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Brown v Board of education
This Supreme Court case ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The decision stated that “separate but equal” violated the 14th Amendment. It was a major turning point that inspired further action in the civil rights movement. -
Emmett Till murder
Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy from Chicago, was brutally murdered in Mississippi after being accused of whistling at a white woman. His mother held an open-casket funeral to show the world what had been done to her son. The case shocked the nation and helped bring attention to racial violence in the South. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The boycott began after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Black community in Montgomery refused to ride city buses for over a year. It ended with a Supreme Court ruling that bus segregation was unconstitutional. -
Little Rock Nine
Nine African American students were selected to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. They faced intense resistance and needed protection from federal troops sent by President Eisenhower. Their courage became a powerful symbol of the struggle to desegregate schools. -
Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-ins
Four Black college students staged a peaceful sit-in at a whites-only lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. They refused to leave after being denied service, sparking a wave of similar protests across the South. The sit-ins helped energize student involvement in the civil rights movement. -
Freedom Rides
Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated South to test Supreme Court rulings. They were often met with violence and arrests, but they remained committed to nonviolence. Their efforts pushed the federal government to enforce desegregation laws more strongly. -
Birmingham Protests
Civil rights activists, including many young people, held nonviolent protests against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. Police responded with brutality, using fire hoses and dogs against demonstrators. Media coverage of the violence drew national attention and increased support for civil rights legislation. -
Freedom Summer (Mississippi)
During the summer of 1964, volunteers traveled to Mississippi to help African Americans register to vote and build community schools. The campaign faced serious threats, including the murder of three activists. It brought national attention to the struggle for voting rights in the South. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
This landmark law banned segregation in public places and outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It gave the federal government more power to enforce civil rights. It marked a major victory for the movement. -
Selma Marches (Bloody Sunday & others)
Activists marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to demand voting rights. The first march, known as Bloody Sunday, ended in violent attacks by police on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The marches helped build support for new voting rights legislation. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This law banned literacy tests and other barriers that had been used to keep African Americans from voting. It gave the federal government more authority to monitor elections in states with histories of discrimination. The act led to a significant increase in Black voter registration and participation.