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The Montgomery Bus Boycott
Many African Americans boycotted the buses because they were segregated. The day before, the police arrested Rosa Parks because she wouldn't give her seat up. The Montgomery Improvement Association formed and Martin Luther King Jr. became their leader. Later the buses became integrated. Fun Fact: Before Parks didn't give up her seat, there was another African American named Claudette Colvin. They wanted to protest, but since she was pregnant, she was not a good symbol to protest for. -
The Little Rock 9
After segregation was unconstitutional, 9 black students went to sign up for an all white school, called the Central Highschool. Before this, the NAACP helped prepare them for what school would be like. The national guard prevented them from going to the school. However, on September 25, 1957, President Eisenhower allowed these kids to go to school. Fun Fact: When Ernest Green, one of the Little Rock 9, graduated highschool, Martin Luther King was present to see this. -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
President Eisenhower signed this act. This act focused on making sure everyone's rights, in particular voting rights, are kept safe. Federal officials could arrest anyone who was trying to to take another citizen's rights away from them. The U.S. civil rights commission was also created with 6 people in order to make sure no one's voting rights were messed with. Fun Fact: This civil rights act was passed a total of about 83 years after the last civil rights act, which was in 1875. -
The Sit-in Movement
Black college students went to an all white food area in a Woolworth's store and asked for some coffee. They were denied their coeffe, but they sat there and waited to get it. Despite the ridiculing and insulting done by some of the white people there, the african americans just sat there patiently to demonstrate that they were nonviolent.The Greensboro sit-ins allowed for integration to take place in Woolworth stores in the south. Fun Fact: Classmates came from all over the nation to help. -
The Freedom Riders
These thirteen freedom riders were African Americans who rode the buses in order to promote integration and discourage segregation. The Congress of Racial Equality recruited them. This occurred in the south and later on, hundreds more African Americans became freedom riders.The Interstate commerce committee made it illegal to have segregation on buses and trains. Fun Fact: One of the freedom riders became apart of the house of representatives in 1986. His name is John Lewis. -
James Meredith and the Desegregation of the University of Mississippi
A man named James Meredith tried to go to school at the University of Mississppi. A lot of white people disliked this, so many riots began. Many people got hurt, some were arrested, and 2 people died. Kennedy told federal authories of about 31,000 to go and settle things. Fun Fact: James Meredith later worked as a stockbroker. He went to Columbia University for law. -
Protests in Birmingham
Also known as Project C, these protests made up boycotts, marching in City Hall, and sitting at lunch counters. They were protesting segregation. In return, many african americans were sprayed with hoses and had dogs chasing them. These protests were a turing point because finally they were starting to get acknowleged. Fun Fact: Birmingham was where a lot of protests for civil rights took place. -
The March on Washington
Approximately 200,000 citizens went to Washington for the assembly. Employement and freedom were the two ideas that were focused on in this rally. The I Have a Dream Speech was said on this day. It focused on everyone to become equal. Fun Fact: Josephine Baker, Mahalia Jackson, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and John Lewis were all present on this day and they either talked or perfomed. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
President John F. Kennedy wanted everyone to be equal so he told congress to consider different things concerning rights. This includes voting rights, integrated schools, and prevention of discrimination in general. Because he died, President Johnson carried the Civil Rights Act of 1964 out. This made segregation illegal and discrimination could not take place anywhere, including employment. Fun Fact: The act was signed with about 75 pens by President Johnson. -
The Selma March
The Southern Christian Leadership organized this. This March's goal was to have African Americans be able to vote in the south. When they were marching from Selma to Montgomery, many white people used violence to prevent this from happening. However, the African Americans were able to continue their march because National Guard Troops kept them safe. Voting Rights Act was passed later on. Fun Fact: A marcher, Ralph Bunchewas, was awarded the nobel peace prize for making an Arab-Israeli truce. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
This act gave African Americans the ability to vote and therefore, they now were given full rights to the 15th amendment. Even with the 15th amendment, which guarenteed the right of everyone to vote, was not strong enough to allow them to vote. Lyndon B. Johnson passed this Voting act because he wanted everyone to be equal, just like Kennedy. Fun Fact: In the Representative, their were 6 African Americans in 1965. In 1967, that number grew to 13 along with one in the senate.
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Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was such a powerful leader who used nonviolence to obtain equal rights. He was killed by James Earl Ray with a sniper to the neck when he was standing on a balcony of the Loraine Motel.So many people were furious and upset that he was killed that riots began. The equal housing bill was eventually passed after this occurred. Fun Fact: MLK's close friend, Jesse Jackson, ran for president in the U.S. two times.
