The American Civil Rights movement (1954-1968) aimed to end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans and to secure legal recognition and federal protection of the citizenship rights in the constitution and federal law. it was characterized by acts of nonviolence protest and civil disobedience (such as the Montgomery bus boycott, Greensborough sit ins in NC, and march from Selma to Montgomery) which garnered national attention and spread awareness about the inequalities faced by African Americans.
Over the course of the movement, several important federal laws were passed thanks to productive dialogue betw. activists and gov. authorities, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which banned discrimination in the workplace, ended unfair voting registration requirements that disproportionally hurt blacks, and outlawed segregation in schools, jobs, and public accommodations), the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (which restored and protected the voting rights of minorities), and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 (which banned discrimination in the sale or renting of housing).
Some famous leaders of the Civil Rights movement include Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.
Be careful not to confuse the Civil Rights movement with the Black Power movement (lead by Malcolm X). Although they shared certain ideas, the two movements' messages and forms of protest were very different.
