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Jim Crow Laws
The Jim Crow laws upheld segregation after the Reconstruction era after the Civil War. They promoted the "seperate but equal" ideals, such as seperate water fountains, seating on buses, and schools. It also allowed the government to change how African Americans voted. They had to score high on a test or be able to prove their parents voted to be able to vote. -
Malcolm X
Born May 19th, 1925, Malcom X became one of the leading black rights activists in America. He was a member of the Nation of Islam. At first, he taught black supremacy and believed in the segregation of blacks and whites. After break with the Nation of Islam, he got rid of his racism views and was willing to work with other black rights activists. He was assassinated by three members of the Nation of Islam a year after he broke away, in 1965. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Starting on December 1st, 1955, the African American population offically boycotted the buses in Montgomery, Alabama. It was in perhaps protest of the event where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white person and was arrested, or other trials faced by African Americans on the buses. Made famous by Martin Luther King JR., the boycott lasted 20 days. -
March on Washington
One of the most famous and largest political rallies in the history of America. African Americans from all walks of America joined on the march to Washington D.C. When they arrived, they marched to the Lincoln Memorial, where the speeches and the singing started. Among the speech givers was Martin Luther King Jr. who delivered his I Have a Dream speeech, and among the musicians was Bob Dylan. The march was credited to have helped the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -
24th Amendment
After the Reconstruction Era, poll taxes were created to prevent African AMericans from voting (since they were poor from their time as slaves). In the 1937 Breedlove vs Suttles case, it was upheld as constitutional. After the 1966 case Harper vs Virginia Board of Elections, the Supreme Court delcared poll taxes to be unconstituional on the federal and state levels. The 24th amendment was proposed on August 27th, 1962, which prohibits poll tax. It was passed on January 23rd, 1964. -
Bloody Sunday
Steming from the 1963 voting rights movement Selma, Alabama, 600 nonviolent marchers attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery, they were attacked by local and state police with tear gas and billy clubs. Images of the attack were shown all over the country and shifted the public's opnion of the segregationists movement. -
Watts Race Riots
The Watts race rioted started on August 11th and ended four days later, on August 15th. It started when an African American man was pulled over by a white officer in the Watts neighborhood. The man was arrested for supposedly drunk driving. A crowd gathered when he resisted arrest. When back up officers arrived, they were attacked with rocks and concrete by the crowd. It soon got out of controll and became a full on riot, and the Watts neighborhood was declared a war zone. By the time the -
Watts Race Riot (cont)
the time the riot ended, 34 were dead and over 3000 arrests.
