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Brown Vs. The Board of Education
It was one of the largest United States Supreme Court cases. The Court decided to abolish the state laws in which whites and blacks had separate schooling facilities. It was considered unconstitutional. It went against of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment. Schools were then told to desegregate immediately and allow blacks to be taught in their schools. It raised the bar for racial equality. -
Emmett Till
Emmett Till was a fourteen year old boy who was accused of catcalling a white woman. After he was accused of such, he was then kidnapped by two white men J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant who then brutally beat him, shot him in the head, and then dumped him in a nearby river. They were then interviewed and found boasting about their cruel acts of murder. This was one of the first huge cases to spark the civil rights movement. It sparked outrage out of many because he was so young and deserved more. -
Rosa Parks
On December 1st, 1955 Rosa Parks decline to move out of her seat for a white man, after asked multiple times she was then arrested at the scene for disobeying her place in society. She was told to give up her seat in the labeled "colored section." Denying her place was seen as a threat and going against southern customs at the time which were strict. Rosa Parks sparked an outrage against many blacks and will soon become active in the Civil Rights Movement. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
In response to Rosa Parks arrest, the Montgomery black community decide to launch a huge bus boycott which lasts a whole year until the busses decide to desegregate as well. Martin Luther King is crucial in leading the boycott to its success. Another reason for beginning the boycott was to remind the busses that the negro population are more than half of the profit they make, they wanted change from the busses. -
Little Rock, Arkansas
An all white school in Arkansas had a hard time desegregating. Nine black students were blocked from entering the school by students throwing objects and verbally attacking these students. President Eisenhower then ordered troops and the National Guard to come down to Arkansas to help these students enter the school and receive a fair education, The students were then known to become "The Little Rock Nine". -
Sit-in
North Carolina's Agricultural and Technical School started a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter named Woolworth's. All people participating in the sit-in were denied service, but ultimately stayed at the counter.This event would encourage others to do the same throughout the South. The sit-ins were successful as these four leaders were then accepted and given lunch a couple weeks later. These sit-ins became successful in other places such as public pools and parks. -
Freedom Riders
Over the summer of 1961, many students begin to start taking bus trips to the South to see the new laws that prohibit segregation in transportation vehicles or facilities. More than several groups of the "freedom riders" were attacked by many violent angry mobs along the way on their trips. This didn't just include blacks but whites decided to join in. Many risked their lives for these trips and suffered injuries. -
James Meredith
James Meredith becomes the first black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi. Violence breaks out against him attending and riots are starting to arise. President Kennedy takes it to himself to send over 5,000 troops. James Meredith encouraged many blacks his age and younger to achieve greater goals for themselves and to receive an education wherever they desire. Many were inspired... -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The President around the time who was Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Act of 1964. It was a landmark law that implied there shall be no discrimination of any kind based on anyone's race, color, religion, sex, or place of birth. It also allows federal government to enforce desegregation anywhere at anytime. This Civil Right Act was one of the best achievements the civil rights movement has done. -
Death of Martin Luther King Jr.
On April 4th, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. is shot from where he is standing on his balcony outside of his hotel room. At age 39, he is pronounced dead. James Earl Ray a convicted murderer and longtime racist was the one who had shot him, taking his life away from his wife, kids, and many of his followers who supported him. King had done a lot for the Civil Rights Movement and offered his voice for many.
