-
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Martin Luther King Jr., NAACP, WPC, and MIA were involved. During these 381, around 40,000 African Americans boycotted the bus system after Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat to a white man.
Fun fact: Obama sat in the same bus that Rosa Parks did when she refused to give up her seat. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
Eisenhower signed this act into law, but it was proposed by Herbet Brownell. This law allowed officials to prosecute anyone who denies another citizen's right to vote.
Fun fact: The Civil Rights Movement took place for over 100 years. -
The Little Rock 9
Eisenhower, NAACP, Orval Faubus, and Richard Davies was involved. Nine African American students were enrolled in a traditionally all-white school. The governor of Little Rock resisted and sent the National Guard to stop the African American students from entering. Eventually, they were allowed to go to attend school, but only one of them graduated.
Fun fact: Patillo kept attending school despite the never ending harassment and violence such as having acid thrown at her face. -
The Sit-in Movement
CORE, Greensboro Four, and SNCC were involved. Four African American men from Greensboro organized a peaceful protest by sitting at an all white counter. Service was denied to them, and over time, the white men there started to show more and more violence towards them. Fun fact: Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law. -
The Freedom Riders
CORE and the Freedom Riders were involved. Thirteen African Americans along with white civil rights activists road in a bus on several occasions through the South in an effort to try to integrate bus terminals even though they faced a lot of violence along the way.
Fun fact: John Lewis , who was one of the original Freedom
Riders, was elected into the US House of Representatives. -
James Meredith and the Desegregation of the University of Mississippi
NAACP and the Supreme Court were involved. James Meredith attempted to enroll in Ole Miss, which was in the pro segregation state of Mississippi in order to try to integrate the school.
Fun fact: James Meredith attended Columbia University Law School in 1968. -
Protests in Birmingham
SCLC and Martin Luther King Jr. were involved. African Americans launched a demonstration of peaceful sit ins, marches, and boycotts in the city of Birmingham in order to protest against segregation. Protesters were met with high pressure fire hoses, clubs, and police dogs.
Fun fact: Birmingham was nicknamed Bombingham because of how often bombs would go off in the city. -
March on Washington
NAACP, SCLC, SNCC, FEPC, and MLK JR. were involved. A large group of people met at Washington for many years straight in order to emphasize the need for economic equality in certain jobs.
Fun fact: Numerous celebrities attended including Jackie Robinson, Josephine Baker, and Marian Anderson. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Lyndon B. Johnson signed this into law, outlawing discrimination in public places, jobs, or schools, despite strong opposition from the Republicans.
Fun fact: Lyndon B. Johnson’s first occupation was being a teacher. -
Selma March
SCLC, MLK Jr., and SNCC were involved. Martin Luther King Jr. helped set up three marches from Selma to Montgomery to protest voting rights and the death of Jimmy Lee Jackson. Only the first two were unsuccessful because the last one was backed up by the government.
Fun fact: Johnson sent 2,000 army troops and 1,000
policemen to escort the march. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Lyndon B. Johnson signed this into law, outlawing voting discrimination. Literary tests became illegal, the government monitored voter registration in certain areas, and poll taxes were investigated.
Fun fact: By 1965, there were six African American members in the US House of Representatives. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. went to Tennessee to support a sanitation workers’ strike. He was shot in the neck by a sniper and died at the age of 39. James Ray, a suspect, pleaded guilty and was sentenced 99 years in prison.
Fun fact: Martin Luther King Jr. smoked regularly, but since he didn’t want to influence his children, he didn’t like having
pictures of him smoking taken.
