August 6, 1965: President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to prevent the use of literacy tests as a voting requirement. Learn about isolation and how you can make a difference, Rate bonus on high-yield online savings account. High Yield Savings from Marcus by Goldman Sachs. John Lewis, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (in the foreground) is being beaten by a state trooper during the march in Selma, Ala., March 7, 1965. The case made its way to the Supreme Court, which reversed their conviction. Her defiant stance prompts a year-long Montgomery bus boycott. It concluded that racism, discrimination, and poverty were some of the causes of the violence and warned that “our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white—separate and unequal.”. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gov. On May 3 Connor ordered the police and fire department to set high-pressure water hoses and attack dogs on the youth. The campaign included a boycott of certain businesses that hired only white people or maintained segregated restrooms. September 4, 1957: Nine black students known as the “Little Rock Nine” are blocked from integrating into Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Nonetheless, the boycott continued for more than a year. The programs confronted the economic problems of African Americans, which the Party argued that the civil rights reforms did not do enough to address. Many groups and individuals vehemently opposed the Vietnam War in the massive peace movement of the 1960s and '70s. April 4, 1968:Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tennessee. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The decision effectively overturned the “separate but equal” ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which had allowed Jim Crow laws that mandated separate public facilities for whites and African Americans to prevail throughout the South during the first half of the 20th century. On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court declared the Virginia statutes prohibiting interracial marriage unconstitutional in the case Loving v. Virginia. After successfully fighting in court for their right to march, Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders lead two more marches and finally reach Montgomery on March 25. As riders were either arrested or beaten, more groups of Freedom Riders would take their place. On November 14, 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges was escorted to her first day at the previously all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans by four armed federal marshals. His stance cost him many allies, including President Lyndon Johnson, but King maintained his antiwar position until his assassination exactly one year to the day after he delivered his “Beyond Vietnam” speech. 1963 — March on Washington. Manage your email preferences and tell us which topics interest you so that we can prioritize the information you receive. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. AARP members receive exclusive member benefits & affect social change. Approximately 30 people were injured, including King, who was hit in the head with a brick. The protest began on December 5, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., then a young local pastor, and was so successful that it was extended indefinitely. King led his followers to kneel in prayer and then he unexpectedly turned back. Unable to travel farther, the original riders were replaced by a second group of 10, partly organized by the SNCC, originating in Nashville. The civil rights movement was an organized effort by black Americans to end racial discrimination and gain equal rights under the law. After being arrested by Albany Police Chief Laurie Pritchett, Martin Luther King, Jr. led a line of protesters down an Albany, Georgia street. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The McCone Commission later investigated the causes of the riots and concluded that they were not the work of gangs or the Black Muslim movement, as the media had previously suggested. The violent tactics against peaceful demonstrators continued in ensuing days, causing outrage in the community, and gaining national attention. This detailed timeline of Mexican history explores such themes as the ...read more, By 1966, the civil rights movement had been gaining momentum for more than a decade, as thousands of African Americans embraced a strategy of nonviolent protest against racial segregation and demanded equal rights under the law. The civil rights movement was a struggle for social justice that took place mainly during the 1950s and 1960s for Black Americans to gain equal rights under the law in the United States. Without these women, the struggle for equality would have never been waged. Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Many groups took part in the Albany movement, including the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), local activists and King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. The labor movement led efforts to stop child ...read more. The Little Rock Nine returned on September 23, but were met with violence. The campaign began on April 3, 1963, with sit-ins, economic boycotts, mass protests, and marches on City Hall. February 1, 1960: Four African American college students in Greensboro, North Carolina refuse to leave a Woolworth’s “whites only” lunch counter without being served. The boycott continued for 381 days and was very effective. September 9, 1957: Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1957 into law to help protect voter rights. July 2, 1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, preventing employment discrimination due to race, color, sex, religion or national origin. The Chicago Freedom Movement continued through 1967 and was credited with inspiring the Fair Housing Act, passed by Congress in 1969. https://www.history.com/topics/civil-rights-movement/civil-rights-movement-timeline. Southern Christian Leadership Conference. They faced deep financial disparities and violent reprisal when addressing racial issues. On March 7, 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr., organized a march from Selma, Alabama, to the state’s capital, Montgomery, to call for a federal voting rights law that would provide legal support for disenfranchised African Americans in the South. It suspended literacy tests, provided for federal approval of proposed changes to voting laws or procedures, and directed the attorney general of the United States to challenge the use of poll taxes for state and local elections. King’s goal was to offer counsel rather than become a participant, but he was jailed during a demonstration and was given a sentence of 45 days or a fine. The bombing fuels angry protests. These problems persisted in subsequent decades, and the idea of real equality remained elusive well into the 21st century. Selma to Montgomery March: National Historic Trail and All-American Road. The 24th Amendment. Civil Rights Digital Library. In the wake of the assassination of Malcolm X and urban uprisings, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California, to protect African American neighborhoods from police brutality. January 10-11, 1957: Sixty black pastors and civil rights leaders from several southern states—including Martin Luther King, Jr.—meet in Atlanta, Georgia to coordinate nonviolent protests against racial discrimination and segregation. The Civil War had officially abolished slavery, but it didn’t end discrimination against ...read more, The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin, is considered one of the crowning legislative achievements of the civil rights movement. Alabama Department of Archives and History. Executive Order 9981. The Freedom Rides began on May 4, 1961, with a group of seven African Americans and six whites, who boarded two buses bound for New Orleans.