Pro Civil Rights

March on Washington

After violent attacks on civil rights demonstrators, a protest began in 1963. However, President John F. Kennedy believed the march would end in violence. There would be many moving speeches, including Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

Freedom Riders

Freedom Riders were groups of white and African American civil rights activists who participated in Freedom Rides to test the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Morgan v. Virginia. This found that segregated bus seating was unconstitutional. The groups were usually arrested and also experienced violence from white protestors.

Greensboro Sit-In

On February 1, 1960, four African American college students sat down at the whites only Woolworths restaurant in Greensboro North Carolina. The four students, Ezell Blair, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond were eventually arrested. By February 5th, over 300 students had joined the Greensboro Four in protest at Woolworths. These protests became very popular among college students and by the summer of 1960, many dining facilities had become integrated.

Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

After work, Rosa Parks took her seat on a bus but was asked to give it up to a white male. Although she refused, she was arrested and fined $10 for her action. As of December of 1955, the Montgomery Bus Company would be greatly impacted. Many African Americans would stand with Rosa Parks and decided to boycott the buses in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.