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Brown v. Board of Education
The Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overruling the "separate but equal" doctrine.
The NAACP's legal defense represented the plaintiffs and argued for the unconstitutionality of racial segregation in public schools. -
Murder of Emmett Till
Emmett Till was a 14-year-old who was murdered. His death exposed the brutal realities of racial violence and injustice in the South. Emmett Till's murder brought national attention to the systemic racism white supremacy that were deeply ingrained in American society. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a significant civil rights protest in the US, where African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to ride city buses to protest segregated seating.
This boycott was sparked by Rosa Parks's arrest for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. -
The Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine were nine African American students who enrolled at all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Their enrollment directly challenged racial segregation in public schools following the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court Decision. -
Sit-ins (Greensboro, 1960)
The Greensboro sit-ins were a non-violent protest in 1960. The protest began when four African American students sat at a white-only lunch counter and refused to leave when denied service. -
Freedom Rides
Freedom Rides were bus trips through the South in 1961 designed to challenge racial segregation in interstate bus terminals.
The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) played a central role, organizing the rides and advocating for desegregation on interstate travel -
Birmingham Campaign
April 3, 1963 - May 10, 1963
The Birmingham Campaign was a series of nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, aimed at desegregating the city.
Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) led these protests. -
March on Washington
The March on Washington was a massive civil rights protest held on August 28, 1963, in Washington, D.C.. Approximately 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to demand equal rights for African Americans and to support pending civil rights legislation.
This is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a landmark law that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin in the United States.
This is considered one of the most significant legislative achievements in American History. EX involved key figures:
- President Lyndon B. Johnson
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Hubert Humphrey
- Everett Dirksen -
Selma to Montgomery Marches
The Selma to Montgomery Marches were a series of three protest marches in 1965, led by Martin Luther King Jr., from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, advocating for voting rights for African Americans. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
The Act aimed to dismantle state and local legal barriers that were preventing African Americans from exercising their right to vote, as guaranteed by the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. -
Assassination of MLK Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and mortally wounded as he stood on the second-floor balcony outside his room at the Lorrain Motel in Memphis, Tenn.
He was killed due to a complex mixture of things including racism and a long-standing desire to silence his activism for civil rights and social justice.