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Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy was an African American male who sat in the white section of a train car and was asked to sit in the blacks section. He took it to the Supreme Court stating that it is against his 14th amendment as a citizen to be sat in a different section. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ferguson stating that “separate but equal” is constitutional. It is significant because this is the case that started the Jim crow laws. -
Brown v. Board of Education
In the 1950s, Black children weren’t getting the same education as all the other white kids. Their schools were broken down while the white schools had all the money and good schools. Brown took it to court that it is unconstitutional to not allow black students into white schools because as an American citizen, they should have the right to go to any school they want. The case resulted in Browns favor allowing black students into white schools. -
Murder of Emmett Till
Emmett Till was a 14 year old black boy who was accused of flirting with a white woman. Till was falsely accused yet they still had beat him severely and had him lynched. It showed how unjust society and the government was that whites could accuse blacks and have them killed without any punishment. It brought public attention to the issue. -
Rosa Parks & the Montgomery Bus Boycott
At the time, Blacks had to move from their seat if a white person needed one. Rosa parks was on the bus when she was told to move but she stayed put and got arrested. This led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott which was where blacks refused to ride the bus which affected the economy. It was working because the government didn’t want to lose money. It is significant because it was one of the most effective protests of nonviolence. -
Founding of Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) & Martin Luther King
The SCLC was founded by Martin Luther King and Charles Steele and Fred Shuttlesworth. The organization was made to organize the civil rights movement and to practice non-violence. The organization provided a good image for Africans American times and helped members and people in non-violent protests to not retaliate when being harassed. -
Little Rock Nine & Central High School
There were 9 African Americans students that pleaded their 14th amendment which should allow them to get an education at a white school. The governor of little rock didn’t allow the kids into the school until President Eisenhower threatened to send the military. It resulted in allowing the 9 students to go to the school. It caused racial segregation in schools because now there was blacks and whites in the same school. -
Greensboro Sit In
The Greensboro sit in consisted of members of the SCLC and other organizations and sat in diners waiting to be served. They wouldn't be served because they weren't sitting in the correct area. The black protesters would sit getting harassed until they would get up off the seats. These sit ins helped unify and get the black communities point across -
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Freedom Summer
The SNCC was created by Ella Baker for civil rights. The Freedom Summer was a time where they were encouraging black people to register to vote. The impact was great because a lot of black people weren't able to vote but they still tried and it created attention towards the issue. -
Freedom Riders
Freedom Riders were civil rights activists that rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States in 1961. They went to go challenge and check if they supreme court has decided and or working on Morgan v. Virginia and Boynton v. Virginia. On the bus, the freedom riders were attacked by white mobs and the KKK in Alabama -
March On Washington
The march on Washington was one of the biggest civil rights march there was. Martin Luther King did marches because he believed in non-violence when it came to protesting and his philosophy. It was where Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. It had brought drastic attention to the issue because so many people marched in it. After this march, the Civil Rights Act was passed a year later. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil rights act put an end to the Jim Crow laws which means that minorities will finally be equal. After years of not being equal, the civil rights put an end to it. This also led to the creation of the voting rights act allowing blacks to vote without having to take a literacy test. -
Assassination of Malcolm X
Malcolm X was one of the most influential black civil rights leaders in the 1960s. He believed in taking action even if it has to do with violence to make change happen. He would support self-defense and fighting back if whites are violent towards them. This caused an outrage in the black community. -
Voting Rights act of 1965
Before 1965, Africans Americans were able to vote but had to do a literacy test. If they weren’t able to pass it, they wouldn’t be able to vote. Once the Voting Rights Act was passed, African American citizens were able to vote without having to pass anything. This act started to make African Americans more equal than before. -
Assassination of MLK
The assassination of MLK lead to a peaceful march that resulted in violence. People were setting fires days after MLKs assassination because they were furious that someone would murder him. They were mad because MLK was the activist that got them their civil rights act and voting rights act through peaceful protest.
