Civil Rights Movement
By : Alissa Swinson
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
This act prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion , gender or national origin. It also desegregated public accommodations. This caused a lot tension between the races.
Martin Luther Kings role
Martin Luther King Jr. played a big role during this time period. He wanted segregation to finally come to an end so he wrote his famous "I have a Dream" speech on Washington for the NAACP( National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) which challenged segregation in courts.
1963 March On Washington
People were so inspired with Martins speech that they marched down D.C. to help the public to finally support the Civil Rights Legeslation. This march was NONVIOLENT and was a HUGE protest with more than 250,000 people trying to promote civil rights and economic equality for the African American community.
Voting Rights Act and its impact
This act outlawed literacy tests which ment that people who couldn't read or who were uneducated could have the right to vote. President Lyndon Johnson signed this act guaranteeing African Americans the right to vote. The number of African American voters increased dramatically.