Events of the Civil Rights Movement for Kids

✊ The Civil Rights Movement: Fighting for Equality

The Civil Rights Movement was a time from 1954-1968 when many brave people worked together to end unfair laws that treated Black Americans differently because of the color of their skin. These unfair laws were called segregation laws, and they separated people in schools, restaurants, buses, and more.

🚌 Montgomery Bus Boycott

In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. This started the Montgomery Bus Boycott, where Black people stopped riding the buses for over a year to protest unfair treatment. The boycott was a big success and showed the power of peaceful protest.

🧒 Ruby Bridges

In 1960, Ruby Bridges became the first Black child to attend an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. She was just six years old and had to be protected by U.S. marshals because many people didn’t want her there. Ruby was very brave and helped open the doors for other Black students.

🧑🏾🏫 Brown v. Board of Education

Before Ruby’s first day, a big court case called Brown v. Board of Education ruled in 1954 that it was unfair to separate Black and white children in schools. This decision helped end segregation in public schools.

👟 Little Rock Nine

Even after the Brown v. Board decision, many schools did not want to allow Black students. In 1957, nine Black students, known as the Little Rock Nine, tried to attend an all-white high school in Arkansas. They faced angry crowds, but the president sent soldiers to protect them and help them go to school safely.

🍽 Greensboro Sit-In

In 1960, four Black college students sat at a “whites-only” lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, and politely refused to leave when they weren’t served. This peaceful protest, called a sit-in, helped inspire similar protests across the country.

🚌 Freedom Rides

In 1961, groups of Black and white people known as the Freedom Riders rode buses together through the South to test if bus stations were following new laws against segregation. They were often attacked, but they kept going to stand up for what was right.

🕊 March on Washington

In 1963, over 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. That’s where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, calling for a future where everyone is treated equally.

📜 Civil Rights Act of 1964

Thanks to all these brave efforts, the U.S. government passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a new law that made it illegal to treat people unfairly because of their race, color, religion, or gender.

👣 Selma to Montgomery Marches

In 1965, people marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to fight for voting rights for Black Americans. They were attacked by police on a day called "Bloody Sunday," but they didn’t give up. Their bravery helped lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

💬 Why It Matters

The Civil Rights Movement helped change unfair laws and made America a fairer place. Thanks to the courage of people like Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, the Little Rock Nine, and many others, schools, buses, and public places can no longer be segregated. But the fight for justice continues, and we can all learn from their example of standing up peacefully for what is right.

🎨 Fun Activity!

Now that you've read about the important events of the Civil Rights Movement, review what you know using our cut-and-paste worksheet to match the description with the name of the event. Get it here.