat four days before - Protest
  • Little Rock Nine Crisis

    Little Rock Nine Crisis
    Nine African American students were selected to enroll in an all-white school, the governor of Arkansas called in the Arkansas national guard to keep the students out of the school, provoking Eisenhower to override his authority and use the national guard to protect the students. - Protest, Legislation
  • Civil Rights Act of 1957

    Civil Rights Act of 1957
    Federal protection guarantees African American voting rights due to disenfranchisement in South - Legislation
  • Freedom Rides

    Freedom Rides
    Black and white civil rights activists protest segregation at bus terminals - protest
  • March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

    March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
    Estimated 200-300,000 in order to pressure the government into creating more job opportunities - Protest
  • Civil Rights Act of 1964

    Civil Rights Act of 1964
    Ended segregation in public places and discrimination of employment based off race, religion, gender, and nationality - Legislation, Achievement
  • Voting Rights Act of 1965

    Voting Rights Act of 1965
    Prohibited Jim Crow laws that allowed racial discrimination in voting centers - Legislation
  • Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

    Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
    Major civil rights leader Martin Luther Kind Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, TN, followed a civil rights rally he led the day before - Violence by Opposition
  • Swann v Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

    Swann v Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
    Charlotte-Mecklenbug schools still had racially segregated transportation for students; found unconstitutional - Achievement, Supreme Court Case
  • Shirley Chisolm’s Presidential Campaign

    Shirley Chisolm’s Presidential Campaign
    Shirley Chisholm was the first African American who ran in a US presidential election - Achievement
  • Hank Aaron's Home Run Record

    Hank Aaron's Home Run Record
    Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run, breaking the record previously set by Babe Ruth - Achievement
  • Barbara Jordan's Address at Democratic National Convention

     Barbara Jordan's Address at Democratic National Convention
    Barbara Jordan, a black woman, gave an address at the National Democratic Convention - Achievement
  • University of California Regents v Bakke

    University of California Regents v Bakke
    University of California admitted to racial bias as a factor in admission to their school; went against the 14th amendment - Supreme Court Case, Achievement