-
Birth of MLK Jr.
Martin (Micheal) Luther King Jr. is born. This day is also a red day — the only one that isn’t a president's birthday — and was made so in 1983 after 15 years of his wife Coretta trying. -
Connecticut summer farm event
MLK Jr. is sent to a farm in Connecticut with other students. On the train back, he was ambushed by a white waiter who pulled a cloth down his face. MLK Jr. 's hate towards white people turns into sadness. -
The NAACP's first victory
The NAACP finally won their fight against segregation, as the US government passed a new law that made segregation in schools illegal. -
The Montgomery bus boycott
Mrs. Rosa Parks was tired after a long day and sat down on a bus. As it started to get packed, the driver told her to give up her seat to a white passenger. When she refused, the police came and arrested her. This sparked a new fire to fight back against the injustice that black people had to endure every single day, and after this event information was spread about a boycott of the Montgomery buses. Overall around 50 000 people boycotted the buses, refusing to ride them unless change was made. -
The Student Protests
Student protests commenced in North Carolina when four black college students sat down at a “Whites Only” lunch bar. Their refusal to leave inspired 500 more students in the next few days to come to the lunch bars across North Carolina and protest. During this year, a total of 70 000 students protested. In October, MLK Jr. finally agreed to join the protests, but he was later arrested (October 19th) along with thirty-five students at Rich’s lunch bar. -
Friendship with the President
MLK Jr. was finally released on a $2000 bail. This was accomplished after Coretta called lawyers and was finally contacted by JFK who agreed to help her. He talked to Judge Mitchell, who put MLK Jr. behind bars and managed to free him. Thanks to this, many people admired JFK for helping MLK Jr. when he was in need, and MLK Jr. spoke to a crowd of people telling them to vote for JFK instead of re-electing Richard Nixon as president. In January of 1961, JFK became the US’s 35th president. -
The Freedom Riders
The “Freedom Riders” were attacked while riding on a bus by 200 KKK members. They threw fire bombs at them, hit them with bats and kicked them . Another bus was also attacked, with the police on the KKK’s side. The police gave them 15 minutes to attack them, and when passengers were brought to hospitals, the KKK followed them and attacked them. The same thing happened on May 19th, JFK sent 400 soldiers to stop the riots happening. In September, segregation in the bus stations in the South ended. -
Birmingham Marches: Over 3000 children against white supremacy!
Over 1000 kids marched in protest. Bull Connor sent officers to the protest, and arrested over 600 kids. The next day, 2500 children marched, and Bull Connor ordered firemen to attack them with water and dogs. 250 kids were arrested, and this continued until May 5th. But when Bull Connor commanded the firemen to hose them down, they did nothing. On May 23rd, Bull Connor lost his job, and the signs for “White” and “Coloured” disappeared from bathrooms, drinking-water machines and lunch bars. -
Washinton D.C. speech: "I have a dream..."
100 “Freedom Buses” drove every hour to Washington D.C., twenty-one “Freedom Trains” brought forth marchers from across the country and an airplane from Hollywood brought stars such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Marlon Brando. Overall, more than 200 000 people arrived at the place. The biggest TV stations stopped their afternoon programs as Martin Luther King Jr walked on stage. Millions of people listened to his speech. There, Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous speech: “I have a dream…” -
The Selma to Montgomery march
3200 people walked in protest from Selma to Montgomery for five days. They wallked in favour of equal voting rights, and they were led by MLK Jr. They slept in tents and parks. MLK Jr walked up the stairs of the state building together with Rosa Parks. George Wallace, the Alabama state leader, refused to come out of the building. However, MLK Jr spoke proudly to the crowd outside. Thanks to the Selma to Montgomery march, President Johnson signed the new Voting Rights law on August 6th, 1965.