Civil Rights Movement (1954-1965)

These flashcards cover key events, figures, and legislation from the Civil Rights Movement between 1954 and 1965.

Brown v. Board of Education

The Supreme Court case that ruled separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.

Sit-In Movement

A form of protest where activists sit in a segregated place and refuse to move until they are served or removed.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

A political and social protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama.

Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

An organization founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to coordinate nonviolent protests against segregation and civil rights violations.

Freedom Riders

Civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States to challenge local laws or customs that enforced segregation.

March on Washington

A large political rally in 1963 where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech advocating for civil and economic rights.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation that outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans.

Rosa Parks

Civil rights activist who became famous for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person, triggering the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Non-violent civil disobedience

A method of protest promoted by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that involves peacefully disobeying unjust laws.

NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; an organization founded to fight for civil rights through legal means.

Little Rock Central High School

The school that became the site of a significant conflict over school desegregation in 1957, leading to federal intervention.

Eisenhower’s Intervention

The action taken by President Eisenhower, sending federal troops to enforce desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The Birmingham Campaign

A series of nonviolent protests in 1963 aimed at ending segregation in Birmingham, Alabama.

Motown

A record label that emerged in the 1960s, known for producing influential music that bridged racial divides and reflected civil rights culture.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Landmark legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Bloody Sunday

The violent response on March 7, 1965, against civil rights marchers in Selma, Alabama, which led to national outrage.