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Brown v. Board of Education
Landmark Supreme Court case in which racial segregation in public schools was declared unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). -
Emmett Till Murder
14-year-old Emmett Till was abducted, tortured, and murdered in Mississippi after allegedly whistling at a white woman. His open-casket funeral drew national attention to racial violence. -
Montgomery Bus Boycotts December 5, 1955-December 20, 1956
Sparked by Rosa Parks’ arrest, African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama boycotted buses to protest segregated seating. The boycott ended with a Supreme Court ruling desegregating public buses. -
Little Rock Nine September 4, 1957-June 1958 (end of school year)
Nine African American students faced violent resistance as they integrated Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, requiring intervention by federal troops. -
Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-ins
our African American college students in Greensboro, North Carolina began a nonviolent sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter, sparking a nationwide sit-in movement. -
Freedom Rides May 4, 1961- December 10, 1961
Interracial groups rode interstate buses into the segregated South to challenge non-enforcement of Supreme Court rulings banning segregated public transportation. -
Birmingham Protests (Project C) April 3, 1963-May 10, 1963
A strategic campaign of nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama led by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Images of police brutality shocked the nation and built support for civil rights legislation. -
March on Washington
Over 250,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to advocate for civil and economic rights. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. -
Freedom Summer (Mississippi Summer Project) June 1964-August 1964
- A voter registration and education campaign in Mississippi led by civil rights organizations. Marked by violence and the murder of three civil rights workers.
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Civil Rights Act of 1964
Landmark legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination. -
Selma to Montgomery Marches March 7, 1965 ("Bloody Sunday")-March 25, 1965
Three protest marches highlighting Black disenfranchisement in the South. The violent suppression of the first march prompted national outrage and federal action. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Banned racial discrimination in voting, outlawing literacy tests and other barriers. Empowered federal oversight in states with histories of voter suppression.