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Brown v.s. Board of Education
Brown v. The Board of Education was a case in 1954 in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional and violated the 14th Amendment, which prohibits states from denying equal protection to any person. The case was brought by Oliver Brown, who was denied into a white school, and alleged that laws permitting segregation in public schools were a violation of the 14th Amendment. The Court declared that separate schools were unequal. -
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. This led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This was a 381-day protest against segregation on public transportation. The boycott brought Martin Luther King Jr. to fame and ultimately led to the Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. -
The Little Rock 9
They were a group of 9 African American high school students who fought racial segregation in the public schools of Little Rock, Ar. They were the first black students to enter Little Rock's High School in 1957, 3 years after the Supreme Court ruling. They faced physical and verbal attacks from white students during school, and one of the black students was expelled. The remaining 8 students finished the year. Little Rock 9 lead to the fight to desegregate public schools in the United States. -
Albany Movement
The Albany Movement was a civil rights movement formed in 1961 in Albany, Georgia, fighting to end all forms of racial segregation in the city. It focused on desegregating travel facilities. They formed a permanent biracial committee to discuss further desegregation, and to release the people who were put in jail due to segregation protests. It was the first major initiative of the civil rights movement to try to desegregate an entire city. -
The Birmingham Campaign
The Birmingham Campaign was a nonviolent movement led by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1963 to try to desegregate public facilities in Birmingham, Alabama. The campaign was postponed until April 2 when Albert Boutwell beat out a segregationist in a mayoral election. The campaign produced iconic images of the violent response to the movement by authorities and was a turning point in the American civil rights movement. -
March On Washington
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a political demonstration held in Washington, D.C. in 1963 by civil rights leaders to protest racial discrimination and to show support for major civil rights legislation. One of the main "marchers" was Martin Luther King Jr. It was the largest march in the civil rights movement and brought together many different groups. The march was highly publicized and led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
The Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a US legislation that tried to end discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin. The act contained laws against discrimination and segregation in education, public facilities, jobs, and housing. It created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to ensure fair hiring practices. Civil rights are guarantees of equal social opportunities and equal protection under the law, regardless of race, religion, or other personal characteristics -
The Voting Right Act
The Voting Rights Act was a US legislation passed to overcome legal barriers at state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote under the 15th Amendment. The act aimed to ensure the voting rights of African Americans. The act has been amended several times, most recently in 2006, and has been the subject of legal challenges. -
Assassination of Malcolm-X
Malcolm X, an important African American Muslim minister and human rights activist during the civil rights movement, was assassinated in Manhattan, New York City. He was shot multiple times while giving a speech at the Audubon Ballroom. This sent black activism into full pressure. Malcolm X was a black nationalist leader who founded the Nation of Islam's newspaper, Muhammad Speaks. -
Civil Rights Act of 1968
The Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, was signed into law by President Johnson. The law made it a federal crime to discriminate against someone in the sale, rental, or financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, or sex. It also provided an opportunity for equal housing regardless of race. The act was a law in the United States and was designed to address the issue of housing discrimination that was a big issue at the time. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by a sniper's bullet while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. King was a huge activist for African Americans and made the most famous speech "I Have a Dream". King's death was a tragic loss for the civil rights movement, but his legacy continues to inspire people today. -
Rodney King beating
In 1991, Rodney King, an unarmed black man, was brutally beaten by four white Los Angeles police officers. The officers struck Rodney 56 times, and the incident was captured on video. The trial was moved to Simi Valley, a nearly all-white city almost 30 miles from where the beating took place. The court decided it might not receive a fair trial in Los Angeles. The verdict of not guilty for the officers involved sparked the 1992 LA riots. -
Election of Barack Obama
In the United States Presidential Election of 2008, Barack Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, was elected as the 44th president of the United States. He had become the country's first African American president. During his presidency, Obama worked to improve the economy and added jobs for 75 straight months. -
Supreme Court strikes down key part of Voting Rights Act
The US Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act that required federal oversight of states with a history of racial discrimination. The provision established a formula for figuring out which states needed federal oversight. The court's decision allowed nine states to change their voting rules without federal approval. However, the court left the law in which states with a history of voter discrimination to have any changes to voting rules approved by federal officials. -
George Floyd killing
George Floyd was a black man who died after being arrested by police outside a shop in Minneapolis. A video circulated the internet showing an officer holding his knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes while he repeatedly told the officer he couldn’t breathe. The incident sparked mass protests and a national fighting about race and police funding in the United States. In April 2021, the officer was convicted of Floyd's murder.