The Civil Rights Movement was sparked by many events that left the African American people of our country angry and pained. There were many acts of violence against their community that were completely wrong anf uncalled for. They were ready for a change. Here is a time line of events that were either a cause of the movement, or steps in the right direction.
1954-(May 17) Brown v. Board of Education: This case decided that segregation was unconstitutional, and it over turned the Plessy vs. Fergeson case that allowed segregation with a "seperate but equal" law.
1955-(Aug.) Emmett Till: A fourteen year old who was beaten and shot, then left for dead in the Tallahatchie River after being kidnapped in Mississippi. He was excused of whistling at a white woman, and the men who kidnapped him thought that death would be the best punishment.
(Dec. 1) Rosa Parks: Refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person, which was custom at the time in the South. Her arrest started the boycott of the bus line in Montgomery AL, by the black community. This was one of Martin Luther King's first civil rights movement participation. Buses were desegregated Dec. 21, 1956.
1957- (Sept.) The Little Rock Nine: Central High School attempted to desegregate their all-white school, but the nine African American students were blocked from entering. President Eisenhower had to call in troops to get the students into the school. Integration wasn't going to be as simple as once believed.
1960- (Feb. 1) Greensboro, N.C.: Four black students North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College are refused service at a Woolworth's lunch counter. They begin a sit- in protest which sparks many other non-violent protests through out the South. They are finally served lunch at the same spot six months later.
1961- (May 4) "Freedom Riders": Student volunteers begin taking bus trips through the South to test out new laws that prohibit segregation in interstate travel facilities. They are harassed by angry mobs all along the way.
1 comment:
This is a good timeline. It's really organized and I think it'll be helpful for you when it comes to your instant expert paper.
I'm reading a novel for my history class about one of the girls who was part of the Little Rock Nine. Surprisingly, I'm finding it to be very interesting. I had no idea the things that they had to go through to start the integration process. The book is called "Warriors Don't Cry." I never thought I would enjoy a book assigned for a history class, but it is really interesting.
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