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Brown vs Board of Education
Brown vs Board of education was a decision that declared that having separate education facilities for whites and African-Americans was unconstitutional. That violated the 14th amendment. -
Emmet Till
Emmett was accused of whistling at a white woman Carolyn Bryant. This led to Emmett being abducted, tortured, and lynched. His killers were known for their violent persecution on African-Americans. Emmett has become an icon for the Civil Rights movement. -
Rosa Parks/ The bus boycott
The bus boycott was a political protest that took place because of the segregation on public transport. Rosa Parks wasn’t the first person to resist these segregation laws but she did have a pivotal role in the in the boycott she inspired the black community to finally stand up. Parks refused to give up her seat so she was arrested for civil disobedience. -
Little Rock Nine
In 1957 nine teenagers stepped up to the frontline and challenged racial segregation in the schools of Little Rock, Arkansas. They enrolled at a all-white school made it through the crowds that were shouting heinous words at them and were denied access to enter the school. -
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The SCLC was an organization to coordinate and support nonviolent actions against the segregation on bus systems across the south. MLK, Bayard Rustin, and Ella Baker were important people involved. They invited 60 African-Americans and leaders to stand with them. -
Greensboro 4
Four African-American men sat in a sit in that they knew they weren’t supposed to be sitting in. They did this as a way to take a stand. This brought the fight for civil rights to the public eye. -
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
The SNCC was a group of people who coordinated non violent campaigns against the segregation Blacks were facing. Majority of the members had an important role in sit-ins and freedom rides. -
Freedom Riders
Freedom riders were American civil rights activists who participated in Freedom rides, bus trips through the south to protest against segregated bus terminals. This was a revolutionary movement. Black and Whites refused to sit in there designated spot. -
March on Washington
August 28, 1963 more than 200,000 people gathered at Lincoln Memorial and demanded equal justice for all citizens. Here Martin Luther King, Jr performed his most well known speech, “I Have a Dream.” The march succeeded in pressuring the administration of JFK to initiate a strong federal civil rights bill in Congress. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. -
March on Selma
Hundreds of people gathered in Selma, Alabama to march to the capital city of Montgomery. This directly led to the passage of the Voting Rights act of 1965. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act outlaws the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil war. This includes literacy tests as a prerequisite to voting.