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Montgomery Bus Boycotts
Triggered by Rosa Parks' arrest, this 381-day boycott of Montgomery's buses led to a Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine and set a legal precedent for desegregation across the country. -
Emmet Till Murder
Fourteen-year-old Emmett Till was brutally murdered in Mississippi. This helped to spark more action in the civil rights movement. -
Little Rock 9
Nine African American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, faced violent resistance when integrating Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. This prompted President Eisenhower to send federal troops to enforce desegregation. -
Lunch Counter sit-ins
Four Black college students began a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. This sparked a wave of sit-ins across the South. -
Freedom Rides
Interracial groups rode buses through the South to challenge segregation in interstate travel facilities. They faced violent attacks but drew national attention to the civil rights struggle. -
Birmingham protests
The Birmingham Campaign involved mass protests, sit-ins, and marches against segregation. Aimed to draw national attention through televised images of police violence to try for significant civil rights gains. -
March on Washington
A massive demonstration was held in Washington, D.C., where over 250,000 people gathered to advocate for civil rights and equal opportunity. Also when MLK Jr. gave his "I have a deam" speech. -
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Freedom Summer
Civil rights activists launched a campaign to register Black voters and establish Freedom Schools. Was faced with violence but increased national awareness of voter suppression. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
President Lyndon Johnson signed this legislation, which outlawed segregation in public accommodations and banned employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. -
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Selma Marches
Civil rights activists marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to demand voting rights. Met with violent attacks on marchers on "Bloody Sunday" shocked the nation and accelerated passage of voting rights legislation. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
President Johnson signed this law, which outlawed discriminatory voting practices and enabled federal oversight of elections in states with histories of voter suppression, dramatically increasing Black voter registration.