Summary Exit Ticket "1963: The Year That Changed Everything"

Many events happened in 1963 including, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” which called for nonviolent resistance to injustice—the murder of activist Medgar Evers and a church bombing that killed four girls. The year also saw the historic March on Washington, where King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, as protests across the South kept the demand for justice alive. In May, young protesters in Birmingham faced police violence during the Children’s Crusade, which led to an agreement to end local segregation. Media coverage of these events brought national and global attention to the civil rights movement, which propelled JFK to step in and support the progress of social justice and reform.

In 1963, nearly 100 years after slavery ended, African Americans were still fighting for equality—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” called for nonviolent resistance to injustice. In May, young protesters in Birmingham faced police violence during the Children’s Crusade, which led to an agreement to end local segregation. Media coverage of these events brought national and global attention to the civil rights movement. Despite progress, violence continued, including the murder of activist Medgar Evers and a church bombing that killed four girls. The year also saw the historic March on Washington, where King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, as protests across the South kept the demand for justice alive.