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The Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott is when African Americans refused to ride the city buses in Montgomery, Alabama. They had to sit in the back and when whites wanted their seat, the African Americans had to move. Rosa Parks refused to get out of her seat and was arrested. Martin Luther King Jr was a leader of the boycott and was in an important man in the Civil Rights Movement.
Fun Fact- Rosa Parks wasn't the first to get arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus. -
The Little Rock 9
The Little Rock 9 were a group of nine African American students who started school at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. On September 4th, the African Americans were supposed to start but a white mob stood by the doors. Finally on September 25th, the group of African Americans entered the school and had their first day of classes.
Fun Fact: Brown vs Education is when Thurgood Marshall won rights for African Americans to join high school and college with whites. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
In September of 1957, President Eisenhower installed a new act for the United States. It created the Civil Rights Section of the Justice Department. Also, it made sure everyone was allowed to vote. Race could not determine who could vote. Eisenhower passed this bill shortly after the little rock 9.
Fun Fact: Anyone that didn't let someone register was sent to trial, but had to face an all white jury because no African Americans were allowed to work in the jury. -
The Sit-in Movement
Four African American men ffrom North Carolina A&T University sat down at an all white restaurant and ordered cups of coffee. The waitors refused to serve them and the African Americans got really mad. Other African Americans from many colleges started sitting down and demanding to be served at various restaurants. This movement convinced all white restaurants in the South to eliminate segregation.
Fun Fact: About 70,000 African Americans took part of this movement by August. -
The Freedom Riders
Freedom Rides were a series of bus trips to the South to protest segregation in interstate buses. It started as 13 African American and white civil rights activists, but soon became hundreds. Not only did they try riding interstate buses but also using whites only bathrooms and restaurants. In September, the Interstate Commerce Commission prohibitied segregation in all public transportation.
Fun Fact: About 300 riders were arrested and put in jail for this movement. -
James Meredith and the Desegregation of the University of Mississippi
James Meredith was an African American that registered for the University of Mississippi. It was an all white college but he got permission from the federal government. Roist broke out, many were injured and two people died.
Fun Fact: Meredith graduated with a degree in political science in 1963. -
Protests in Birmingham
Birmingham was a city in Alabama that still seperated blacks and whites. Leaders, such as Martin Luther King, started a protest by boycotting downtown stores, sit-ins, and marches. Bull Connor got these important leaders arrested and in jail. A month later, over
one thousand African-American children skipped school and joined in the protests. On May 10th, the city was no longer segragated.
Fun Fact: The next day, two bombs were set off to try and kill Martin Luther King Jr. -
The March on Washington
200,000 Americans arrived in Washington, D.C. for a gathering known as March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It talked about all the challenges African Americans faced and problems they were still facing. This is when Martin Luther King Jr.’s gave his “I Have a Dream” speech about equality. This speech is still a famous speech everyone knows today.
Fun Fact: Many Americans passed out for heat exhaustion on this day. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
John F. Kennedy proposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It ended segregation in all public places. Also, it let anyone work regardless of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Lyndon B. Johnson was actually the one that signed the law to make it official.
Fun Fact: The act didn't just help African Americans but women, Latinos, and others. -
The Selma March
On March 7,1965, Martin Luther King led a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. This march was 54 miles and it was 600 African Americans wanting voting rights. The march lasted three weeks and more and more Americans joined. Soon it was 3,200 marchers that were going for 12 hours and a day and sleeping in grass fields.
Fun Fact: Selma used to be split into two sides, one for whites and the other side for blacks. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on August sixth. This act banned discrimination and any race got to vote. This was passed because of the Selma March and the African Americans marching for these rights. Also, it stopped using literacy tests to determine who can vote.
Fun Fact: The Act was revised three times after, in 1970, 1975, and 1982. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. died at the age of 39 years old. He was shot while on the balcony outside his second story room located in Memphis, Tennessee. He was supporting a workers strike before he got shot.
Fun Fact: This was Martin Luther King Jr second attempt in his life of being killed. The first time was a mentally ill African American that tried stabbing him.
