Civil Rights Movement

Martin Luther King Jr. is Born

Jan 15, 1929

Martin Luther King Jr.s is born in Atlanta to his mother and his father Martin Luther King Sr. On January 15th, 1929.

Executive Order 9981

Jul 26, 1948

Harry Truman issues an executive order to end segregation in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. This is due to the increasing pressure from the Civil Rights movement.

Brown vs. Board of Education

1954

The United States Supreme Court bans segregation in public schools. This is the result of a months-long court case.

Rosa Parks Bus Protest

Dec 1, 1955

Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat to a white man on a bus in Alabama. Her actions start a Montgomery bus boycott.

Atlanta Peace Talks

Jan 10, 1957

Sixty civil rights leaders and black pastors meet in Atlanta, Georgia. They meet to talk about peaceful protests against racial discrimination.

Little Rock Nine

Sep 4, 1957

The little rock nine are blocked from going to school at a traditionally white school in Little Rock, Arkansas. They are eventually escorted in by the National Guard.

The Greensboro Four

Feb 1, 1960

Four freshmen from North Carolina A&T State University sat down at a segregated diner and stayed until closing without leaving. They came back the next day with more students and sat down until the entire diner was filled.

Letter From a Birmingham Jail

Apr 12, 1963

Martin Luther King Jr. is arrested for defying a court order and writes "Letter from a Birmingham Jail. The letter becomes a classic in the civil rights movement.

Martin Luther King Jr. meets John F. Kennedy

Aug 28, 1963

Martin Luther King Jr. meets John F. Kennedy at the White House. His goal is to gain his support for improving civil rights and the process of desegregation in the United States.

I Have a Dream Speech

Sep 28, 1963

250,000 people march on Washington, D.C. and Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his famous "I Have a Dream Speech". This speech will go down in history as one of the most famous speeches of all time.

Malcolm X Assassination

Feb 21, 1965

Malcolm X, a prominent civil rights activist, is assassinated while at a lecture in Harlem, New York. He advocated violence as a means of racial justice.

Black Panther Group is Started

1966

Huey Newton and Bobby Seale start the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California. They start various programs that offered many services for the community.

Martin Luther King Jr. is Killed

Apr 4, 1968

Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis. This releases massive amounts of violence all across the county for the next month. This is known as the Holy Week Uprising.

Barack Obama Becomes the First Black President

Sep 4, 2008

Barack Obama becomes the 45th president of the United States and becomes the first African American President. He wins as a democrat and goes on to be a two-term president.

MLK Memorial is Created

Oct 16, 2011

The national memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. is created and opened to the public in Washington, D.C. This memorial is meant to symbolize the civil rights movement in the United States from 1954 - 1968.