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Creation of “Birth of a Nation”
“Birth of a Nation” was an extremely racist movie, depicting black people as villains and the KKK as heroes. “Birth of a Nation” reinvented the idea of the KKK; before this movie, the KKK wore burlap sacks as masks and would simply lynch black people, but after, the KKK wore white robes and pointed white hats with masks (similar to the outfits in the movie) and were willing to torture black people (similar to the KKK behavior in the movie). -
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Resurgence of the KKK
The resurgence of the KKK was heavily inspired by the film “Birth of a Nation” released about 5 years before. The new KKK did not dress or behave like how the old KKK used to, but rather like how the KKK was depicted in “Birth of a Nation.” (For more information, see “Creation of ‘Birth of a Nation.’” Hey, that rhymed!) -
Founding of the Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam was an African American religious (not Islamic, as the name might suggest) organization that advocated for the separation of races. Essentially a far less extreme version of the KKK, but black instead of white. -
Malcolm X Joins the Nation of Islam
Malcolm X was a spokesman for the Nation of Islam and a Muslim minister. He was a civil rights activist. He was one of the Nation of Islam’s most prominent leaders until he left in 1964 and was assassinated in 1965 (I wonder if there was a correlation). -
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education was a court case that resulted in the law being passed that schools can no longer be segregated. The South, however, bold as ever, gave the middle finger to the government and actively did NOT desegregate schools, essentially saying “Yeah, we’re still segregating. What are you gonna do about it?” -
Rosa Parks Sits On the Bus
Rosa Parks was a black woman who sat near the front of a bus. When demanded to give up her seat by a white man, she refused. She was arrested for this, and the photo taken of her being arrested showed how unjust Jim Crow laws were. Look at the little lady. You mean to tell me she was arrested for simply sitting on a bus? -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was directly inspired by Rosa Parks and was arranged by Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK for short). Black people in Montgomery actively started NOT using the bus and instead using other forms of transportation (often just using their own two legs). Employers of people participating in the boycott were told to fire them, the reason being that most people who needed the bus and therefore paying the bus drivers were black. -
The Little Rock Nine Goes to School
After 3 years of southern states NOT obeying the law passed by Brown v. Board of Education, President Eisenhower finally decides to do something about it and sends nine black students (the Little Rock Nine) to a school in Little Rock. After initial denial of entry, Eisenhower sends the 101st Airborne to FORCE the school to accept the Little Rock Nine. (Eisenhower was done with the South’s bull.) -
Founding of SNCC
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC (or “Snick”)) was a group of black college students that actively broke segregation laws (for example, going to white-only places, sitting in white-only sections, or refusing to give up seats to white people). When being arrested, they were instructed to go limp to force the police to carry them. (Because come on, tell me this image doesn’t have power.) -
The Children’s Crusade
The Children’s Crusade was a march in Birmingham organized by MLK and consisting of almost entirely (black) children. The march started at a church that was later burned down by the KKK. The Children’s Crusade was MLK daring Bull Connor (Alabama public safety commissioner) to hose down and release the dogs on these CHILDREN. And you know what? He took the bait. And it was televised. Needless to say, people were not happy. -
March On Washington
The March on Washington was exactly what it sounds like: a march done by about 250,000 people of Africans, Latinos, and many others who all either walked, drove, took the bus, or even took a plane to be there at the Lincoln Memorial (the memorial to the man who freed the slaves). -
MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech
MLK’s “I Have a Dream” Speech was performed on the same day as the March on Washington and done in front of the Lincoln Memorial, where he expressed and explained his dream that people “are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act was a result of the events of the Children’s Crusade. The Civil Rights Act banned any law enforcing segregation based on race, sex, gender, or nationality. This was by far one of the biggest wins for the Civil Rights Movement, along with the Voting Rights Act. -
Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday was the name given to the Sunday a black march was done—and there was a massacre. The police did not let the black people resolve the situation peacefully. They gassed and whipped and killed many of the participants in the march, and several white people were there to support the assault. -
Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act was probably the second biggest win of the Civil Rights Movement, right behind the Civil Rights Act, of course. The Voting Rights Act banned the use of literacy tests as a requirement to vote (literacy tests were often used to prevent black people from voting) and allowed the federal government to oversee voter registration (to prevent threats and other shenanigans from stopping voters). -
Founding of the Kerner Commission
The National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (nicknamed the “Kerner Commission” after the chairman of the commission, Otto Kerner Jr.) was a commission created to investigate why racial riots happened and how they could be prevented in the future. -
MLK Assassination
The death of Martin Luther King Jr. also just so happened to align with the death of the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement. Major developments basically all but stopped and people stopped caring as much about Civil Rights. There were developments, but none quite as big (or in some cases such as Affirmative Action, as agreed upon) as the developments during MLK’s contribution.