"The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement in the country."
This subfield of social movements in history focuses on the efforts made by African Americans and other minorities to combat racial discrimination and achieve equal rights before the law.
The Jim Crow Era: This topic covers segregation laws and practices that enforced racial discrimination in the United States between the late 1800s and the mid-1960s.
Brown v. Board of Education: This landmark 1954 Supreme Court case ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.
Montgomery Bus Boycott: This year-long protest in 1955-1956 was a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement. African Americans refused to ride public buses in Montgomery, Alabama, to protest the city’s segregation laws.
Freedom Rides: In 1961, Freedom Riders rode interstate buses across the South to challenge segregation on public transportation. These protests often led to violence and arrests.
Voting Rights Act: This 1965 law banned racial discrimination in voting practices and expanded voting rights for African Americans.
March on Washington: In 1963, over 250,000 people marched on Washington, D.C., to demand civil rights legislation and end racial discrimination.
Selma-to-Montgomery March: The 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches were a series of three protest marches, held in March 1965, that marked the peak of the American civil rights movement.
Civil Rights Act of 1964: This landmark legislation prohibited racial discrimination in employment, education, and public accommodations.
Northern Civil Rights Movement: Though often overshadowed by events in the South, the Civil Rights Movement also took root in Northern cities, where African Americans faced housing and job discrimination.
Black Power Movement: A later stage of the civil rights movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Black Power Movement focused on black pride, self-determination, and community control.
Cointelpro: A covert FBI program that targeted civil rights and black power activists with infiltration, surveillance, and other illegal means.
Women's Role in the Civil Rights Movement: Women were key leaders and participants in the Civil Rights Movement, yet their contributions often went unrecognized in the male-dominated leadership.
Martin Luther King Jr.: The iconic leader and face of the Civil Rights Movement, King led many of the most significant protests and delivered some of the movement’s most memorable speeches.
Malcolm X: A controversial figure in the Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm X was an advocate for black self-determination, economic empowerment, and self-defense.
Etiquette of Protest: Strategies for nonviolent protest, such as sit-ins, boycotts, and marches, were critical to the Civil Rights Movement’s success, as was the discipline and code of conduct followed by protesters.
Segregation in Northern Cities: While the Civil Rights Movement is often associated with the South, Northern cities also had their own forms of discrimination and resistance.
Student Activism: Young people played crucial roles within the Civil Rights Movement, with college students organizing sit-ins, boycotts, and protests.
Media Coverage: Images and stories of civil rights protests that circulated in newspapers, magazines, and on television were instrumental in gaining public support for the movement.
Economic Justice: The Civil Rights Movement also sought to address economic inequality, advocating for equal pay, job opportunities, and an end to poverty.
Gains and Ongoing Struggles: While the Civil Rights Movement achieved many significant victories, challenges to civil rights and racial justice continue to this day. Understanding both the achievements and unfinished work of the Civil Rights Movement is a critical aspect of learning about this important social movement.
African American Civil Rights Movement: A social movement in the United States that aimed to end discrimination and segregation against African Americans and secure equal rights under the law.
Women's Suffrage Movement: A social movement that fought for women's right to vote and was successful in achieving legal recognition in many countries around the world.
LGBTQ+ Rights Movement: A social movement fighting for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals, including the right to marry, healthcare, employment and housing.
Disability Rights Movement: A social movement that advocates for people with disabilities, seeking to remove barriers in society, increase accessibility and promote equal rights.
Indigenous Rights Movement: A social movement fighting for the recognition of the unique rights and cultural heritage of indigenous peoples, including land rights and protection of their diverse cultures.
Environmental Rights Movement: A social movement that advocates for the protection and preservation of the natural environment, including climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity.
Anti-war Movement: A social movement challenging the legality and morality of wars or military conflicts, often opposing specific wars or military actions.
Anti-globalization Movement: A social movement that opposes the effects of globalization, particularly the impact of multinational corporations and the uneven distribution of benefits.
Anti-nuclear Movement: A social movement that opposes the production, testing, and use of nuclear weapons, calling for disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear arms.
Freedom of Speech Movement: A social movement fighting for the right to free expression and challenging censorship or restrictions of speech, particularly in universities and public spaces.
"The movement had its origins in the Reconstruction era during the late 19th century and had its modern roots in the 1940s."
"The movement made its largest legislative gains in the 1960s after years of direct actions and grassroots protests."
"African Americans were subjected to discrimination and sustained violence by white supremacists in the South."
"At the culmination of a legal strategy pursued by African Americans, in 1954 the Supreme Court struck down many of the laws that had allowed racial segregation and discrimination to be legal in the United States as unconstitutional."
"The Warren Court made a series of landmark rulings against racist discrimination, including the separate but equal doctrine, such as Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States (1964), and Loving v. Virginia (1967) which banned segregation in public schools and public accommodations."
"The Civil Rights Act of 1964 explicitly banned all discrimination based on race, including racial segregation in schools, businesses, and in public accommodations."
"The Voting Rights Act of 1965 restored and protected voting rights by authorizing federal oversight of registration and elections in areas with historic under-representation of minority voters."
"The Fair Housing Act of 1968 banned discrimination in the sale or rental of housing."
"The emergence of the Black Power movement, which lasted from 1965 to 1975, challenged Black leaders of the movement for its cooperative attitude and its adherence to legalism and nonviolence."
"Its leaders demanded not only legal equality, but also economic self-sufficiency for the community."
"Martin Luther King Jr. was the most visible leader of the movement."
"From 1964 through 1970, a wave of riots and protests in black communities dampened support from the white middle class, but increased support from private foundations."
"African Americans who had seen little material improvement since the civil rights movement's peak in the mid-1960s, and still faced discrimination in jobs, housing, education and politics."
"The movement was characterized by nonviolent mass protests and civil disobedience following highly publicized events such as the lynching of Emmett Till. These included boycotts such as the Montgomery bus boycott, 'sit-ins' in Greensboro and Nashville, a series of protests during the Birmingham campaign, and a march from Selma to Montgomery."
"After the American Civil War and the subsequent abolition of slavery in the 1860s, the Reconstruction Amendments to the United States Constitution granted emancipation and constitutional rights of citizenship to all African Americans, most of whom had recently been enslaved."
"Various efforts were made by African Americans to secure their legal and civil rights, such as the civil rights movement (1865–1896) and the civil rights movement (1896–1954)."
"These included boycotts such as the Montgomery bus boycott..."
"Loving v. Virginia (1967) which banned segregation in public schools and public accommodations, and struck down all state laws banning interracial marriage."
"However, some scholars note that the movement was too diverse to be credited to any particular person, organization, or strategy."