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Brown v. Board of Education
The court case Brown v. Board of Education created a new law for American school systems. The court case was with an African American girl who found it unfair that she had to go to a school far away, because the one closest was for only whites. The Supreme Court called that the separation of races in education was unconstitutional and needed to be fixed. The case changed peoples lives, allowing children to now be in school with kids of different races. -
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was sparked by Rosa Parks when she was forced out of her seat in the "all black" section of a bus by the police, because she wouldn't give it up for a white man. The boycott lasted 381 days, meaning the bus system was not used by African Americans for over a year. The boycott, led by MLK, Jr., showed that the African Americans were serious about this issue, and racism was still a large problem. -
The Birmingham Children's March
The Birmingham Children's March was created by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a peaceful protest for civil rights. They had a children's march so the adults wouldn't lose their jobs. When the children in the children's march were arrested, America changed. It was different for Americans to see innocent children thrown in jail, and treated like criminals for being in a peaceful march. It showed the people that racism was a problem, and one that needed to be fixed. -
"I Have A Dream"
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's famous line "I have a dream" was said in an iconic speech. MLK, Jr. spoke in Washington D.C. in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Around 250,000 people of all races gathered together to hear the powerful words from MLK, Jr. The speech spoke to the people, informing them upon his dreams for the future. MLK, Jr. dreamed that one day all races could walk together in peace. -
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was established to prohibit the discrimination of a person's race. The Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It allowed all citizens, no matter their skin color, the right to enter public places. It also made it illegal to discriminate a person by the color of their skin or religion they believe in. -
Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed by President Johnson to prohibit the literacy tests given by local officials. The literacy tests made African Americans unable to vote, due to their strict grading scale. The tests were illegal because they were made to have African Americans fail and unable to pass. -
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women was established to aid women's rights. The NOW was created by Betty Friedan, a well known women's rights activist. Friedan created the organization to push for women's rights ans to show that they wanted more rights, because equal doesn't always mean the same. -
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassination
MLK, Jr.'s assassination was a major factor in the publicity aspect of civil rights. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s philosophy throughout his life was primarily nonviolent protests. He wanted to show that you can make a difference without violence. But, it is ironic that he was assassinated by a sniper and all of his teaching were about how violence was never the answer. -
Woodstock Music Festival
The 1st Woodstock Music Festival is a large turning point in America's social movement. The United States was already struggling with problems in the sense of racism and inequality with African Americans, Latinos, Women, and now- Hippies. Hippies stood for peace and were very anti-war, and were all joined at the music festival. The festival was peaceful, in the sense of every person was either intoxicated or on drugs. It showed the Hippies real version of "peace." -
The Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was created by women's rights activists who wanted equal voting rights. The ERA was passed by Congress and only need to be ratified by 38 states in the US to become the 19th amendment. After a short while, the amendment was passed and women were given the right to vote.
