20 Key Moments from the Civil Rights Movement Led by MLK

You're enjoying peace, and it's because of these.

Cyra Sanchez
January 19, 2025
6 min read

20 Key Moments from the Civil Rights Movement Led by MLK — Kheel Center on Wikimedia Commons

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the way during the Civil Rights Movement. This article features key moments in his life, from rousing speeches to pivotal campaigns and the policies to his consistent work for social justice.

1. Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)

Gene Herrick on Wikimedia Commons

Generation after generation of African Americans and people of color have resisted. Martin Luther King Jr. organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a 381-day boycott that enlisted African Americans to call for desegregation. The success in ending bus segregation also provided a groundwork for later victories.

2. Formation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) (1957)

Rowland Scherman on Wikimedia Commons

King understood that the civil rights movement in the South was diverse but uncoordinated. Thus, he formed the SCLC. It was the springboard for nonviolent demonstrations, voter registration drives, and wiping out segregation in public and private institutions. King’s strength cemented his national status.

3. Albany Movement (1961-1962)

Nathan L. Hanks Jr on Wikimedia Commons

The Albany Movement in Albany, South Georgia, was a grassroots movement to desegregate public facilities generally implemented in that city. Mass arrests followed, and King joined local activists in marches and sit-ins. The results were mixed, but it had lessons to impart for future civil-rights struggles.

4. Birmingham Campaign (1963)

Marion S. Trikosko on Wikimedia Commons

King’s address came in one of the most segregated cities in America: Birmingham, Alabama, where he helped lead protests against discriminatory laws. The determination of demonstrators, despite police dogs, water hoses, and violence, began to draw national notice. The legislation eventually helped lay the groundwork for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

5. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963)

Congress of Racial Equality. Seattle Chapter on Wikimedia Commons

King’s impassioned defense of civil disobedience was composed from his jail cell after being arrested during the Birmingham Campaign. The letter discussed the inability to remain silent in the presence of injustice and the moral duty to engage in that fight. It continues to be a touchstone of civil rights literature and strategy.

6. March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963)

Center for Jewish History, NYC on Wikimedia Commons

More than 200,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., for one of history’s largest civil rights demonstrations. King’s celebrated “I Have a Dream” speech harnessed hope and demanded an end to racial inequities. It intensified calls for action from Congress.

7. St. Augustine Movement (1964)

Attu43 on Wikimedia Commons

In St. Augustine, Florida., King led a successful campaign to desegregate public accommodations in the face of withering local opposition. Activists risked their bodies, even their lives, to expose the ugly realities of racism in the South. Their courage paved the way for the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

8. Selma to Montgomery Marches (1965)

Peter Pettus on Wikimedia Commons

To secure voting rights, King and other leaders led three marches in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery. The brutal attack on marchers during “Bloody Sunday” shocked the country. The marches resulted in the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

9. Chicago Freedom Movement (1966)

Marion S. Trikosko on Wikimedia Commons

King took the battle north and took on housing discrimination in Chicago, organizing marches and protests. It had ramifications for civil rights organizing beyond Southern segregation. Even with that, it shone a light on systemic racism almost everywhere in the country.

10. Opposition to the Vietnam War (1967)

Minnesota Historical Society on Wikimedia Commons

King broke with many allies in his denunciations of the Vietnam War, saying it diverted resources from domestic anti-poverty efforts. His post was a testament to his commitment to world justice and peace. This daring decision widened his view from civil rights to human rights.

11. “Beyond Vietnam” Speech (1967)

GlynLowe.com on Wikimedia Commons

King delivered a passionate speech at New York’s Riverside Church focused on war, poverty, and racial justice. He urged America to recast its priorities and withdraw from Vietnam. It was a watershed in his activism, a precursor to his broader agenda of equality.

12. Poor People’s Campaign (1968)

Warren K. Leffler, U.S. News & World Report on Wikimedia Commons

King spearheaded this campaign against economic inequality, uniting white Americans, black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. It was a crusade demanding higher wages, housing, and jobs. It was a march of Washington, but it hit road bumps with King’s assassination. However, its mission is an enduring part of his legacy.

13. Assassination in Memphis (1968)

Warren K. Leffler, U.S. News & World Report Magazine on Wikimedia Commons

King was assassinated on April 4 while backing striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. His death led to nationwide mourning and riots. It highlighted the depth of the struggle for equality that he never completed.

14. Nobel Peace Prize (1964)

Fernandez, Orlando on Wikimedia Commons

Martin Luther King Jr., the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, was awarded the prize for his steadfast commitment to nonviolence in the pursuit of civil rights. He was 35 when he won it, cementing his reputation as a man of justice and peace.

15. Passage of the Civil Rights Act (1964)

Public domain on Wikimedia Commons

This landmark legislation is due in no small part to King’s uncompromising activism. The law banned segregation in public places and discrimination in employment. It was a monumental step toward dismantling systemic racism.

16. Passage of the Voting Rights Act (1965)

Yoichi Okamoto on Wikimedia Commons

The law, long inspired by the Selma marches, abolished discriminatory practices such as literacy tests that kept Black voters off the ballot. King’s leadership was essential to the national focus on this issue, and the law ushered millions of African Americans into democracy.

17. SCLC Citizenship Schools (1957)

QuesterMark on Wikimedia Commons

The SCLC opened citizenship schools to teach African Americans about their rights and convince them to register and vote. Other programs prepared people to fight voter suppression. The citizenship schools were crucial in building a politically astute community.

18. Fair Housing Act (1968)

U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Wikimedia Commons

The passage of the Fair Housing Act made it illegal to use housing for sale or rental as a means of discrimination, a cause for which King was a great champion. It aimed to tackle one of the main problems in the North and West. The law was passed just months after King’s assassination, a part of his dream fulfilled.

19. March to Selma Memorial (1985)

Carol M. Highsmith on Wikimedia Commons

The 50th anniversary of the Selma marches was also a celebration of King’s legacy decades after his death. The ceremony emphasized how his work shaped current battles for civil rights and spoke to the continuing power of his leadership.

20. Legacy and National Holiday (1983)

Kenneth C. Zirkel on Wikimedia Commons

A federal holiday was established to celebrate King’s work for equality and justice. This honor guarantees that his message will resonate with future generations. His dream lives on in the global struggle for civil rights.