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Plessy vs. Ferguson
Homer Plessy was arrested for sitting in a coach "for whites only". The court ruled in favor of a Louisianna law requiring segregated railroad cars. -
Founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Du Bois, Jane Addams, and other formers formed the NAACP. they worked for equal rights for African Americans. -
Jackie Robinson Integrates Baseball
A manager if the Brooklyn Dodgers signed an African American baseball player. he paved the way for the other African American athletes to play professionally. -
The Military Integrates
Truman ordered integration of all units of the armed forces without congressional approval because it was not required. -
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
In 1951 Oliver Brown sued the board of education of Topeka, Kansas. on May 17, 1954 the court ruled in favor of Brown and some schools were integrated. -
The Murder of Emmett Till
Emmett Till, a 14 year old African American boy, was killed brutally because he flirted with a white girl. -
Montgomery Bus Boycott
Led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., African Americans begin to boycott the Montgomery bus system. Not a single African American rode a bus. It lasted 381 days until segregation on the buses ended. -
Little Rock Nine
The little Rock School board let 9 African Americsn students attend Central Highschool but they werent welcomed by many people. They were mobbed but eventually President Truman stepped in and they were protected by federal troops. -
Greensboro Sit-In
Four African American students sat down at a "whites only" lunch counter and refused to move until they were served. Word of this quickly spread and people were inspired by this even. -
Freedom Rides
Civil Rights leaders organized Freedom Rides to test a recent Supreme Court ruling outlawing segregation in interstate travel. They successfully integrated several bus stations. -
Birmigham Children's March
SCLC protested discrimination. Thousands of African Americans including many children, marched peacefully through Birmingham. -
March on Washington
About 250,000 peacefully assembled citizens came together to support civil rights. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream Speech" during this event. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Lyndon Johnson pushed Congress to pass the sweeping Civil Rights Act of 1964. It banned discrimination in public facilities and outlawed discrimination in employment. It provided faster school desegregation and further protected voting rights. -
Malcolm X Assasinated
He was a well known leader who supported the Nation of Islam but when he broke his ties with it he was shot to death by three Black Muslims. -
Selma March
Hundreds of marchers set out from the city of Selma to Montgomery, the state capital. They were attacked by state troopers with tear gas, clubs, and whips. It inspired other events to support civil rights. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
In the aftermath or Selma, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. it banned literacy tests and other barriers to African American voting. -
Watts Riots
There were riots in the primarily African Americsn area of Los Angeles, Watts. Residents were angered by the brutality of police and they burned cars and looted stores. many people were killed and injured
