Civil Rights Timeline

  • Greensboro 4 sit in

    Greensboro 4 sit in

    A group of black college students sat at a whites only counter for lunch and demanded service. Sparks up a nonviolent movement
  • Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committe (SNCC)

    Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committe (SNCC)

    A student led civil rights organization formed to coordinate non-violent protests
  • The Freedom Rider

    The Freedom Rider

    Members from CORE or trained by the NAACP to at as 'martyrs' to antagonize racists to retaliate with criminal action. They were burnt out of their buses and faced with many other violent actions that are nationally broadcasting leading JFK to step in and desegregate highways.
  • Desegregation of the University of Alabama

    Desegregation of the University of Alabama

    JFK sent troops into Alabama to enforce desegregation of the University of Alabama
  • Medgar Evers

    Medgar Evers

    Grew up in the racist south, Mississippi. Joins the military during WWll. The first NAACP field secretary in the south and was assigned to the Emmett Till case. Assassinated by a KKK member, shot in the back at his home after work.
  • Birmingham Baptist Church Bombing

    Birmingham Baptist Church Bombing

    KKK member tossed bomb through a church window. This leads to the death of 4 young girls.
  • Martin Luther King

    Martin Luther King

    Dr King was arrested 29 times in his life. He writes
    "Letter From A Birmingham Jail," reaching to many groups among the country, talking about humanity vs color, which was adopted into mandatory reading
  • Bayard Rustin

    Bayard Rustin

    A homosexual SCLC leader that created the March on Washington where MLK gave his "I Have A Dream."
  • LBJ passes Civil Rights Act of 1964

    LBJ passes Civil Rights Act of 1964

  • Selma March / Bloody Sunday

    Selma March / Bloody Sunday

    Around 600 civil rights marchers walk from Selma to Montgomery in protest of Black voter suppression but were beaten and attacked by local citizens and police
  • LBJ Voting Rights Act

    LBJ Voting Rights Act

    Signed off by LBJ after the broadcasting of the brutal riot.
  • Malcom X

    Malcom X

    Spoke about all whites causing pain to vlacks and supported the separation of blacks and whites. He also supported violent protests and violence for self defense. Assassinated while giving a speech at 39.
  • Founding of Blk Panthers

    Founding of Blk Panthers

    Founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in Oakland CA. Had violent protests and created their own policing of the town. They established daycare centers with free breakfast, work to build their community and to serve the ghetto population.
  • James Meredith

    James Meredith

    Integrated the Univ Of MS and set out on his own protest walk called "March Against Fear" by himself and is shot three times but is tended to and survives. His march is picked up by Stokley Carmichael and is joined by MLK.
  • MLK Assassination

    MLK Assassination

    Shot in Memphis, Tennessee which sent shock across the nation since he had been leading the civil rights movement since the mid 1950s.