The selma march
On 1965 in Selma, Alabama thousands of nonviolent protestors marched 50 miles all the way to Montgomery. They were marching for voting rights. During this march, state troopers beat these protestors with clubs, tear gas, whips, etc. It was so terrible how they were treating just people who were marching to express their thoughts. Pictures were taken and shown around the country and many people weren't happy with what was going on. In response to the state troopers beating the protestors up, President Lyndon Johnson put the Alabama National Guard under control. This was good because now the marchers could march without being beat or hurt by anyone. Because of this march and the bravery by many of the protestors marching, this lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
freedom rides
In 1960 the Boynton v. Virginia court case ruled that bus stations, waiting rooms, and restaurants that served interstate travelers could not be segregated. So, in 1961 the freedom rides started. The whole point of these freedom rides were to test the Federal government and see how the southern states reacted to this. 2 buses with African Americans and white protestors started in Washington D.C. There destination was supposed to be New Orleans, but they got stopped many times on the way. Their first attack was in Anniston, Alabama. A white mob slashed the tires of the bus so it would eventually have to stop moving. When this happened, they through a bomb in the bus. Quickly, everyone on the bus got off the bus before the bomb went off, but while off of the bus many African Americans were beat by the mob. Sadly, the freedom riders didn't meet their destination. They ended in Jackson Mississippi where they were arrested. Even though they didn't reach their original destination, the freedom rides were still successful. The African Americans weren't the ones who looked bad, it was the whites who attacked the buses. The freedom rides were just another way to getting closer to stop segregation between African Americans and whites.