Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement which swept the United States of America from 1954 to 1968 was a particularly active period in the fight against segregation, racial discrimination, and disenfranchisement directed towards African-Americans. The Jim Crow Laws and other forms of institutional racism which had persisted in American society since the aftermath of the Civil War and Reconstruction were the targets of the moment, which consisted of a myriad of groups and individuals. Boycotts, sit-ins, marches, civil disobedience, and legal action were all courses of action pursued by those in the movement, which included numerous prominent figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. (recipient of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize), Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, John Lewis, and many others. Key milestones achieved by the Civil Rights Movement include overturning the doctrine of “separate but equal” segregation, the legalization of interacial marriages, and Civil Rights acts which protected the universal right to vote, fair housing, employment, and education.