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Voting Rights: Background

Lead up to Civil Rights Act

8 Steps That Paved the Way to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which later, included the Voting Rights Act of 1965):

  1. Brown v. Board of Education
  2. The Montgomery Bus Boycott
  3. Greensborough Sit-in
  4. The Little Rock nine
  5. Freedom Riders
  6. The March of Washington
  7. Freedom Summer of 1964
  8. The Assassination of John F. Kennedy 

Brown v. Board of Education

The children involved in the landmark Civil Rights lawsuit Brown v. Board of Education, which challenged the legality of American public school segregation: Vicki Henderson, Donald Henderson, Linda Brown, James Emanuel, Nancy Todd, and Katherine Carper.

THE CHILDREN INVOLVED IN THE LANDMARK CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION, WHICH CHALLENGED THE LEGALITY OF AMERICAN PUBLIC SCHOOL SEGREGATION: VICKI HENDERSON, DONALD HENDERSON, LINDA BROWN, JAMES EMANUEL, NANCY TODD, AND KATHERINE CARPER.

The Little Rock Nine

ELIZABETH ECKFORD ON HER FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. SHE WAS ONE OF THE NINE STUDENTS WHOSE INTEGRATION INTO LITTLE ROCK'S CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL WAS ORDERED BY A FEDERAL COURT FOLLOWING LEGAL ACTION BY NAACP.

The Freedom Summer of 1964

Freedom Summer of 1964SOME 100 CIVIL RIGHTS DEMONSTRATORS KEPT AN ALL-NIGHT VIGIL BEFORE THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION HALL IN AN ATTEMPT TO SEAT MEMBERS OF THE FREEDOM DEMOCRATIC PARTY ON AUGUST 24,.IN THE CENTER OF THE PICTURE IS RITA SCHWERNER, WIDOW OF MICHAEL SCHWERNER WHO WAS SLAIN NEAR PHILADELPHIA, MISSISSIPPI EARLIER THAT SUMMER.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

Rosa Parks sitting in the front of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, after the Supreme Court ruled segregation illegal on the city bus system on December 21st, 1956. (Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)ROSA PARKS SITTING IN THE FRONT OF A BUS IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, AFTER THE SUPREME COURT RULED SEGREGATION ILLEGAL ON THE CITY BUS SYSTEM ON DECEMBER 21ST, 1956.

The Freedom Riders

Freedom Riders on a Greyhound bus, sponsored by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), sit on the ground outside the bus after it was set afire by a group of white protestors upon their arrival in Anniston, Alabama.

FREEDOM RIDERS ON A GREYHOUND BUS SIT ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE THE BUS AFTER IT WAS SET AFIRE BY A GROUP OF WHITE PROTESTORS UPON THEIR ARRIVAL IN ANNISTON, ALABAMA.

The Assassination of John F. Kennedy

In June 1963, President Kennedy introduced a civil rights bill and went on national television to say that the United States “will not be fully free until all of its citizens are free.” When he was assassinated on November 22, 1963, his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, took up the cause. “It took the assassination of Kennedy and Johnson wrapping himself in the mantle of Kennedy, claiming this is Kennedy’s legacy, to force through the Civil Rights Act in the Senate” says McKinney. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law on July 2, 1964, bringing King’s dream and the dreams of thousands of activists and allies one step closer to reality.

Greensborough Sit-In

Demonstrators line the counter at the F.W. Woolworth Co.DEMONSTRATORS LINE THE COUNTER AT THE F.W. WOOLWORTH CO.

The March on Washington

march on washington, racial discrimination, civil rights, civil rights legislation, congress, August 28, 1963COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON, THE AUGUST 28, 1963 GATHERING BROUGHT OVER 200,000 PEOPLE TO THE NATION'S CAPITOL TO PROTEST RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND SHOW SUPPORT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION THAT WAS PENDING IN CONGRESS.