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DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

To commemorate the January 18, 2021 celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Intercultural Affairs at Western Carolina University has created this informative and interactive timeline of events leading up to and during Dr. King's work.
Timeline
1955
August 28

Emmett Till

photo of Emmett Till

December 1

Rosa Parks

Photo of Rosa Parks on a bus

 

 

December 5

Montgomery Bus Boycott

A photo of two people on a bus.

1957
May 17

Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom

Photo of a crowd at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

September 4

Little Rock Nine

Photo of Thelma Mothershed, Minnijean Brown, Jefferson Thomas, Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls, Gloria Ray, Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, and Melba Pattillo

1960
February 1

Greensboro Sit-ins

A photo of the Greensboro Four.

1961
May 1

Freedom Riders

A photo of three African Americans sitting on a bus.

1962
October 1

Ole Miss Integration

Photo of James Meredith sitting at a desk.

1963
August 28

MLK Dream Speech

A photo of Martin Luther King Jr. giving his speech.

September 15

Bombing of Birmingham  

Photo of stained glass from the church.

1964
February 3

NYC School Boycott

Photo of a woman putting up a sign saying “Stay out for better schools”.

June 10

Freedom Summer

Photo of a building with a cross that says “freedom”.

July 18

NYC Race Riots

Photo of a boy standing next to a police officer.

October 14

MLK Nobel Peace Prize

Martin Luther King Jr. giving a speech

1965
March 7

Bloody Sunday

Photo of a police officer looking at marchers.

August 11

Watts Riots

cover of the Los Angeles Times newspaper August 1965

1968
February 12

Memphis Sanitation Strike

Photo of an African American man holding a sign saying “I am a man”.

 

Contact Us

Department of Intercultural Affairs
Western Carolina University
227 AK Hinds University Center
Cullowhee, NC  28723

828-227-2276

ica@wcu.edu

ica.wcu.edu