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The Montgomery Bus Boycott
Inspired by the arrest of Rosa Parks, when she refused to give up her seat to a white male on the bus. Martin Luther King encourged the non violent protest. Beginning of a new era, empowered people to create change and end segregation. -
The Little Rock 9
The integration of 9 African American students into a predominantly white high school called Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Eisenhower fought Faubus (the govenor of Arkansas) for the children's right to attend the school. The nine students were to stay at the school for the rest of the year. However many people were not supportive of the intergration and by the next year Faubus ordered 3 high schools in Little Rock to shut down -
Civil Rights Act of 1957
Intended to protect the rights of African American voters. Eisenhower firmly believed in the right to vote, and wanted African Americans to vote Republican. Many Southern senators did not support the Civil Rights Act. The rejection of the Civil Rights Act created a civil rights division which allowed authority to punish anyone interferring with the right to vote. After the bill passed a campaign to register 2 million new African American voters came into effect -
The Sit-in Movement
Four young black males who supported the civil rights movement planned to have a sit-in at an all-white lunch counter. When the men were refused service they vowed to stay at the counter everyday until they were treated like the white customers. Their stand against racism inspired another 29 students to sit at the counter with them until they got service. Sit-ins were starting to get more popular in the US and by the end of the week 300 students were at the Woolworth in NC. -
The Freedom Riders
A team of mostly black and white college students that volunteered to ride on a bus in the South to promote intergration. Angry mobs of people would slit the bus tires and throw rocks at the windowa. In Alabama the riders were beaten up by a group of young men with chains, baseball bats, and lead pipes. -
James Meredith and the Desegregation of the University of Mississippi
When James Merdith, a black airforce veteran applied for a transfer the University of Mississippi he was denied by the govenor, Ross Barnett. Thats when president Kennedy stepped in and escourted Merdith to the campus. Another angry mob attacked the campus and started a riot against the marshals. The fighting continued through the night and 160 marshals or so were wounded. Kennedy sent thousands of his troops to the campus, and so Merdith was able to finish his education. -
Protests in Birmingham
Disappointed that the president had not aimed for a new civil rights law Mlk. decided to take matters into his own hands by launching demonstrations. King was arrested 8 days after the protest and wrote "The Letter from Birmingham Jail" while in inprisoned. When King was released from jail, his supporters followed behind him. Unfortunately the public safety commissioner, Bull Conner demanded violence on the protestors. This finally convinces Kennedy to create a new civil rights bill -
The March on Washington
In order to lobby Congress and build more public support, Martin Luther King agreed on a march on Washington. Over 200,000 people of all races marched and sang songs to the Lincoln Memorial. There King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech that promoted freedom and equality for all people. The March on Washington helped build up the new civil rights bill Martin wanted all along. Ones in congress who opposed the new bill did everthing they could to slow it down -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Gave the government power to prevent racial discrimination in different areas. Made segregation illegal and it gave people of all races equal access to public facilities. The passing of this bill gave the US attorney more power stop school desegregation. It also monitored job discrimination. -
The Selma March
About 2,000 African Americans were arrested in Selma for demanding their right to vote. Jim Clark (sheriff) and his men terrorized blacks and discouraged them from registering to vote. Dr. King later organized "a march for freedom" that would start at Selma, Alabama and end in Montgomery. As the protesters left Selma they ran into Sheriff Clark again who again violently attacked them. The attack known as "Bloody Sunday" was broadcasted on tv and left the demonstrators seriously wounded. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Allowed the US attorney general to send federal examiners to register to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned literacy tests in countries where most of the adults are not registered to vote. About 250,000 people were registered to vote by the end of the year. The number of black elected officials in the South increased and contiued to increase over time. -
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
King traveled to Memphis in support of a strike within African Amercian sanitation workers. He lead the "Poor Peoples Campaign" to end poverty and unemployment in the US. He encouraged people to camp out until Congress and President Johnson came to an agreement. While he stood on his hotel balcony King was shot and killed by a sniper. His death market a new era and he became a big part of the Civil Right's Movement. -
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The Montgomery Bus Boycott
