Although the Civil War brought about the freedom of slaves in the 1860s, blacks were not entirely free until the 1960s. Following the abolition of slavery, blacks found themselves still under racial oppression. The majority of the racial problems occurred in the South. In many areas of the South, laws blocked their right to vote, move freely in society, and own property. In addition, lynching and killing of blacks occurred regularly with no punishment for the white racists. These injustices continued and with them black resentment for it grew. In 1954, with the decision of The United States Supreme Court to overturn the "Separate but equal" doctrine during the Brown verses the Board of Education case the civil rights movement began. After years of peaceful demonstrations, trials, and extreme patience, blacks finally gained all of their rights, which made them equal to whites.
             The 1869 Plessy vs. Ferguson court case made the decision that declared "Separate but equal facilities" for African Americans. In 1954, The United States Supreme Court made the decision to overturn the "Separate but equal" doctrine during the Brown verses the Board of Education case. The legal argument, which resulted in the decision that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional was presented by Thurgood Marshall, the chief counselor of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). This provided the legal foundation of the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 60's.
             The event that moved African Americans more than any other to come together and work for justice was the case of Emmett Louis Till. Emmett Till was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He was sent to Mississippi, when he was fourteen to spend the summer with his uncle. He bragged to his southern black friends that he even had a white girlfriend. His unbelieveing friends dared Emmett to go into a store and ask a white woman on a d...