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Plessy v. Ferguson
Homer Adolph Plessy refused to move to the train care reserved for African Americans as he was 7/8 white but he was arrested for not moving to the cart. In the end it was decided that the separate accommodations for whites and black were not in violation the Equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth amendment. This showed that the segregation of races was considered legal under the constitution. https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/163us537 -
Brown v. Board of Education
With Plessy v. Ferguson establishing separate but equal, public schools now were also segregated. Many of the public schools for whites were much nicer then their counterparts, this led to many African Americans trying to get into these schools for whites which led to this case. Because of the court case separate but equal laws were now considered a violation of the fourteenth amendment and its Equal Protection Clause.
https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483 -
Murder of Emmett Till
Emmett Till was dared to ask out the white woman inside a country store. There was no witnesses inside the store but he was heard saying "Bye, baby", she then claimed he grabbed her and made lewd advances on her and reported his to her husband who later demanded to see him and took him from his home and dumped his body in the Tallahatchie River. He was given an open-casket funeral which helped to start the civil rights movement and the end of Jim Crow Laws.
https://goo.gl/vX4vfG -
Rosa Parks & the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving her seat to a white man on the bus. This launched a major bus boycott in Montgomery led by Martin Luther King Jr. which led to the end of the segregation of buses. Due to the boycotts success King was now the face of the civil rights movement.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rosa-parks-ignites-bus-boycot -
Founding of Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) & Martin Luther King
The organization was founded to assist local organizations who were working for full equality of African Americans. The organization was primarily operated in the south. It became a major player in the civil rights march on Washington along with early campaigns that spurred the passage of the federal Civil Rights Act.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Southern-Christian-Leadership-Conference -
Little Rock Nine & Central High School
Nine African Americans challenged racial segregation enrolled into a former all white high school. When they arrived to school they were met by a mob of whites and the national guard which blocked the door stating that the nine were not allowed to attend but with federal troops they were later escorted between their classes. This drew attention to racism and civil rights along with a battle between state and federal government.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Little-Rock-Nine -
Greensboro Sit-In
Four African American men spurred by the Emmett Till staged a sit in at a whites only dinner and refused to give up their seats when they were denied service. These sit in spread across america into over 55 cities. The sit in ultimately spurred the integration of dinners across the south
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/the-greensboro-sit-in -
Freedom Ride/Freedom Riders
After the segregation of buses was found unconstitutional in an effort to test the decision by ridding through the south on interstate buses. Along the way they went to whites only bathrooms and lunch counters, because of this they experienced violence from whites and police. Because of the ride Kennedy finally introduced regulations prohibiting the segregation in interstate transit terminals.
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedom-rides -
March on Washington
The march as a major protest on August of 1963. About 250,000 showed up in front of the Lincoln memorial to protest for job and freedom and bring focus to the inequalities they faced. This left a lasting mark on the movement as King delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech at the march.
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/march-on-washington -
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) & Freedom Summer
The freedom summer of 1964 was voter registration drive that was sponsored by the committee with its main goal of expanding African American voting in the south. They encountered violence and two of the whites helping organize were found dead. The summer helped to show the lack of federal protection for those trying to register to vote.
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedom-summer -
Civil Rights Act
The act ended the segregation of public places and banned the discrimination of employers. This was met with strong opposition in the south but ultimately was passed and signed by Lyndon B. Johnson. It was able to spur the creation of more civil rights acts like the Voting Rights act.
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-act -
Assassination of Malcolm X
Malcolm was shot and killed by Nation of Islam members while giving a speech for his organization in New York. This was because he had recently left the Islamic community of Elijah Muhammad which caused major outrage. Due to his death we will ever know what his change of philosophy would have changed his way of fighting for civil rights.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/malcolm-x-assassinated -
Voting Rights Act (1965)
The act banned the use of literacy tests and other methods used to keep African American from voting. These barriers were legal before this act which kept most African Americans from exorcising their right to vote. The enactment of the Voting rights act largely increased the voter turnout in the south.
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/voting-rights-act -
Assassination of MLK
King was standing on the second story of his motel when he was shot by a sniper, causing him to die a hour late in the hospital. His death led to the passing of civil rights legislation involving the Fair Housing Act. along with this his assassination led to a creation of a national holiday in his honor.
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr-assassination
