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This was founded to fight racial discrimination. It played a key role in challenging segregation laws, including Brown v. Board of Education. The NAACP remains active today.
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The Tulsa Race Massacre occurred when white mobs attacked the prosperous Black community of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hundreds of African Americans were killed, and thousands were left homeless. For decades, the event was largely ignored in history books.
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The Scottsboro Boys were nine African American teenagers falsely accused of raping two white women on a train in Alabama. Despite little evidence and unfair trials, they were quickly convicted by all-white juries. The case exposed deep racial injustice in the American legal system.
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Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. He faced intense racism but remained determined and successful.
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In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The decision overturned the “separate but equal” doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson.
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Emmett Till was a 14-year-old African American boy who was brutally murdered in Mississippi after being accused of whistling at a white woman. His killers were acquitted by an all-white jury. The open-casket funeral held by his mother shocked the nation.
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The Montgomery Bus Boycott began after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. African Americans boycotted the city’s buses for over a year. The boycott ended with a Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional.
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The Little Rock Nine were nine Black students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. They faced violent resistance from white protestors and required protection from federal troops ordered by President Eisenhower.
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Ruby Bridges was a six-year-old girl who became the first African American student to attend an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. She was escorted by U.S. marshals and faced angry protests daily.
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Martin Luther King wrote this letter while imprisoned for protesting segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. He defended nonviolent resistance and explained why African Americans could not wait for gradual change. The letter became one of the most important documents of the Civil Rights Movement.
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The March on Washington brought over 250,000 people to protest for jobs and freedom. It was here that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
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The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination.
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Malcolm X was a prominent Black nationalist leader who advocated for Black pride and self-defense. He was assassinated while giving a speech in New York City. His death shocked the nation and highlighted divisions within the Civil Rights Movement.
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The Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed to eliminate barriers that prevented African Americans from voting, such as literacy tests and poll taxes. It gave the federal government power to oversee elections in discriminatory states.
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The Black Panther Party was founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale to combat police brutality and racial inequality. The group promoted self-defense, Black pride, and community programs like free breakfasts for children.
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Thurgood Marshall became the first African American Supreme Court justice. Before his appointment, he successfully argued many civil rights cases, including Brown v. Board of Education.
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement and advocate of nonviolent protest. He was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. His death led to nationwide mourning and riots.