2.  Freedom Riders—Civil Rights activists who rode buses through the South in the early 1960s to challenge segregation—to challenge segregated seating on interstate bus routes and segregated facilities in bus terminals.  Angry whites blow up a bus---the freedom riders get out just in time.  SNCC volunteers were ready to pick up where the freedom riders left off.

4.  The SNCC volunteers rode into Birmingham Alabama, policemen pulled them from the bus and beat them.  When they returned the bus driver refused to drive them---fearful for his life.  The Riders then wait in an all white terminal for eighteen hours.  Attorney General Robert Kennedy convinced bus officials to tell the driver to proceed--- the riders set out for Montgomery on May 20, 1961.

5.  Alabama officials promised Kennedy the riders would be safe.  A mob of whites attacked the riders when they arrived in Montgomery---they beat them.  The violence provoked newspapers to cover to beatings nationally---exactly what the Riders wanted.  JFK gave the Freedom Riders support---sent 400 U.S. marshals to protect the riders on their journey to Jackson, Mississippi.  Result= eventually segregation gets banned in all travel facilities.

7.  9-1962—James Meredith---won a federal court case that allowed him to enroll in the all-white university—Ole Miss.  When Meredith arrived Mississippi governor, Ross Barnett, refused to let him register as a student.  Many people follow Barnett and protest--- two deaths—200 arrests---15 hours of non stop rioters  Meredith is allowed in the university because of JFK.

10.  6-11-1963 JFK orders Gov. George Wallace of Alabama to honor a court order desegregating the University of Alabama.  Birmingham was a highly segregated in Alabama that many riots occurred in—MLK Jr. eventually got Birmingham desegregated, after many protests.

11.  8-28-1963 more than 250,000 people marched on the nation’s capital.  They assembled on the grassy lawn of the Washington Monument and marched to the Lincoln Memorial.  People listened to speakers demand the immediate passage of the civil rights bill.  MLK Jr. gives his famous “I have a Dream Speech.”

12.  Two weeks after King’s speech four young Birmingham girls were killed when a rider in a car hurled a bomb in their church window.  Two months later an assassin shot and killed JFK.---Lyndon B. Johnson promised to continue JFK’s work.  Immediately LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964-prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and gender.  It gave citizens the right to enter all public facilities.

13.  The right of all African Americans to vote remained an issue.  CORE and SNCC workers in the south began registering as many African Americans as they could to vote.  The project to try and influence Congress to pass a voting rights act was known as Freedom Summer—focused in Mississippi.

14.  Many people help register African Americans to vote.  As a result 3 civil rights workers disappeared in Mississippi.  Later was found that the 3 men were murdered.  Throughout the summer, murders continued as well as the burning of homes and businesses.

15.  In order to gain a seat in Mississippi’s all- white democratic party SNCC created the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.  Fannie Lou Hamer—the voice of the party.  Hamer gave powerful speeches---she gets 2 seats to the MFDP with a promise to ban discrimination at the 1968 convention.

16.  Voting Rights Act of 1965-eliminated the so- called literacy tests that had disqualified many voters.  Also stated that federal examiners could enroll voters who had been denied suffrage by local officials.  Marked a major civil rights victory.  Some felt the law did not go far enough.