What were the big moments of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s? How do you know? What are turning points today?

Some of the biggest moments of the African civil rights movement occurred around the 1950s to the late 1960s. A lot of things from marches to murders occurred during this time. It was very hard for the African Americans to prove how badly they wanted their rights. A lot of people put their life on the line to fight for the rights of everyone.

Below is a list of some of the major events that occurred in the civil rights movement between the 1950s to the late 1960s. These events were some of the biggest turning points for African Americans and helped prove how hard was it to gain rights.


Rosa Parks

• December 1, 1955: Rosa Parks is arrested for not giving her seat to a white man on a public bus in Montgomery, AL. Martin Luther King Jr. then leads a boycott of all the buses in that area that lasts over a year.
• August 28, 1955: Emmett Till is murdered.
• September 24, 1957: Nine black students attend a all white school at Central High School in Little Rock. The president sent paratroopers to make sure no violence happens.
• August 28, 1963: More than 250,000 people attend a civil rights march in Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. also gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech.
• May, 1963: firemen and police used water hoses and police dogs against African American protesters.
• June 11, 1963: The head of the Mississippi NAACP is murdered right outside of his own house.
• September 15, 1963: A black church is bombed, resulting in the deaths of 4 girls.
• July 1, 1964: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed.
• February 21, 1965: Malcom X is assassinated. 
• March 7, 1965: Martin Luther King Jr. leads a huge march that lasted around 50 miles.
• April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated outside of his home.



Martin Luther King Jr. in the center

These are not all of the events that occurred in the African civil rights movement. These are just some important ones that had huge impacts on the civil rights movement and everyone should know each one when studying the civil rights movement.


Sources:
http://www.alabamamoments.alabama.gov/sec62.html
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/3015-civil-rights-movement-timeline
http://www.legalmetro.com/library/a-timeline-of-major-events-in-the-american-civil-rights-movement.html