Civil rights movement

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Supreme Court ruled racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Oliver Brown

Plaintiff in Brown v. Board of Education.

Thurgood Marshall

NAACP lawyer in Brown v. Board of Education.

NAACP Legal Defense Fund

Organization involved in Brown v. Board of Education.

14th Amendment

Historic ruling declared that segregation in public schools violated this amendment.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)

Sparked by Rosa Parks' arrest, Black citizens boycotted segregated buses in Montgomery.

Rosa Parks

Civil rights activist whose arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Leader who rose to prominence during the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

NAACP

Organization involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Little Rock Nine (1957)

Federal troops enforced school integration at Central High School in Arkansas.

Governor Orval Faubus

Governor who opposed integration during the Little Rock Nine incident.

Greensboro Sit-ins (1960)

Black students staged sit-ins at a Woolworth's lunch counter.

Greensboro Four

Group of students who initiated the Greensboro Sit-ins.

SNCC

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee formed as a result of the Greensboro Sit-ins.

Freedom Rides (1961)

Interracial activists rode buses to test desegregation laws.

James Farmer

Civil rights activist involved in the Freedom Rides.

James Meredith

First Black student at the University of Mississippi faced violent backlash.

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

Banned segregation in interstate travel as a result of the Freedom Rides.

Federal government intervention

Forced involvement during the Freedom Rides due to violence.

Southern Manifesto

Formation by 101 Congressmen opposing the Brown v. Board ruling.

Civil rights activism

Mobilized by outcomes of events like Brown v. Board and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Violent mobs

Response from white citizens during events like the Freedom Rides and Little Rock Nine.

Birmingham Campaign (1963)

MLK-led protest against Birmingham's extreme segregation.

March on Washington (1963)

Over 250,000 people rallied for jobs and freedom.

Freedom Summer (1964)

Campaign to register Black voters in Mississippi.

Selma to Montgomery Marches (1965)

Series of marches highlighting voter suppression.

March Against Fear (June 1966)

James Meredith began a solo march to encourage voter registration and challenge racism in Mississippi.

Personalities in James Meredith Integrates University of Mississippi

James Meredith, Medgar Evers, President Kennedy.

Aims of Birmingham Campaign

End segregation in one of the most racist U.S. cities.

Organisations involved in March on Washington

SCLC, SNCC, CORE, NAACP.

Actions taken during Freedom Summer

Established Freedom Schools, voter drives.

Achievements of Selma to Montgomery Marches

Paved way for Voting Rights Act (1965).

Failures of March Against Fear

Meredith's shooting disrupted momentum; no direct legislative result.

Achievements of Birmingham Campaign

Led to desegregation of public facilities; inspired Civil Rights Bill.

White Response to March on Washington

Some politicians dismissed it as dangerous; media was mixed.

Failures of Freedom Summer

Only 1,600 accepted; 3 workers murdered.

Outcome of Selma to Montgomery Marches

National outrage; Johnson introduced VRA.

White Response to Birmingham Campaign

Police used dogs, fire hoses, arrested hundreds.

Actions during March on Washington

Mass rally at Lincoln Memorial.

Aims of Freedom Summer

Voter registration, education, political empowerment.

Personalities in Birmingham Campaign

Martin Luther King Jr., Fred Shuttlesworth, James Bevel.

Outcome of March Against Fear

Marked the rise of the "Black Power" movement—Stokely Carmichael's speech in Greenwood made the phrase famous.

Actions taken during Selma to Montgomery Marches

Marches including "Bloody Sunday."

Achievements of March on Washington

Created momentum for Civil Rights Act (1964).

Failures of Selma to Montgomery Marches

Initial march violently suppressed.