Civil Rights Movement

Jackie Robinson

He broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947, becoming the first African American to play in the MLB, which helped challenge racial segregation in sports and beyond.

Brown v. Board of Education

A landmark Supreme Court case that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. The court unanimously ruled that "separate but equal" was inherently unequal, reversing Plessy v. Ferguson. This decision sparked nationwide efforts to integrate schools and fueled the modern Civil Rights Movement.

Murder of Emmett Till

14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally lynched in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman. His mother held an open-casket funeral to show the world what racism did to her son. The horrifying images and injustice of the trial outraged the public and became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement.

Little Rock Nine

Nine African American students attempted to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Facing violent mobs and resistance from the governor, President Eisenhower sent federal troops to escort them. Their courage and the federal intervention marked a key moment in school desegregation.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Sparked by Rosa Parks’ arrest for refusing to give up her bus seat, Black citizens in Montgomery, Alabama, launched a year-long boycott of the city’s buses. Led by Martin Luther King Jr., the protest succeeded when the Supreme Court ruled segregation on public buses unconstitutional.

Rock Hill Nine

Nine African American men were arrested for a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in Rock Hill, South Carolina. They refused to pay bail, launching the “jail, no bail” strategy. Their protest inspired broader direct action campaigns and national attention to local segregation laws.

Freedom Riders

Groups of civil rights activists rode interstate buses into the segregated South to test Supreme Court rulings banning segregation in public transportation. They were met with brutal violence, especially in Alabama, revealing the deep resistance to federal desegregation laws.

James Meredith

Became the first Black student to enroll at the University of Mississippi. His admission, protected by federal marshals, sparked riots that left two dead. Meredith's courage showed the lengths to which the federal government would go to enforce civil rights rulings.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

While jailed for protesting segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, MLK wrote a powerful defense of civil disobedience. He argued that people had a moral duty to break unjust laws and criticized white moderates for delaying justice. The letter remains a foundational civil rights text.

University of Alabama

Governor George Wallace attempted to block two Black students from enrolling by standing in the schoolhouse door. President Kennedy sent the National Guard to force integration. The event highlighted the battle between federal law and states’ rights on civil rights issues.

Medgar Evers Assassinated

A prominent civil rights activist and NAACP field secretary in Mississippi, Medgar Evers was assassinated in his driveway. His death exposed the deadly consequences of civil rights activism in the South and helped galvanize national support for change.

March on Washington

Over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., to demand civil and economic rights. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The peaceful protest helped build momentum for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Birmingham Church Bombing

A KKK bomb exploded at the 16th Street Baptist Church, killing four young African American girls. The attack outraged the nation and brought attention to the dangers faced by Black communities and civil rights activists, especially in the South.

Civil Rights Act

This major legislation banned segregation in public places and employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It gave the federal government more power to enforce desegregation and protect civil rights.

Freedom Summer

A campaign to register Black voters in Mississippi, organized by civil rights groups. Volunteers faced violence and intimidation; three activists were murdered. The events highlighted the need for stronger federal protections for voting rights.

Selma March / Bloody Sunday

Peaceful marchers demanding voting rights were attacked by state troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. National outrage over the brutality led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act. MLK later led a successful march from Selma to Montgomery.

Voting Rights Act

Banned literacy tests and other discriminatory practices that kept Black Americans from voting. It gave the federal government power to monitor elections in states with a history of discrimination. It dramatically increased voter registration in the South.

Watts Riots

Six days of riots erupted in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles following an incident of police brutality. The violence exposed racial tensions, poverty, and frustration in Northern and Western cities, where de facto segregation remained a major issue.

Malcolm X Assassinated

Malcolm X, a former Nation of Islam minister turned human rights activist, was assassinated while giving a speech in New York. His ideas about Black empowerment and self-defense influenced the rise of the Black Power movement.

Loving v. Virginia

The Supreme Court ruled that laws banning interracial marriage were unconstitutional. The case involved Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple jailed in Virginia. It was a major step forward for civil rights and personal freedom.

MLK Assassinated

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, while supporting striking sanitation workers. His death sparked nationwide riots and marked a turning point in the movement, with more activists embracing Black Power and militant strategies.