Civil Rights Movement

Key

1940

1-Legislation/Supreme Court Case
2-Achievement
3- Protest
4- Violence by Opposition
5- No Violence
6-Violence by Protesters

The Murder of Emmet Till- 4

Aug 28, 1952

Till was a teenage African American that was kidnapped from his home. He was lynched, shot, mutilated, and drowned, and his mother chose an open casket for his funeral.

Southern Christian leadership Conference-2, 5

Jan 10, 1957

This group was an offshoot of the group who successfully conducted 381 days of boycotting Alabama's segregated bus system. The conference is often associated with Martin Luther King Jr, who was the first president.

Baseball Star Hank Aaron-2, 5

Jul 3, 1957

Hank Aaron played for the Braves for 21 seasons, finishing his career with 755 home runs. Aaron spoke out against racism and the "Hank Aaron Award" was created in his honor.

Little Rock Nine Crisis

Sep 4, 1957

A group of nine African American students enrolled in an all white school. The governor of Arkansas deployed the national guard to keep students from entering the school.

Cooper v. Aaron- 1

Sep 12, 1958

This lawsuit stated Arkasas could not undermine a previous ruling, Brown v. Board of Education. The state of Arkansas was not able to delay desegregation due to this ruling.

Greensboro Sit-In- 3

Feb 1, 1960

There were four African American friends who went out to a diner. The significance is the friends chose to sit where African Americans were not allowed to.

Assassination of Malcolm X- 4

Feb 21, 1964

Malcolm X was a human rights activist who fought mainly for African American rights. He was shot during a speech, with his wife and daughter watching from the crowd.

Civil Rights Act of 1964- 1

Jul 2, 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was meant to make employment fair for everyone. This act "prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin."

James Meredith’s March Against Fear- 3, 4

Jun 6, 1966

James Meredith was the first African American to enroll at the University of Mississippi, who went on a solo walk trying to embark from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi. A day into his trek, he was shot but not killed, and the sniper was arrested.

Fair Housing Act- 1, 6

Apr 11, 1968

This law states that its illegal to harass persons seeking a mortgage because of race, color, religion, or sex. Before this all of these factors could be determined before someone could buy or rent a home.

Swann vs. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools- 1, 6

Apr 20, 1971

This was an integration case that went on to the Supreme Court. However at this time, the court chose to unanimously uphold the busing programs that racially integrate schools.

Shirley Chisolm’s Presidential Campaign- 2

Jan 25, 1972

Shirley Chisolmwas the first black woman elected into US Congress. In 1972 she announced she was running for president and received 430,703 votes.

University of California Regents vs. Bakke-1

1976

University of California Regents vs. Bakke ruled the college violated Civil Rights Act of 1964, and was unconstitutional. The college was accused of using racial quotas.

Barbara Jordan’s Address at the Democratic National Convention- 2, 5

Jul 19, 1976

In this speech, she was the first African American and first woman to deliver a keynote address at a Democratic National Convention. She was also the first black US Congress woman that was from the deep south.

Andrew Young, US Ambassador-2

Jan 30, 1977

Young was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to serve as the US Ambassador, and would be the first African American to hold this position. He helped negotiate an end to white minority rule in Namibia and Zimbabwe.