The campaign employed nonviolent civil disobedience tactics, including marches, sit-ins, and boycotts, and was marked by police violence and arrests. The campaign also drew national attention and support, and ultimately contributed to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Here is a timeline of some key events that took place during the Birmingham campaign:
- April 3, 1963: Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders arrive in Birmingham to begin the campaign.
- April 12, 1963: African American students boycott segregated schools in Birmingham.
- April 20, 1963: Police Commissioner Eugene "Bull" Connor orders the arrest of Martin Luther King Jr.
- April 21, 1963: Martin Luther King Jr. is released from jail after agreeing to end the bus boycott.
- April 23, 1963: Public Safety Commissioner Bull Connor orders the use of police dogs and fire hoses against protestors.
- April 25, 1963: Governor George Wallace orders the Alabama National Guard to block civil rights protestors from marching.
- April 26, 1963: President John F. Kennedy delivers televised address in support of civil rights.
- May 10, 1963: Federal injunction is issued against the Birmingham Police Department, ordering an end to police violence against protestors.
- May 21, 1963: Civil rights leaders and city officials reach a tentative agreement on desegregation.
- June 11, 1963: Martin Luther King Jr. leads a final march in Birmingham, celebrating the success of the campaign.
The Birmingham campaign was a significant turning point in the civil rights movement and the broader fight for racial equality in the United States.