Civil Rights Timeline

By shawnyyshsydb

  • Plessy v. Ferguson

    The Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson establishes the "separate but equal" doctrine, allowing racial segregation in public facilities. This started the struggle and the civil rights movement sparked off.

  • Montgomery Bus Boycott. begins (Rosa Parks )

    Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott.This Boycott was the first massive boycott that was successful after 380 days and discrimination in public places was prohibited.

  • Brown v. Board of Education

    The Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education declares state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional.This allowed for public schools especially in the south to have intergrated schools which was a massive step forwards.

  • Civil Rights Act of 1957

    President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first federal civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. The Civil Rights act of 1957 was a massive step forward tow the America we enjoy today.

  • Little Rock Nine

    Nine African American students integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, amidst violent opposition, enforcing the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.

  • Lunch Counter Sit-ins (Greensboro)

    African American students initiate sit-ins at segregated lunch counters, sparking a wave of nonviolent protests challenging segregation across the South.

  • Freedom Rides

    Civil rights activists challenge segregated interstate bus travel, facing violence and arrests but drawing national attention to the cause of desegregation.

  • March on Washington

    The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom takes place, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. This inspired millions of American and brought the nation together in this time of need. MLK's message of having a nation one day unified and having people judged by the message of their content and not the color of their skin.

  • Birmingham Protests

    Nonviolent protests, including children's marches, challenge segregation in one of the most racially divided cities in the South, leading to significant concessions from city leaders.

  • Civil Rights Act of 1964

    President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This Act furthermore provided protection to minorities and promoted rights we know and enjoy today.

  • Freedom Summer

    Civil rights activists organize voter registration efforts and educational programs in Mississippi, facing violence and intimidation but significantly increasing African American voter turnout.

  • Emmett Till Murder

    The brutal killing of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi galvanizes the civil rights movement, becoming a symbol of racial violence and injustice.

  • Bloody Sunday

    Bloody Sunday occurs when civil rights marchers are brutally attacked by Alabama state troopers while crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.This opened eyes even after all the Acts were signed and it basically reminded the people that this is not behind us and we have alot of work to do especially in the South.

  • Voting Rights Act of 1965

    President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965, aimed at overcoming legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote.

  • Selma Marches

    Voting rights activists, including Martin Luther King Jr., marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, demanding voting rights for African Americans and drawing national attention to the issue.

  • Fair Housing Act

    President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, prohibiting discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, or national origin.

  • MLK Assasinated

  • First Black American President

    Barack Obama is elected as the first African American President of the United States.

  • George Floyd Death

    George Floyd, an African American man, is killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparking nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice.