titles for civil rights movement essay

116 Civil Rights Movement Essay Topics & Examples

Trying to write a successful civil rights movement essay? Questions about the subject may flood your brain, but we can help!

📃 8 Tips for Writing a Civil Rights Movement Essay

🏆 best civil rights movement topic ideas & essay examples, 🎓 most interesting civil rights movement topics to write about, 📌 good civil rights research topics, 👍 interesting civil rights essay topics, ❓ civil rights movement essay questions.

As a student, you can explore anything from civil disobedience to the work of Martin Luther King Jr in your paper. And we are here to help! Our experts have gathered civil rights movement essay topics for different assignments. In the article below, see research and paper ideas along with tips on writing. Besides, check civil rights essay examples via the links.

A civil rights movement essay is an essential assignment because it helps students to reflect on historical events that molded the contemporary American society. Read this post to find some useful tips that will help you score an A on your paper on the civil rights movement.

Tip 1: Read the instructions carefully. Check all of the documents provided by your tutor, including the grading rubric, example papers, and civil rights movement essay questions. When you know what is expected of you, it will be much easier to proceed with the assignment and achieve a high mark on it.

Tip 2: Browse sample papers on the topic. If you are not sure of what to write about in particular, you can see what other students included in their essays. While reading civil rights movement essay examples, take notes about the content, sources used, and other relevant points. This might give you some ideas on what to include in your paper and how to enhance it to meet the requirements.

Tip 3: Collect high-quality material to support your essay. The best sources are scholarly articles and books. However, there are also some credible websites and news articles that offer unbiased information on the civil rights movements. If the instructions don’t prevent you from using these, you could include a wide array of resources, thus making your essay more detailed.

Tip 4: Offer some context on the civil rights movement. The 20th century was instrumental to the history of America because there were many political and social events, including World War II and the subsequent Cold War. While some events may not relate to the history of the civil rights movement, they are important for the readers to understand the context in which the movement took place.

Tip 5: Consider the broader history of discrimination in the American society. Discrimination is the key focus of most civil rights movement essay topics. For the black population, the movement was instrumental in reducing prejudice and improving social position. However, there were many other populations that faced discrimination throughout the American history, such as women, Native Americans, and people from the LGBT community. Can you see any similarities in how these groups fought for equal rights?

Tip 6: Reflect on the sources of the civil rights movement. The story of racial discrimination and oppression in America spanned for over 400 years, so there is a lot of history behind the civil rights movement. Here, you could talk about slavery and segregation policies, as well as how the black communities responded to the struggle. For instance, you could consider the Harlem Renaissance and its influence on the Black identity or about other examples or cultural movements that originated in the black community.

Tip 7: If relevant, include a personal reflection. You can write about what the civil rights movement means for you and how it impacted the life of your family. You can also explore racial discrimination in contemporary society to show that some issues still remain unsolved.

Tip 8: Maintain a good essay structure. Ensure that every paragraph serves its purpose. A civil rights movement essay introduction should define the movement and state your main argument clearly. Follow it with several main body paragraphs, each one exploring a certain idea that relates to the key argument. In conclusion, address all the points you’ve made and demonstrate how they relate to your thesis.

With these few tips, you will be able to write an excellent paper on the civil rights movement. Check the rest of our website for essay titles, topics, and more writing advice!

• Impact of Civil Rights Movement The freedom to vote for all Americans became central in the civil rights movements, and one of its successes was the legislation that culminated in the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
• Civil Rights-Black Power Movement Barack Obama was aware of the violence and oppression of black people in the United States. It shows self determination of the black people in struggles for civil rights- black power.
• Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War The Vietnam War caused unintended consequences for the civil rights movements of the 1960s as it awakened the African-Americans’ consciousness on the racism and despotism that they experienced in the United States.
• Plan: Civil Rights Movement in United States The following assessment plan has details on the objectives of the assessment plan, the types of assessment plans, and the adaptation of the lesson plan to fit special groups of students.
• Civil Rights Movement The Civil Rights Movement is an era that was dedicated for equal treatments and rights to the activism of the African American in the US.
• Music of the Civil Wars, Civil Rights & Freedom Movements of Europe, Africa, North & South America During the 20th Century The aim of Giovinezza was to reinforce the position of Mussolini as the leader of the Fascist Movement and of Italy.
• Harold Washington With Civil Rights Movement Hence, this study examines the main achievements of Harold Washington in the fields of employment, racism, equality in provision of social amenities, gender equality, freedom of expression, and the creation of the ethics commission in […]
• Civil Rights Movement by E. Durkheim and K. Marx The theories will also be used to predict the future of racism in the United States. The level of segregation experienced in the country led to new interferences and constraints.
• The Civil Rights Movement: Historical Interpretation Rosa Parks was one of the pivotal figures in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and a critical event in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The Civil Rights Movement’s Goals and Achievements Despite the considerable oppression of non-white groups of the population and the fear accompanying it, the Movement continued to fight and achieved success in its goals, affecting the country even in the modern period.
• The Civil Rights Movement: I Have a Dream The civil rights movement has changed many aspects of the nation, such as housing, the economy, and jobs. The movement changed the outlook, the power structure, and the very core of the nation.
• The Civil Rights Movement in the United States In the United States, the 1960s was characterized by the rise of Civil Rights Movements, the aim of which was to suppress and end discrimination and racial segregation against African Americans.
• Ida B. Wells-Barnett: Leader of the Civil Rights Movement The psychology of a leader is the psychology of a winner. One such example is one of the early leaders of the civil rights movement, American investigative journalist Ida Bell Wells-Barnett, who, thanks to her […]
• Music and the Civil Rights Movement It was famous in the 1960s and 1970s and continues to live now.”We Shall Overcome”, like many other freedom songs, reflects the goals and methods of the early protestors.
• Invisible Southern Black Women Leaders in the Civil Rights Movement Based on 36 personal interviews and multiple published and archived sources, the author demonstrates that black women in the South have played a prominent role in the struggle for their rights.
• “The Souls of Black Folk” and the Civil Rights Movement At the beginning of the 20th century, multiple decades had passed since the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery.
• Law History From Jim Crow to Civil Rights Movement It was not until the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.that the problems of law enforcement in the South was truly recognized and reforms started designed to reduce the influence of political agendas on the […]
• Civil Rights Movement: Fights for Freedom The Civil Rights Movement introduced the concept of black and white unification in the face of inequality. Music-related to justice and equality became the soundtrack of the social and cultural revolution taking place during the […]
• Civil Rights Movement and Political Parties One of the examples of the effects of social unrest on political institutions in American history is the Civil Rights Movement, and it defined the general courses of the main parties as well as the […]
• Civil Rights Movement Distorted Image The study of the role and image of historical characters in CRM is incorrect and distorted. Rosa Parks is considered the person who informally initiated the movement due to the refusal to give up a […]
• Protest Music and the US Anti-Lynching and Civil Rights Movement In the 1950s and 1960s, the civil rights movement continually challenged the government to fulfill the promise of equality and justice.
• Civil Rights Movement in the USA Brief History From the Time Before the Civil War This was part of a planned act of civil disobedience in which Plessy was to be arrested, charged and tried, and the court case would then be used to challenge the law.
• Newspaper Coverage of Japan-America Internment in WW2 and the Civil Rights Movement The media covered this because this movement persuaded whites to join them in their mass protests and they were killed in the event.
• “Black Power” in the Civil Rights Movement They wanted to reform the system to ensure a more democratic and actively participating society in the decision-making process of governance for the country.
• Civil Rights Movement in “Freedom Riders” Documentary As a commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of freedom movements, Nelson’s movie is a story of segregation and racism, abhorrence, courage, and the general brutality of the depicted events.
• The Civil Rights Movement: Martin King and Malcolm X’s Views King also stressed that the major concepts he adopted were taken from the “Sermon on the Mount and the Gandhian method of nonviolent resistance”.
• President Johnson in the Civil Rights Movement The problem of gay and lesbian rights appeared to be rather challenging and disruptive to the society. They include hippies and other social layers that were not eager to change things while others were trying […]
• Medgar Wiley Evers in the Civil Rights Movement Following the rejection of his application to study at the University of Mississippi, NAACP hired him as a field secretary to Jackson that was to the Deep South in recognition of his effort and contribution […]
• Civil Rights Movement: Purposes and Effects The civil rights movement was a popular lobby group created to advocate for equality in the United States for both blacks and whites. To a large extent, the civil rights movement completely transformed the lives […]
• Coalition Politics After the Civil Rights Movement Such coalitions also forced the American government to address the challenges affecting different cities. New policies and laws emerged in order to promote the rights of many American citizens.
• Deacons for Defense: Armed Resistance in the Civil Rights Movement by Lance Hill The book describes the tension and struggles that existed between the African Americans and the members of the white citizens’ council, Ku Klux Klan.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King noticed the negative trend and he took his stand to make people see the devastating effects of the war.
• Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson: the Civil Rights Movement The social historians have managed to cogently present the politics that surrounded the civil rights movement. The movement also managed to gain the support of the aims of government, the executive, legislature, and even the […]
• African-American Women and the Civil Rights Movement The key factors that left the Black women unrecognized or led to recognition of just a few of them as leaders are class, race and gender biases.
• The Civil Rights Movement in the USA The movement’s main aim was to end the racial segregation and fight for the voting power of the black people in America.
• The Civil Rights Movement Although the positive role of the Civil Rights Movement for changing the role of the African Americans in the American society is visible, this topic is also essential to be discussed because the movement for […]
• The Contributions of Richard Wright and Gwendolyn Brooks to the Civil Rights Movement Among these were Richard Wright and Gwendolyn Brooks who used literary works to voice out their displeasure on the discrimination against blacks as well as portray a humanitarian point of view on the plight of […]
• The Civil Rights Movement: Oppressing the Black Population In response, the black citizen resorted to fighting for his rights; thus, the rise of the civil rights movement. In conclusion, these key events helped to reinforce the African American struggle for equal right rights, […]
• Silent Voices of the Modern Civil Rights Movement This is the why she gets my nomination for recognition in the “Museum of Silent Voices of the Modern Civil Rights Movement”.
• Dr. King’s Role in United States Civil Rights Movement His popularity started after he led other activists in boycotting the services of the Montgomery Bus Service in the year 1955 after an incident of open discrimination of a black woman in the bus. Martin […]
• The Civil Rights Act as a Milestone Element of American Legislation Although the Civil Rights Act has undergone several amendments, the Civil Right Act amendment of 1964 was the main amendment that addressed the above types of discrimination.
• American Africans Action in the Struggle for Equality Community leaders in various segmentations of the society had showed resistance to the white supremacy and domination against the African Americans which had been abounded in some states.’Everyday’s Use’ written at the peak of the […]
• The Civil Rights Movement: Ending Racial Discrimination and Segregation in America Finally, the paper will look at both the positive and negative achievements of the civil rights movements including an assessment of how the rights movement continues to influence the socio-economic and political aspects of the […]
• Civil Rights Movement Major Events in 1954-1968 This research paper seeks to highlight the historical events that took place in 1954-1968 in the United States which were instigated by the Civil Rights Movement in the hope of securing the civil and basic […]
• The African American Civil Rights Movement During the 1960s notable achievements were made including the passage of a Civil rights Act in 1964 that outlawed any form of discrimination towards people of a different “race, color or national origin in employment […]
• Theatre in the Era of the Civil Rights Movement
• To What Extent Can the 1950’s Be Viewed as a Great Success for the Civil Rights Movement
• The Stages of the Progressive Reform in the Civil Rights Movement
• The Contradicting Outcome of the Civil Rights Movement in America
• The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement
• The Fight for Aid from the Civil Rights Movement
• The Long Term Effects of the Civil Rights Movement
• Violent and Non-violent Methods of Protests Embraced by African American in the Civil Rights Movement
• The Role of The Supreme Court in the Civil Rights Movement
• The Success of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s
• Women in the Civil Rights Movement
• U.S. Democracy and the Civil Rights Movement
• The History of the Civil Rights Movement in the United Stats and Its Impact on African Americans
• The Relationship of Southern Jews to Blacks and the Civil Rights Movement
• The Importance of Students During the Civil Rights Movement
• A Look at Civil Rights Movement in the United States and the Role of Martin Luther
• White Resistance to the Civil Rights Movement
• The Impact of Rock ‘n’ Roll on the Civil Rights Movement
• African Americans and Religion During the Civil Rights Movement
• The Historical Accuracy of the Portrayal of the Civil Rights Movement in Selma, a Drama Film by Ava DuVernay
• The War on Drugs and the Civil Rights Movement
• The Civil Rights Movement and the Black Middle Class
• The Role of Police During the Civil Rights Movement
• The Achievements of Peaceful Protest During the Civil Rights Movement
• Analyzing the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War
• The True Face of The Civil Rights Movement
• The History of the Civil Rights Movement, National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
• Successes and Failures of Civil Rights Movement
• The Historiography of Womens Role and Visibility in The Civil Rights Movement
• The Relationship Between Activism and Federal Government During the Civil Rights Movement
• To What Extent Was Grass Roots Activism a Significant Reason to Why the Civil Rights Movement Grew in the 1950s and 1960s
• The Value of Studying the Civil Rights Movement
• A History of the Civil Rights Movement and Feminist Movement in the United States
• The Foundation of the Niagara Movement and Its Influence on the Civil Rights Movement in America
• The Role of Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement
• The Role and Importance of the Grassroot Organizers on the Civil Rights Movement
• The Effect of Society on the World of Doubt and the Effects of the Civil Rights Movement
• The Importance and Impact of the Civil Rights Movement to the Public Policy
• The New York Times and The Civil Rights Movement
• Understanding the Civil Rights Movement: America Vs. Australia
• The Laws in the Reconstruction Era and the Civil Rights Movement
• How Effective Was the Early Civil Rights Movement in Advancing Black Civil Rights in 1880-1990?
• What Role Did Jews Play in the American Civil Rights Movement?
• How Did the African American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s?
• Did Minority Rights Campaigners Copy the Tactics of the Black American Civil Rights Movement?
• What is the NAACP’s Impact on the Civil Rights Movement in the US?
• How Did Gandhi Influence the Civil Rights Movement?
• To What Extent Can the 1950’s Be Viewed as a Great Success for the Civil Rights Movement?
• How Far Was the Effectiveness of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s Limited by Internal Divisions?
• How the Cold War Promoted the Civil Rights Movement in America, and How It Promoted Change?
• How Far Was Martin Luther King Responsible for the Civil Rights Movement?
• How Was Civil Disobedience Used in the Civil Rights Movement?
• How Did the Civil Rights Movement Change America?
• How Successful Had the Civil Rights Movement Been by the Late 1960s?
• Did Black Power Groups Cause Harm to the Civil Rights Movement in America?
• To What Extent Was Grass Roots Activism a Significant Reason to Why the Civil Rights Movement Grew in the 1950s and 1960s?
• How Did Kennedy and His Administration Effect the Civil Rights Movement?
• Did the Black Power Movement Help or Hinder the Civil Rights Movement?
• How the Civil Rights Movement Influenced the Women?
• What Are the Results of the Effort of the Civil Rights Movement?
• How Did Martin Luther King Affect the Civil Rights Movement?
• Are the Problems Faced by the Feminist and Sexual Emancipation Movements Similar to Those Faced by Civil Rights Movement, or Are There Major Differences?
• Was the Civil Rights Movement Successful?
• Has America Really Changed Since the Civil Rights Movement?
• Why Was the Civil Rights Movement Successful by 1965?
• How Did Religion Influence Martin Luther King, Jr as He Led the Civil Rights Movement?
• How Significant Was Martin Luther King Jr. to the Black Civil Rights Movement?
• How Did Martin Luther Kings Jr Death Affect the Civil Rights Movement?
• How Important Was Martin Luther King to the Civil Rights Movement?
• Does the Civil Rights Movement Have an Effect on the Way Minorities Are Treated by Authorities?
• Was the Civil Rights Movement a Success or Failure?
• Malcolm X Questions
• Equality Topics
• Cuban Revolution Ideas
• Great Depression Research Topics
• Martin Luther King Titles
• Freedom Topics
• Children’s Rights Research Ideas
• Women’s Suffrage Essay Ideas
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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122 Civil Rights Movement Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

The Civil Rights Movement is a pivotal period in American history that brought about significant social and political changes. It is a topic that has captivated scholars, researchers, and students alike, as its impact on society continues to reverberate today. If you are tasked with writing an essay on the Civil Rights Movement and are struggling to find the perfect topic, look no further. In this article, we have compiled 122 essay topic ideas and examples that will help you explore different aspects of this influential movement.

• The role of grassroots organizations in the Civil Rights Movement.
• Examining the impact of Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat on the bus.
• The significance of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the Civil Rights Movement.
• Analyzing the leadership styles of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
• The nonviolent philosophy of the Civil Rights Movement and its effectiveness.
• The influence of the Harlem Renaissance on the Civil Rights Movement.
• Investigating the role of women in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on American society.
• The role of media coverage in shaping public opinion during the Civil Rights Movement.
• The impact of the Brown v. Board of Education decision on school desegregation.
• The Freedom Rides and their contribution to the Civil Rights Movement.
• Comparing and contrasting the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement.
• The role of music in inspiring and mobilizing the Civil Rights Movement.
• The influence of the Black Panther Party on the Civil Rights Movement.
• The Civil Rights Movement's impact on other social justice movements.
• The experiences of African American soldiers in World War II and their influence on the Civil Rights Movement.
• Examining the role of white allies in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the feminist movement.
• The role of the Supreme Court in advancing civil rights.
• The Civil Rights Movement's impact on voting rights and political participation.
• The role of churches and religious leaders in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
• Investigating the role of non-African American activists in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The role of education in promoting civil rights and equality.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the criminal justice system.
• The Civil Rights Movement's influence on the disability rights movement.
• The role of student activists in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on immigration policies.
• The role of grassroots journalism in documenting the Civil Rights Movement.
• The influence of international events on the Civil Rights Movement.
• The Civil Rights Movement's impact on affirmative action policies.
• Examining the role of the National Urban League in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on housing segregation.
• The role of boycotts in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The Civil Rights Movement's influence on the labor movement.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on Native American rights.
• The role of local activists in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The influence of the Civil Rights Movement on the fight against poverty.
• Examining the role of children and youth in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on public transportation policies.
• The role of the Black Church in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The influence of international figures, such as Nelson Mandela, on the Civil Rights Movement.
• Examining the role of African American athletes in the Civil Rights Movement.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the representation of African Americans in the media.
• The role of the Civil Rights Movement in challenging stereotypes and promoting cultural pride.
• The influence of the Civil Rights Movement on the decolonization movement in Africa.
• Examining the role of the Civil Rights Movement in the fight against apartheid in South Africa.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the desegregation of public spaces.
• The role of the Civil Rights Movement in challenging discriminatory employment practices.
• The influence of the Civil Rights Movement on the development of Black Studies programs in universities.
• Examining the role of the Civil Rights Movement in promoting multiculturalism and diversity.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the representation of African American history in textbooks.
• The role of community organizing in the success of the Civil Rights Movement.
• The influence of the Civil Rights Movement on the development of ethnic studies programs.
• Examining the role of women in the leadership of the Civil Rights Movement.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the fight against police brutality.
• The role of literature and poetry in capturing the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement.
• The influence of the Civil Rights Movement on the development of Black-owned businesses.
• Examining the role of the Civil Rights Movement in the fight against environmental racism.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the representation of African Americans in politics.
• The role of the Civil Rights Movement in challenging discriminatory housing practices.
• The influence of the Civil Rights Movement on the development of multicultural education.
• Examining the role of the Civil Rights Movement in promoting interracial relationships.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the development of African American arts and culture.
• The role of the Civil Rights Movement in challenging discriminatory healthcare practices.
• The influence of the Civil Rights Movement on the development of African American studies programs.
• Examining the role of the Civil Rights Movement in promoting restorative justice practices.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the representation of African Americans in the military.
• The role of the Civil Rights Movement in challenging discriminatory lending practices.
• The influence of the Civil Rights Movement on the development of Black feminist theory.
• Examining the role of the Civil Rights Movement in promoting inclusive immigration policies.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the representation of African Americans in Hollywood.
• The role of the Civil Rights Movement in challenging discriminatory healthcare access.
• The influence of the Civil Rights Movement on the development of African American museums and cultural institutions.
• Examining the role of the Civil Rights Movement in promoting LGBTQ+ rights.
• The impact of the Civil Rights Movement on the representation of African Americans in sports.

These essay topic ideas provide a wide range of avenues for exploration within the Civil Rights Movement. Whether you are interested in the experiences of specific individuals, the impact on various social issues, or the movement's influence on other movements, you are sure to find a topic that suits your interests. Remember to conduct thorough research, cite reliable sources, and present a well-structured argument in your essay to effectively delve into the complexities of the Civil Rights Movement.

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111 Civil Rights Movement Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on civil rights movement, ✍️ civil rights movement essay topics for college, 👍 good civil rights movement research topics & essay examples, 🎓 most interesting civil rights movement research titles, 💡 simple civil rights movement essay ideas, ❓ research question about the civil rights movement.

• Women Role in the Civil Rights Movement
• 1960’s Civil Rights Movement
• The Civil Rights Movement’s Success
• The Civil Rights Movement: Effects and Consequences
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s Impact on Civil Rights Movement
• The Civil Rights Movement’s Causes and Effects
• The Civil Rights Movement
• Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King, Jr. is the most well-known defender of black Americans’ civil rights; the movement he led has contributed significantly to the fight against racial segregation.
• The Civil Rights Movement History The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s considerably changed the nation by defending equality at the legislative and public levels.
• Praying for Sheetrock: Civil Rights Movement In the book “Praying for Sheetrock: A Work of Nonfiction” Melissa Fay Greene considers the problem of the Civil Rights Movement in the American South.
• Rosa Parks: Mother of the Civil Rights Movement Rosa Parks’s life and deeds are indeed rousing and offer a clarion call for free-thinking people all over the world to emulate her struggles and wins for social equality, justice.
• Early Civil Rights Movement and Its Goals The Civil Rights Movement encompasses the actions and strategies used by different groups in the United States between 1954 and 1968.
• The Great Depression vs. The Civil Rights Movement The Great Depression had an impact compared to the Civil Rights Movement because it affected many people, and transformed the American culture more profoundly.
• Social and Personal Responsibility of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King, Jr. was a true embodiment of personal and social responsibility in the civil rights movement.
• The Causes and Effects of the Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s changed the face of American culture forever, and we all live with the consequences of it.
• Civil Rights Movement and Actual State of Human Rights Ending racial discrimination and equalization of rights between the variety of ethnic groups found on the territory of the United States is a struggle with a long history.
• The Influence of the African American Civil Rights Movement on Other Groups The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s began the struggle for freedom and equality, whose ideas remain relevant in today’s America.
• The American Civil Rights Movement in US History The need for the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s was contributed by the desire to end the Jim Crow segregation system in the Southern states.
• African American Civil Rights Movement The growth of the anti-racist and pacifist movements in the United States was reflected in the sentiments of African American fighters for Civil Rights.
• Researching of Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement aimed to eliminate racial discrimination and ensure that everyone has equal rights and opportunities regardless of skin color.
• Affirmative Action in Civil Rights Movement Affirmative action has been in the spotlight of the political, and in particular, liberal agenda, since the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.
• The Civil Rights Movement in American History The Civil Rights Movement is important in discussing American history because it effectively changed the nation with its impacts on minorities.
• The Civil Rights Movement from 1955 to 1968 In the period from 1955 to 1968, the Civil Rights movement gained considerable momentum, ultimately resulting in the implementation of the Voting Rights Act and Fair Housing Act.
• The Civil Rights Movement: Impact on the African American Citizens By building the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans managed to change not only the legal standards but also the social perspective, gaining the recognition that they deserved.
• Civil Rights Movement and Construction of US Racism Racism is associated with slurs, Islamophobia, police brutality, and Donald Trump. This list signals that racism today is a more insidious, politicized form of discrimination.
• Analysis of the Civil Rights Movement By the early 1970s, the fascination with extreme forms of black nationalism was gradually waning, the influence of adventurous slogans and tactics was falling.
• The Civil Rights Movement: Minorities vs. Police An opposition between minorities and police appears to be a problem that started during the Civil Rights Movement and continues to modern days.
• Achievement of Civil Rights Movement The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s marked a new beginning in America’s history. Different minority groups came together in order to fight for equality.
• The Civil Rights Movement and Its Biggest Events The Civil Rights Movement was initiated to advance the clamor for social justice by ensuring equal entitlements for the black society under the U.S. statutes.
• Civil Rights Movement, Reconstruction, and the Gilded Age The Civil Rights movement of the 1950s-1960s became a struggle for social fairness. During the period of Reconstruction, Black Americans managed to receive political independence.
• The History of Civil Rights Movement One of the differences between the activities of Claudette Colvin and young BLM activists lies in distinctive political situations.
• Civil Rights Movement: Aims, Ideas, Impacts on Society The aim of the civil rights movement in the 1960s was to resist all forms of racial oppression as well as to abolish the legacy of slavery as an institution.
• The Civil Rights Movement Overview This paper focuses on the Civil Rights Movement, especially its origin and influence in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
• Civil Rights Movement Analysis This paper describes the Civil Rights Movement that started as a response to racial segregation in the U.S.A. The main ideologists were Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.
• Martin Luther King Civil Rights Movement: Impact on Modern Society The Civil Rights movement has had a significant impact on the history of the USA and played a significant role in forming modern society.
• Women’s Demands: Seneca Falls in 1848 and Civil Rights Movement No matter the amount of difference between the demands of women at Seneca Falls in 1848 with the demands of women in the 1960s-70s, at the fundamental demand they were the same.
• US Social Scientists and Civil Rights Movement One of the most important event of 1960s US was the Civil Rights Movement. The movement gave equal rights to African-Americans in the US which included right to vote.
• Civil Rights Movement & Modern Afro-American Life This essay will provide a brief overview of the civil rights movement and discuss its impact on the contemporary life of African Americans.
• Law in the Civil Rights Movement: Articles Review The article by Glennon seeks to prove that the mere act of prolonged protests during the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-1957 did not prevail on its own volition.
• News Media Shaping Civil Rights Movement History African American journalists sacrificed their resources to support the Civil Rights Movement. This paper explains how the news media shaped history throughout this movement.
• The Civil Rights Movement and Reconstruction This paper discusses Morris’ analysis of the Civil Rights Movement development and strategies. It also discusses what did reconstruction entail and why was it eventually abandoned.
• Martin Luther King in Civil Rights Movement One should focus on the Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King was able to raise people’s awareness about the destructive impacts of racial discrimination.
• Pauli Murray’s Input to the Civil Rights Movement Pauli Murray’s name is not commonly mentioned alongside many historical figures immortalized in their fight for equality and civil rights for minorities and women.
• Civil Rights Movement: Violence and Community This paper explores the role of violence in the context of the Civil Rights Movement and the way the bottom-up approach offers a different view of the Black struggle.
• The Civil Rights Movement in USA Civil rights can be traced to during the United States of American Reconstruction period which happened between late 1860s and 1870s.
• Civil Rights Movement in America One of the common elements of the history of the United States in the early years was racial discrimination against foreigners.
• Civil Disobedience and the Civil Rights Movement
• Muhammad Ali and the Civil Rights Movement
• Human Trafficking and the Civil Rights Movement
• The Civil Rights Movement: The Right for Educational Equity
• Barack Obama Reflects on the Deracialized Post-Civil Rights Movement Just
• Hate Crime and the Civil Rights Movement
• Angela Davis and the Civil Rights Movement
• Affirmative Action Programs and the Civil Rights Movement
• The American Civil Rights Movement Between 1955 to 1968
• Philadelphia and the U.S. Civil Rights Movement
• The Role of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in the Civil Rights Movement
• The Abolitionist Movement and the Civil Rights Movement
• Racism and Prejudice During the Civil Rights Movement
• The History of The Civil Rights Movement in The United States of America
• Black Lives Matter in The Civil Rights Movement
• Discrimination and the Civil Rights Movement
• The Civil Rights Movement and Its Impact on Gender
• Gender Inequality During the Civil Rights Movement
• Montgomery Bus Boycotts: Role of Women in the Civil Rights Movement
• Personalities Behind the Civil Rights Movement
• Non-violence During the Civil Rights Movement Assignment
• Industrial Workers Movements and Civil Rights Movement
• Martin Luther King’s Impact on the Civil Rights Movement
• Civil Rights Movement and African American Women’s Role
• Progressing the Civil Rights Movement With Aristotle’s Artistic Appeals
• The Role of The Media in Ushering The Civil Rights Movement
• The Civil Rights Movement and the Feminist Movement
• Analyzing the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War Assignment
• Photojournalism and the Civil Rights Movement
• African American Civil Rights Movement of 1955-1968
• Native Americans and the Civil Rights Movement
• Black Middle Class and the U.S. Civil Rights Movement
• The Contradicting Outcome of The Civil Rights Movement in America
• Civil Rights Movement and The Struggles of African Americans During Those Times
• The Civil Rights Movement and the Biblical Oppression
• Harriet Tubman and the American Civil Rights Movement
• Bernie Sanders and the Civil Rights Movement
• Relationship Between Civil Rights Movement & Feminist Agenda
• The Civil Rights Movement and African American Discriminations
• Reconstruction Era and the Civil Rights Movement
• How Has the Civil Rights Movement Changed the United States?
• What Role Did the Americans Play in the Civil Rights Movement From the 1950s to the 1960s?
• How Did the Civil Rights Movement and Anti-Vietnam Campaigns Impact Society and Law Enforcement During the 1960s and 1970s?
• What Changed After the Civil Rights Movement?
• How Has the Meaning of Civil Rights in the United States Changed Over Time?
• Why Did the American Civil Rights Movement End?
• How Did the Civil Rights Movement Cause Social Change?
• What Was the Most Significant Achievement of the Civil Rights Movement?
• Was the Non-violent Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s Successful?
• How Did the Civil Rights Movement Develop After 1961?
• What Were the Similarities and Differences Between the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement?
• How Far Was Peaceful Protest Responsible for the Success of the Civil Rights Movement in the Years 1955-1964?
• Why Did the Civil Rights Movement Fall Apart?
• In What Ways and for What Reasons Did the Civil Rights Movement in the United States Make Significant Progress in the Period 1950 to 1964?
• How Important Was Martin Luther King to the Success of the Civil Rights Movement?
• What Made the Civil Rights Movement Successful?
• How Did the Civil Rights Movement Change American Culture?
• What Events Led to the Civil Rights Movement?
• Did the Civil Right Movement Change the World?
• Who Has the Biggest Impact on the Civil Rights Movement?
• Why Did the Civil Rights Movement in the United States Become Fragmented After 1966?
• Is the Civil Rights Movement Still Going On Today?
• What Were the Causes and Effects of the Civil Rights Movement?
• How Did the Civil Rights Movement Affect the World?
• What Was the Most Important Event During the Civil Rights Movement?

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These essay examples and topics on Civil Rights Movement were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

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Civil Rights Movement - List of Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

The Civil Rights Movement, a pivotal era in the struggle for racial equality in the United States, bore witness to significant events, legislation, and figures dedicated to dismantling systemic racism. Essays could explore key moments like the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and the passing of Civil Rights Act, among others. Discussions might also delve into the prominent figures of the movement like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks, exploring their ideologies, strategies, and contributions to the cause. The wider impact of the Civil Rights Movement on subsequent social justice movements, policy reformations, and the broader discourse on race and equality could be analyzed. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the Civil Rights Movement with other global human rights movements can provide a broader perspective on the enduring struggle for racial and social justice across different societal and historical contexts. We’ve gathered an extensive assortment of free essay samples on the topic of Civil Rights Movement you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

The Sixties Civil Rights Movement Vs. Vietnam War

The 1960s were a very turbulent time for the United States of America. This period saw the expansion of the Vietnam War, the assassination of a beloved president, the civil rights and peace movements and the uprising of many of the world’s most influential leaders; known as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Over the years, scholars have discussed the correlation between the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. It has been argued that violence happening overseas directly […]

How did Martin Luther Kings Jr Death Affect the Civil Rights Movement

In the early 1950’s and late 60’s down south there was a huge movement dedicated to the fight for rights of African Americans. His main goal was to lead a movement that was non-violent no matter what they were up against. Martin Luther King Jr. Was one of the major leaders of the civil rights movement and he fought for civil rights and political rights to get rid of segregation in the United States. On April 4, 1968 Martin Luther […]

The Struggle for African American Equality

The struggle for African American equality played out in all parts of life including schools, public life, and political office. This struggle was ingrained in American culture and it proved to be extremely difficult to escape. Until the 1940s, segregation, inequality, and violence was the norm for African Americans. In the late 1940s, African Americans began to see an opportunity for true freedom and that gave them the fuel to take action to demand change. Change was made through various […]

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Masterpiece Cakeshop V. Colorado Civil Rights Commission

Jack Phillips, owner, and baker at Masterpiece Cakeshop believed that it was his First Amendment right to refuse any gay couple a wedding cake because it was against his religious beliefs. Further, he felt that by participating in making a cake for a gay marriage would be an act of complicity, as it would be seen as him condoning such a marriage which is strictly the opposite of what his beliefs are, that homosexuality is wrong, and is considered a […]

Does the Civil Rights Movement have an Effect on the Way Minorities are Treated by Authorities?

Abstract The civil rights movement was a mass popular movement to secure for African Americans equal access to and opportunities for the basic privileges and rights of U.S. citizenship. While the roots of this movement go back to the 19th century, its highlighted movements were in the 1950s and 1960s. African American men and women, along with white American’s and other minority citizens, organized and led the movement at national and local levels nationwide. The civil rights movement centered on […]

Logical Fallacies in Letter from Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King, Jr. "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was composed in 1963, when African Americans were fighting for their rights. The reason for this letter is that Martin Luther King is attempting to persuade the clergymen. While doing this, he utilizes critical and powerful tones to endeavor and to impact the clergymen to agree with him. Martin Luther King gives a substantial contention utilizing Logos, Pathos, and Ethos all throughout his letter. Martin Luther King utilizes logos in the letter […]

Civil Rights Martyrs

Are you willing to give your life for your people? These martyrs of the civil rights movement gave everything for their people. Although some may say their deaths did not have an impact on the civil rights movements. They risked their lives just so African Americans could have the rights they have today. The definition of martyr is a person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs. They believe that everyone should be equal and have the […]

Segregation and Civil Rights

Throughout 1950 to the 1960s there was a lot of racial tensions regarding people who were not white. Segregation was a huge part of this including bathrooms, water fountains, transportation, and education. African American people were still being mistreated, performing the same type of labor as the slavery times, except with little payment. Laws were put in place, such as the Jim Crow laws. These laws were a collection of state and local statutes that legalized racial segregation (“Jim Crow […]

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest James Gaines

The author of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Ernest J. Gaines, is a male African American author who has taken full advantage of his culture by writing about rural Louisiana. His stories mainly tell the struggles of blacks trying to make a living in racist and discriminating lands. Many of his stories are based on his own family experiences. In Ernest J. Gaines’ novel, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, four themes that are displayed are the nature of […]

Illegal Immigrants Deserve Civil Rights

Citizenship in the United States comes with a very significant and powerful advantage; civil rights. Under these rights, your freedom is protected from several infringements by the government. Many individuals are entitled to these rights, such as those born in the United States, while many individuals may not be granted all of these rights, such as illegal immigrants. There is a huge controversial debate surrounding illegal immigrants and whether they should have civil rights and liberties, and this debate is […]

Civil Rights Figures in the United States

Who were the important civil rights leaders in America and how did they impact the United States of America? Introduction: For our project on social justice, we decided to talk about the leaders of the civil rights movement for their intellect, bravery, and ingenuity. We chose to honor the more widely known people like Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and those whom everybody might not know about such as Nina Simone, Dorothy Height, and the Freedom Riders. We […]

Civil Liberties Definition

Civil liberties are the freedoms that citizens have in order to exercise rights that have been given, written, and documented in the Constitution. Although freedom of speech and unwarranted interference from the government are stated within this document, there too are many others. In order to clearly outline and state which rights of the American people were protected by the Constitution, the Bill of Rights was drafted. Although a document such as The Bill of Rights exists to protect citizens’ […]

Women of the Tennessee and Memphis Civil Rights Movement

Memphis, Tennessee is one of the stomping grounds for the Civil Rights Movement. Before the sanitation strike and before Dr. Martin Luther King’s arrival in Memphis regarding the sanitation workers’, we must learn from the women who initiated for his arrival to help. Women were not as direct and bold as far as the Civil Rights Movement around the United States but in Memphis, Tennessee they were. Take for example Julia B. Hooks, Maxine Smith, Mary Church Terrell, Meharry Medical […]

Impact of the Civil Rights Laws

The Civil Rights Movement continues to impact society today, this has inspired and impacted the lives of many. Humanities is by definition, “the study of how people process and document the human experience”. From the beginning of time, the human race has used philosophy, literature art, music, and history to make record of the world as a whole. Culture is a a very important part of our society as a whole, it is by definition the characteristics and knowledge of […]

After Civil Rights: Racial Realism in the New American Workplace

Since the Civil Rights Act was legislated, the United States has gone through a dramatic change in regards to race and racism in our society. This essence of change includes the ideas of racial and ethnic composition in the United States today, and in regards to this review, the shift in employer behavior. Today, employers seek a more diverse workforce, with hopes of achieving organizational goals because of it. John Skrentny’s After Civil Rights: Racial Realism in the New American […]

Civil Rights Leaders

Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King were two of the most influential and inspiring leaders during the Civil Rights Movement. Both leaders had methods used to inspire followers, major key events, and strong effects on both religion and political views regarding war. The leader had their own unique way in changing history as we know it, but both had a similar goal in mind. Even though both had a similar goal one had a larger effect on Civil rights […]

Civil and Political Rights

This document belongs to the era of the sixties after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. This act happened during the Civil Rights Movement that took place during the 1950s to the 1960s, where racial minorities were fighting for equal rights under the law in the United States. It all started when Lyndon B. Johnson took over the presidency and established the “Great Society” that stated that all Americans should have equal rights and freedoms. From that program he was […]

Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights

As I reflect upon what I learned from undertaking an oral history; I realized that Oral history interviews are like fingerprints. The information that you learn cannot be stolen or erased. Oral histories are important to my understanding when it comes to learning a topic at hand because; it offers a place for students like myself to begin finding historical evidence to support their essay. Oral histories are records of the past obtainable by culturally tradition or a person whom […]

Voter Suppression from the Civil Rights Movement to the 21st Century

History of voter suppression In 1865, President Lincoln stated that freed slaves that are intelligent or served as soldiers should be allowed to vote. Although Lincoln felt this way many white people had begged to differ. Throughout history, there have always been obstacles that African Americans faced while trying to vote. Since the civil rights movement to the age of trump, the obstacles they faced were literacy tests, poll taxes, inaccessibility to information, lack of protection, intimidation, and physical violence […]

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Native American and African American were not the only ones that had been discriminated against and deprived of their civil rights. Asian Americans were also denied their civil rights and discriminated against. As a matter of fact, Asians are the most hated of all immigrants group and subjected to the same discrimination as were African Americans and American Indians. Countless Asian Americans were moved by the growth of African American, Chicano, and Native American civil rights movement in the 60’s […]

Progressing the Civil Rights Movement with Aristotle’s Artistic Appeals

Right amidst the heat of the Civil Rights movement in a small cell block within the solid confines of Birmingham city jail, a passionate African American activist completed a published statement in response to eight white clergymen who called out the whole band of the African American community to be patient to earn their rights in the US. Unbeknownst to King, this revolutionary piece of literature advocating for nonviolent resistance to racism for African Americans in America would reshape the […]

The First Amendment

The First Amendment does not protect all forms of speech. Although its protections are incredibly diverse and broad, the First Amendment does not protect forms of speech including: “obscenity, fighting words, defamation (including libel and slander), child pornography, perjury, blackmail, incitement to imminent lawless action, true threats, and solicitations to commit crimes” (Freedom Forum Institute, 1). The incorporation doctrine is a constitutional doctrine establishing the Bill of Rights (amendments 1-10) as fundamental rights guaranteed in both federal and state court […]

Civil Rights and the Media

The media played a vital role in bringing to light the trials of the people who fought for civil rights of the African American right into the living rooms and offices of thousands of people. Some examples of media use are television, newspaper, and radio. Several interest groups used the aforementioned media as forms of promotion. One of the major groups that used the media in all forms was the NAACP with the circumstances of the Little Rock High School […]

The Struggle for Civil Rights

In 1971, Jose Cisneros took to the forefront the fight of bringing the fight for civil rights to Mexican Americans. At the time in the United States, equal rights had only been an issue largely focued on by whites and blacks, basically leaving out any protections to Mexican Americans. This was brought all the way to the supreme court as a continuation of the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. At the time, Corpus Christi Independent School […]

How are Organizations Influenced Today by the Civil Rights Era then and Now

“The minute we look away, the minute we stop fighting back, that’s the minute bigotry wins” (DaShanne Stokes). Blacks and whites in America see racism and disparities in the United States very differently. How we view race, racism, inequality, and the justice system depends a lot on our background. The things that are occurring in our country now are no different than the events that occured in Los Angeles’s 1972, Chicago 1960, as well as New York in the 1970’s […]

Lives Matter – a Civil Rights Issue

The story of Emmett Till, a young black boy, killed in Mississippi is a symbol of the horrible outcomes of hatred and prejudice. Americans today still struggle with equality and fair treatment of all its citizens. In 1955, the beginning of change came from a mother’s decision to show the world the true reality of hate. After the brutal beating of her son, she opened his casket to show the world just what hate was allowed to do. Emmett Till’s […]

Civil Liberties in the United States

In the United States of America, very few documents affect our lives as much as the American Constitution. As being one of the first documents written by describing the inalienable rights of men it has shaped the laws, the thinking, and lifestyles of all those that have or will live in the United States of America. One man who thoroughly understood the Constitution and the liberties that were contained in it was the first ever African-American supreme court justice Thurgood […]

Foot Soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement

Growing up as a black woman in America, you learn very early on that we face a triple barrier: race, gender and class. We also carry the burden of slavery, rape, lynching and other atrocities, while trying to maintain family ties in a America that has historically depicted us as childlike, aggressive, hypersexual and violent. The result of that construct and the accompanying racist fears and forced subjugation it justifies has been counterintuitive: black women in America are caring, loving […]

History of the Battle for Civil Rights

It is impossible to discuss the history of the battle for civil rights for Hispanics without including Black Americans. Minorites of all backgrounds had to band together in order to fight back against the white man’s system of oppression. The battle for civil rights in the south, particularly in the state of Texas, is often associated with Texas's two largest ethnic minorities: African Americans and Hispanic people, particularly Mexican Americans. Mexican Americans have made efforts to bring about better social […]

Civil Rights and Intolerance SA

African Americans in the 1920,The kkk is a klan that is not good for the African Americans. African Americans could not do the stuff that they can do now such as right to vote and the segregation was very bad for the back people sadly.The kkk aka KU KLUX KLAN was founded between the 1865 and the 1866 by the sixs soldiers who had been in the Confederate soldiers during the one war that is the old civil war. The […]

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How To Write An Essay On The Civil Rights Movement

Introduction to the civil rights movement.

Writing an essay on the Civil Rights Movement requires a deep understanding of its historical significance and impact on American society. This movement, which spanned from the 1950s to the 1960s, was a pivotal era in the struggle for racial equality in the United States. In your introduction, provide an overview of the key events and figures that shaped the movement. Highlight its primary goals – to end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans and to secure legal recognition and federal protection of the citizenship rights enumerated in the Constitution and federal law. Setting the context is crucial for a comprehensive analysis of the various strategies used by civil rights activists and the outcomes of their efforts.

Exploring Key Events and Figures

The main body of your essay should delve into the critical events and figures of the Civil Rights Movement. Discuss landmark events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and the Selma to Montgomery marches. Highlight the roles of prominent leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and organizations like the NAACP and SNCC. Analyze how their strategies and ideologies contributed to the movement's goals. This section should provide detailed insights into how these events and leaders collectively helped to bring about significant changes, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Analyzing the Challenges and Opposition Faced

In addition to highlighting the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement, it's essential to address the challenges and opposition faced by activists. Discuss the widespread resistance from state and local governments, particularly in the Southern United States, and the often violent backlash from groups opposed to desegregation and equal rights. Examine the role of the federal government, the impact of the Cold War, and the influence of the media in shaping public perception of the movement. This critical analysis should provide a balanced perspective, acknowledging the hurdles that the movement had to overcome in its pursuit of equality.

Concluding with the Movement's Legacy and Continued Relevance

Conclude your essay by reflecting on the legacy and ongoing relevance of the Civil Rights Movement. Discuss how the movement fundamentally transformed American society and laid the groundwork for subsequent social justice movements. Consider the progress made in civil rights since the 1960s and the challenges that remain, particularly in addressing systemic racism and inequality. Your conclusion should not only summarize the key points of your essay but also encourage further contemplation on the Civil Rights Movement's role in the broader context of American history and its enduring impact on contemporary discussions about race and equality.

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48 Research Topics on Civil Rights Movement

Researching the civil rights movement is a fun process if you identify a perfect topic and if you have a strong foundational knowledge about the subject.

We will provide some of the best and most exciting topics you can borrow.

The civil rights movement in the United States, which was officially started in 1964 under the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson, has resulted in enormous progress for African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and women. But nevertheless, much remains to be done, and real equality for all Americans remains a pipe dream for many. 

This article will list some great topics for research on the civil rights movement.

If you need assistance with your civil rights movement paper. Here at Academeter.com, we have capable writers who specialize in custom history research papers and essays.

After than brief message, let’s continue to the main purpose of this article.

Civil Rights Movements in the 1950s

By early 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling that prohibited segregation in public educational institutions. As a result, the civil rights movement in the United States was born.

The Black Nationalist Movement took up the mantle left by the Civil Rights Movement and carried it forward. When compared to the Civil Rights Movement, which sought to reform the aspects of American society that contributed to social injustice, the Black Nationalist Movement sought to address the specific problems faced by African-Americans who were forced to live in slum conditions in major urban areas throughout the country.

The Black Panthers picked up where the Civil Rights Movement, the SCLC, and the SNCC left off by raising awareness of the situation of African-Americans living in ghettos, as well as the levels of injustice that still persisted at the time of their founding. Malcolm X was the most well-known leader of this movement, but several others were also influential. For example, in contrast to the Civil Rights Movement, where most of the violence was started by whites, the Black Nationalist Movement was characterized by armed blacks eager to achieve justice by any means necessary.

Civil Rights Research Paper Topics

• How did Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. influence the Civil Rights Movement?
• What were the most effective strategies employed by leaders of the Civil Rights Movement?
• How the murder of Emmett Till marked a new Beginning in civil rights movement.
• The significance of Freedom Struggle at the Library of Congress.
• How did the Youth Influence Civil Rights Movement?
• What was the place of women in the Civil Rights Movement?
• Was it more effective for civil rights groups to protest violently or nonviolently during the Civil Rights Movement?
• What impact did violence have on the Civil Rights Movement?
• The significance of integration to the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement?
• Understanding the leadership styles used by Civil Rights leaders.
• Were civil rights movements led by big name leaders or common people?
• Exploring the Civil Rights Movement’s greatest achievements and failures?
• How influential was Rosa Parks’s role in the Civil Rights Movement?
• What led to White people discriminating against African Americans?
• Significance of theatre during the Civil Rights Movement period.
• How can the 1950s be regarded as a major accomplishment for the civil rights movement?
• The Progressive Reform Stages in the Civil Rights Movement
• America’s Civil Rights Movement’s Unforeseen and Paradoxical Outcome
• The Civil Rights Movement and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
• Why did the Civil Rights Movement emphasize the struggle for Aid?
• Exploring the Long-Term Consequences of the Civil Rights Movement
• Assessing Violent and Nonviolent Protest Techniques Adopted by African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement
• The America’s Supreme Court and its Role in the Civil Rights Movement
• The America’s Supreme Court and its Role in the Civil Rights Movement Did civil rights Movements Lead to Substantial Economic Empowerment of Black Populations
• The Role of Women in the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement
• The Civil Rights Movement in the United States and Its Influence on African American Communities Today.
• The Southern Jewish-Black Relationship and the Civil Rights Movement
• The Role of Students in the Civil Rights Movement
• An Examination of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States and the Role of Martin Luther King Jr.
• Comparing political freedoms of African Americans before and After Civil Rights Movement.
• White Opposition to the Civil Rights Movement.
• The Civil Rights Movement and the Influence of Rock ‘n’ Roll
• African Americans and Religion and How Spirituality influenced the Civil Rights Groups.
• Discussing the Historical Accuracy of Ava DuVernay’s Portrayal of the Civil Rights Movement in Selma, a Drama Film.
• The Drug War and the Civil Rights Movement
• What role did the African-American Middle Class play in the Civil rights era?
• Experience with the police during the Civil Rights Movement.
• What achievements did peaceful protests make during the Civil Rights Movement’s Peaceful Protest Achievements?
• An examination of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.
• Exploring the history of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
• The Civil Rights Movement and the Connection Between Activism and the Federal Government
• To what extent did grass-roots activism play a role in the growth of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s?
• The Importance of Researching the Civil Rights Movement.
• A History of the Civil Rights and Feminist Movements in the United States.
• The Niagara Movement’s Origins and Impact on the American Civil Rights Movement.
• The Grassroots Organizers’ Role and Importance in the Civil Rights Movement
• The Impact of Society on the World of Doubt and the Civil Rights Movement
• How the Civil Rights Movement shaped Public Policy today.
• Comparing America’s North and South in the Civil Rights Movement
• Democracy in the United States and the contributions of the Civil Rights Movement

How to Write a Civil Rights Movement Research Paper/Essay

The following 8 steps to follow to when writing your research paper or essay about the Civil Rights Movement.

It is necessary for students to complete a civil rights movement essay because it allows them to reflect on historical events that have shaped present American culture. Learn some important recommendations that will assist you in earning an A on your paper about the civil rights struggle by reading this article.

Step 1: Guidelines from Your Professor for Relevance

First and foremost, thoroughly read the directions. Examine all of the materials provided by your tutor, including the grading rubric, sample papers, and essay questions about the civil rights struggle in America. Knowing exactly what is required of you makes it much easier to proceed with the task and earn a high grade on it in the long run.

Step 2: Explore Examples from Previous Research

Look through examples of previous publications on the subject. If you are unsure of what to write about in specific, you might look at the essays written by other students to get some inspiration. While reviewing civil rights movement essay samples, make notes on the content, the sources utilized, and any other pertinent issues that come to mind. This may provide you with some suggestions for what to include in your report and how to improve it to ensure that it meets the requirements of the assignment.

Step 3: Gather High-Quality Sources

Gather high-quality material to use as a basis for your essay. Scholarly publications and books are the most reliable sources. However, there are several reputable websites and news stories that provide unbiased information on the civil rights movements and other social movements. In addition, if the rules do not prohibit you from including a wide range of resources, you might include a large number of them, which would make your essay more detailed.

Step 4: Do not Ignore Background Information

Provide some background information on the civil rights movement. The twentieth century was important in the history of the United States because it saw a number of significant political and social events, notably World War II and the ensuing Cold War. Some incidents may have no relevance to the history of the civil rights movement, but their inclusion in the narrative will help readers better grasp the historical environment in which the movement occurred.

Step 5: Expand the Scope of Your Paper

Take a look at the larger history of discrimination in American culture as a whole. The most common civil rights movement essay themes center on discrimination as their central theme. The black community benefited from the movement since it helped to reduce discrimination and improve their social standing among other things. Women, Native Americans, and members of the LGBT community were among the many groups who endured prejudice throughout American history, as were other minorities and women. Are there any parallels between the ways in which these two groups campaigned for equal rights?

Step 6: Include Historical Context of Civil Rights Groups

Consider the historical context of the civil rights movement. With nearly 400 years of history of racial discrimination and oppression in America, there is a great deal of background to the civil rights struggle today. It is possible to discuss slavery and segregation regulations in this section, as well as how African-American communities responded to the conflict. For example, you may think about the Harlem Renaissance and its influence on Black identity, or you could think about other examples or cultural movements that have their roots in the African-American community.

Step: 7: Add Personal Reflection at the End

Tip number seven is to include a personal reflection if it is appropriate. In your essay, you might discuss what the civil rights movement means to you personally as well as how it has influenced the lives of your family. Additionally, you might look into racial prejudice in contemporary society to demonstrate that some concerns have yet to be resolved.

Step 8: Let a Logical Framework Guide Your Paper

Make sure your essay has a logical framework. Make certain that each paragraph fulfills its intended function. The opening to a civil rights movement essay should identify the movement and state your major argument in plain language. It should be followed by numerous main body paragraphs, each of which should explore a different idea that is related to the core argument. As a final point, address all of the points you’ve raised and illustrate how they relate to your thesis statement.

You will be able to produce an amazing paper on the civil rights struggle if you follow these few suggestions. Check out the rest of our website for more essay titles, themes, and writing tips!

Civil Rights Movement Essays (Examples)

US Marshals In Civil Rights Era

Brown v board of education and civil rights moment by michael klarman, frederick douglass civil reforms in united states.

McCarthy, Thomas. Race, empire, and the idea of human development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Carrie Chapman And The Women S Movement

Black lives matter and mlk, racism in the united states, booker t washington argumentative comparison, physical and mental disabilities in the workplace.

Marquis, J.P., Lim, N., Kavanagh, J., Harrell, M.C. & Scott, L.M. (2007). Managing Diversity in Corporate America: An Exploratory Analysis. Pittsburgh, PA: Rand Corporation.

Mahatama Gandhi

Hip hop history and culture.

Pareles, Jon. “Hip-Hop Is Rock ’n’ Roll, and Hall of Fame Likes It.” The New York Times, 13 March 2007.   https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/arts/music/13hall.html

Related Topics

• American Civil War
• Civil Rights Act

Category Topics

• Twentieth Century
• Pearl Harbor
• Great Depression
• Aboriginal People
• Gettysburg Address
• Reconstruction

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Civil Rights Movement Essay Titles

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• Study of the Civil Rights Movement in Selma: The Historical Accuracy of Ava DuVernay
• A Look at the American Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Role
• The Historiography of Women’s Civil Rights Movement Roles and Visibility
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• The America Civil Rights Movement’s Contradictory Outcome
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• The Origins and Impact of the Niagara Movement on the American Civil Rights Movement
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• The Civil Rights Movement: A History, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
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Home — Essay Samples — History — Civil Rights Movement — The History of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America

The History of The Civil Rights Movement in The United States of America

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The Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement sought to win the American promise of liberty and equality during the twentieth century. From the early struggles of the 1940s to the crowning successes of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts that changed the legal status of African-Americans in the United States, the Civil Rights Movement firmly grounded its appeals for liberty and equality in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Rather than rejecting an America that discriminated against a particular race, the movement fought for America to fulfill its own universal promise that “all men are created equal.” It worked for American principles within American institutions rather than against them.

African-Americans endured racial prejudice that compelled them to fight racism in World War II while fighting in segregated units. It was particularly hard to accept because the war was fought against the racist Nazis who were attempting to eradicate the Jews grounded in racially-based totalitarianism. For black soldiers, the stark contradiction with American wartime ideals was as repulsive as their daily condition of fighting separately. Many black units—most famously the Tuskegee Airmen—fought just as courageously as their white counterparts. Fighting for the “Double V” for victory over totalitarianism and racism, returning black veterans were not keen on returning to the Jim Crow South with legal (de jure) segregation nor to a North with informal (de facto) segregation.

On the national level, African-Americans sought to overturn segregation with legal challenges up to the Supreme Court, pressuring presidents to enforce equality, and lobbying Congress for changes in the law of the land.

In the postwar years, civil rights leaders prepared a dual strategy of attacking all discrimination throughout American society. On the national level, African-Americans sought to overturn segregation with legal challenges up to the Supreme Court, pressuring presidents to enforce equality, and lobbying Congress for changes in the law of the land. On the local level, marches were held to demonstrate the fundamental immorality and violence of segregation and to change local laws.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which was established by W.E.B. DuBois and other black and white, male and female reformers in 1909 to struggle for civil rights, helped lead the legal battle in the courts. The NAACP legal team, led by Thurgood Marshall, who would later become the first black justice on the Supreme Court, scored the first major success of the Civil Rights Movement with  Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) decision that indirectly overturned Plessy v. Ferguson  (1896), which had set the precedent for legalizing segregation. New Chief Justice Earl Warren persuaded his fellow justices to issue a unanimous 9-0 decision for the moral force to overcome expected white southern resistance. The outcome was a landmark for black equality that initiated the Civil Rights Movement.

The good outcome led many to overlook the questionable legal reasoning employed in the decision. The Supreme Court shockingly admitted white and black schools were equal despite evidence to the contrary. Moreover, the Court stated that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment had “inconclusive” origins related to segregated schools and doubted whether it could be applied to this case. Instead, the Court turned to social science as the basis for its decision. It referred to experiments in which black children played with dolls of different races. Members of the Court misread the evidence because the results of the studies actually showed that the segregated black children chose to play with black dolls. The Court mistakenly reported that the black children played more with the white dolls and had a “feeling of inferiority.”

The Court settled for declaring the edict that segregated schools were “inherently unequal” based on dubious social science and missed an opportunity for a constitutionally-grounded precedent banning all racial discrimination.

In Plessy v. Ferguson , Justice John Marshall Harlan wrote this powerful dissent: “Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of our civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law.” (John Marshall Harlan, Plessy v. Ferguson Dissenting Opinion, 1896).

By ignoring Harlan’s understanding of the equality principle in the Constitution and settling for the use of social science, Chief Justice Warren diminished the constitutional force of the decision, which, if read narrowly, did not exactly overturn  Plessy .

Even with the unanimous decision that Chief Justice Warren sought, the case encountered opposition, and it took more than a decade of direct action by African-Americans and others to win equality. In 1955, the Montgomery Bus Boycott initiated a decade of local demonstrations against segregation in the South. In December 1955, Rosa Parks courageously refused to give up her bus seat to a white man because she was tired of being treated like a second-class citizen. African-Americans applied economic pressure for more than one year to force concessions for desegregation at the local level, and a charismatic young Baptist minister, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., provided vision and leadership for the emerging movement at Montgomery.

As a result of the  Brown  decision, many white politicians and ordinary citizens engaged in what they called “massive resistance” to oppose desegregation. In 1957, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus refused to use the state National Guard to protect black children at Little Rock High School. President Dwight Eisenhower sent in troops from the 101st Airborne Division to compel local desegregation and protect the nine black students while federalizing the Arkansas National Guard to block Faubus. The Little Rock Nine attended school under the watchful eye of federal troops. The principles of equality and constitutional federalism came into conflict during this incident because the national government used the military to impose integration at the local level.

In 1957, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus refused to use the state National Guard to protect black children at Little Rock High School. President Dwight Eisenhower sent in troops from the 101st Airborne Division to compel local desegregation and protect the nine black students while federalizing the Arkansas National Guard to block Faubus.

In the early 1960s, African-Americans continued to press for equality at the local and national levels. In 1960, black college students in Greensboro, North Carolina started a wave of “sit-ins” in which they took seats reserved for whites at segregated lunch counters. The sit-ins led to applying the economic pressure of a boycott that successfully desegregated the local lunch counters.

In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. used his moral vision and rhetoric to achieve the greatest successes of the movement for black equality and the end of segregation. King helped to organize marches in Birmingham, Alabama, where police dogs and fire hoses were turned on the Birmingham marchers and caused shock and outrage across the nation when the violence was televised. King and hundreds of others were arrested for demonstrating without a permit.

From his jail cell, King wrote his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” defending the civil rights demonstrations by quoting the great Christian authority St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all.” Employing the principles of America’s Founders, King explained that a just law is a “man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God.” King posited that just laws uplift the human person while unjust laws “distort the soul” (Martin Luther King, Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963).

He argued that just laws are rooted in human equality, while unjust laws give a false sense of superiority and inferiority. Moreover, segregation laws had been inflicted upon a minority who had no say in making the laws and thereby passed without consent, violating American principles of republican self-government.

King closed the letter by asserting that the Civil Rights Movement was “standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judeo-Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence” (Martin Luther King, Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963).

On June 11, 1963, President Kennedy responded and addressed the nation on television. “We are confronted primarily with a moral issue. It is as old as the scriptures and is as clear as the American Constitution,” he told the nation. For Kennedy, the question was “whether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities” (John F. Kennedy, “Civil Rights Address,” June 11, 1963).

Kennedy was mindful of the historical significance of the year when he appealed to Lincoln’s Proclamation freeing the slaves: “One hundred years of delay have passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their heirs, their grandsons, are not fully free…And this Nation, for all its hopes and all its boasts, will not be fully free until all its citizens are free” (John F. Kennedy, “Civil Rights Address,” June 11, 1963).

On August 28, 1963, the greatest event of the Civil Rights Movement occurred with the March on Washington. More than 250,000 blacks and whites, young and old, clergy and laity, descended upon the capital in support of the proposed civil rights bill. From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King evoked great documents of freedom when he said “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation” (Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have A Dream,” August 28, 1963). The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves one hundred years before on January 1, 1863. Simultaneously, he also subtly referred to the other great document of 1863, Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” which was inscribed in the wall of the memorial, and begins, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” (Abraham Lincoln, “Gettysburg Address,” November 19, 1863).

King offered high praise for the “architects of our republic” who wrote the “magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.” King began his evocative peroration “I Have a Dream” by declaring that his dream is “deeply rooted in the American dream.” “One day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal’” (Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have A Dream,” August 28, 1963).

African-Americans won the fruits of their decades of struggle for civil rights when Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act legally ended segregation in all public facilities. The act had to overcome a Southern filibuster in the Senate and the fears of conservatives in both parties that it was an unconstitutional intrusion of the federal government upon the rights of the states and into local affairs and private businesses.

Although the Fifteenth Amendment had been ratified a hundred years before, African Americans still voted at low rates, especially in the Deep South. A number of devices—literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses that prevented descendants of slaves from voting—severely curtailed black suffrage. Violence and intimidation were the main vehicles of preventing African-Americans from voting in the mid-1960s.

In March 1965, Martin Luther King and other leaders organized marches in Selma, Alabama, for voting rights. After enduring beatings by club-wielding mounted police officers on “Bloody Sunday,” the marchers eventually set out again several days later and reached Montgomery under the watchful eye of federal troops. Congress soon passed the Voting Rights of 1965, banning abridgment of the right to vote on account of race.

Yet in the wake of the great legislative triumphs for social and voting equality the summer of 1965 (and successive summers) witnessed the explosion of racial violence and rioting by black citizens in American cities. Despite gaining rights of equal opportunity African-Americans still lived under obvious economic disparities with whites. The passage of federal laws securing equal opportunity led to rising expectations of immediate equality, which did not happen. Young “Black Power” advocates also began advocating self-reliance as a race, a celebration of African heritage, and a rejection of white society. Forming groups like the Black Panthers, a minority of young African-Americans spoke in passionate terms advocating violence, leading to confrontations with police. Many white Americans were shocked and confused at the urban riots occurring just after legal equality for African-Americans had been achieved.

In the 1970s and 1980s, plans of “affirmative action” were introduced in college admissions and in hiring for public and private jobs that soon became controversial. Intended to remedy the historic wrongs of slavery and segregation, affirmative action policies established preference or quotas for the number of African-Americans (and soon women and other minorities) who would be admitted or hired. Its proponents sought to achieve an equality of outcome in society rather than merely equal opportunity in American society. Some whites complained that this was “reverse discrimination” against whites that tolerated lower standards for the benefited groups. The most notable Supreme Court case addressing the issue was the  Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) decision, in which racial preferences, but not racial quotas, were upheld.

The Supreme Court essentially agreed with the supporters of affirmative action who argued that “discrimination against members of the white ‘majority’ cannot be suspect if its purpose can be characterized as ‘benign’” (Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Regents of the University of California v. Bakke , Opinion, 1978)

Related Content

The Civil Rights Movement sought to win the American promise of liberty and equality during the twentieth-century. From the early struggles of the 1940s to the crowning successes of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts that changed the legal status of African-Americans in the United States, the Civil Rights Movement firmly grounded its appeals for liberty and equality in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Rather than rejecting an America that discriminated against a particular race, the movement fought for America to fulfill its own universal promise that “all men are created equal.” The Civil Rights Movement worked for American principles within American institutions rather than against them.

HIST3170: United States - History of the 1960s: Selected Topics: The Civil Rights Movement

• Bibliographies / Guides to Historical Literature
• Biographical Resources
• Chronologies
• Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
• Geographical Resources, Maps and Atlases
• Statistical Resources
• Library Catalogs
• Databases for Secondary Sources
• Archives and Manuscript Collections
• Government Documents
• Newspapers and Other Periodicals
• Published Document Collections
• Web-Based Digital Collections
• Selected Topics: The Civil Rights Movement
• Selected Topics: The Vietnam War
• Selected Topics: Student Movements
• Selected Topics: Culture - Music and Film

Reference Sources on The Civil Rights Movement

• Credo Reference Topic page for Civil rights Movements (United States)

Recent Titles on the History of the Civil Rights Movement

To search for more titles in the Library Catalog , try some of these search terms:

•     Civil rights movements United States History 20th century
•     African Americans Civil rights United States History 20th century
•     United States Race relations History 20th century

Selected Web Resources

• The Black Panther: Newspaper of the Black Panther Party "This resource features a collection of The Black Panther newspaper published between 1968 and 1973. Together, the newspapers provide an unusually vivid example of the kinds of rhetoric used by the Black Panther Party in its 'revolutionary' challenges to federal and state lawmakers and its call to African Americans around the country to stand up for their civil rights. While the words and images in these historical documents may bring up strong feelings in teachers and students alike, they are a first-hand representation of the thoughts and feelings of an important group of activists in U.S. history. Far from complete, the collection is still substantial and readers may browse all 20 digital issues of the newspaper to find articles, images, and advertisements that will best facilitate particular lessons and assignments." [Internet Scout Project]
• The Jack Rabin Collection of Alabama Civil Rights and Southern Activists "Jack Rabin was a faculty member at a number of institutions during his long academic career, and he was intimately involved with certain aspects of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. During time spent in Alabama he worked with the organizers of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He also accumulated a tremendous collection of photos and interviews related to this event and others. This online collection from the Pennsylvania State University Libraries brings together many of these documents. Visitors can get started here by watching a historic interview with Stokely Carmichael or watching an excerpt from the Selma March in 1965. Also, visitors are encouraged to search the collection, read a biography of Rabin, and peruse the finding aid." [Internet Scout Project]
• Negroes With Guns: Rob Williams and Black Power "Even for those who are quite knowledgeable about the history of the civil rights movement, the name Rob Williams may not be quite as familiar as others associated with this era of American history. This fine site, designed to accompany a recent Independent Lens documentary, will allow visitors to learn about his activities within this turbulent period. Williams is perhaps best-remembered for his efforts to encourage African-Americans to arm themselves against violent racists and his controversial radio show 'Radio Free Dixie,' which was broadcast from Havana. First-time visitors may wish to view the documentary’s trailer, and then they should definitely take a look at the section dedicated to Radio Free Dixie. Here they may listen to music and speeches from those influential and ground-breaking broadcasts. As with the rest of the Independent Lens sites, visitors can also learn about the filmmakers of the documentary, and offer their own feedback on the program." [Internet Scout Project]
• The Civil Rights Movement and the Black Experience in Miami "This unique digital collection compiles featured materials from an exhibit at the Otto G. Richter Library at the University of Miami. This collection tells 'a story of struggle, community challenges, and hope for Black Miami in the 20th century.' These featured items have been drawn from four separate collections, including those from Professor Michael L. Carlebach (a photography professor at Miami) and civil rights and community leader Bob Simms. Visitors can scroll through the four collections here to view selected images of community meetings, protests, celebrations and so on. The site also contains Biographical Notes and a very extensive bibliography of sources." [Internet Scout Project]
• Atlanta in the Civil Rights Movement "While it might be difficult to locate the exact 'nerve center' of the American civil rights movement, Atlanta might be one of the top contenders, both due to the fact that it was the home of many grassroots civil rights organizations and the many noted protests and actions that took place during that time. Developed by the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education (ARCHE), this site pays homage to Atlanta’s role in the movement by offering a timeline of key events in the struggle, along with a searchable inventory of special collections, which contains materials from ARCHE’s member institutions, such as the Atlanta History Center. The first stop for visitors should be the timeline of events that occurred in Atlanta from 1940 to 1970. Along with well-written explanatory essays, each section contains information about various primary and secondary resources used to craft each essay. Scholars and others will also appreciate the search engine on the site, which effectively looks across all of the member institution’s special collections by name, keyword, or phrase." [Internet Scout Project]
• Birmingham Civil Rights Institute "The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute takes its visitors on a journey moving from the nation's segregation era to the birth of the Civil Rights Movement. The Institute's historic galleries capture the spirit and courage of countless individuals who dared to confront the 'bigotry and racial discrimination of American society.' This site provides a range of exhibitions (both permanent and traveling) that will peak the interest of anyone interested in learning more about American history and historical art form during the 1950s and 1960s. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is more than an online museum; it is a place that promotes research and provides education and discussion regarding civil and human rights issues in America and around the world." [Internet Scout Project]
• The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project at Stanford University "Located at Stanford University, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project is producing what will almost certainly become the definitive collection of the great civil rights leader's writings. When completed, the fourteen-volume The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. will serve as an indispensable reference tool for historians of the civil rights movement. In the meantime, teachers and students can make use of the resources offered at this site. These include a number of full-text primary documents (including the 'I Have a Dream' speech and the 'I've Been To The Mountaintop' sermon), a general biography, a chronology of King's life, a recommended reading section, and scholarly articles produced by Project staff members (under construction). The Project plans to continually add new documents to the site as they are digitized. Free registration is required to view the papers, and registered users may choose to be informed about future site updates and related events." [Internet Scout Project]
• Civil Rights in Mississippi Digital Archive "Maintained by the McCain Library and Archives at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), this Website features 'an Internet-accessible, fully searchable database of digitized versions of rare and unique library and archival resources on race relations in Mississippi.' Currently, the site contains over 100 transcripts of oral history, each one supplemented by a brief biography of the interviewee, a list of topics discussed, information about the circumstances of the interview, and best of all for researchers, a find function for searching each transcript for particular terms. Eventually, the Website plans to offer no less than 125 oral history transcripts that emphasize 'local sources with truly national significance.' In addition, plans are in the works to include photographs and distributed civil rights literature from the time. Given Mississippi's pivotal role in the Civil Rights movement, this site will surely be of great use to researchers of the Civil Rights era. The project is presented in cooperation with the USM Center for Oral History." [Internet Scout Project]
• Voices of Civil Rights "Designed and sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), and the Library of Congress, the Voices of Civil Rights website is an effort to create an online archive of stories about the civil rights movement (both historical and contemporary), essays, interviews, project updates, and special reports. There is a wide breadth of material available, most of which is organized into one of five sections. One notable section is the Stories area, where visitors can read (and in some cases, listen to) a wide array of personal stories about America's civil rights past. Another fine section is the one devoted to the contemporary civil rights movement and its historical legacy. Here visitors can listen to interviews about the promise of equal education with Wade Henderson, the executive director of the LCCR, and new activist voices within the fields of anti-hate crime campaigns and environmental justice." [Internet Scout Project]
• 1964 Freedom Summer Project: Wisconsin Historical Society "The Wisconsin Historical Society has one of the nation’s richest collections of items documenting the Civil Rights movement, particularly as they relate to the 1964 Freedom Summer Project. Visitors to the site can look over the Historical Essay to get started, as it contains a short summary of the importance of these events, then move on to Browse Related Topics. Here, visitors will find links to specific civil rights movements in Milwaukee and Madison. The Teacher Resources section is another great find and includes a helpful PowerPoint, educational plans, quizzes, and discussion questions. With over 30,000 items, including posters, radio announcements, oral histories, and more, it’s an incredible way to view primary documents and relive this important moment in American history." [Internet Scout Project]
• Civil Rights History Project "On May 12, 2009, the U.S. Congress authorized a national initiative by passing the Civil Rights History Project Act of 2009. This law directs the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture to conduct a survey of existing oral history collections with reference to the Civil Rights Movement. This site brings together a range of interviews conducted since then and participants include lawyers, judges, doctors, farmers, journalists, professors, and others. The materials are divided into two areas: Collections Items and Articles and Essays. In the Articles and Essays area, visitors can look over two thoughtful essays, including 'The March on Washington,' which offers some thoughtful historical perspective on the events of August 28, 1963. The Collections Items area includes over 50 interviews with leaders including Courtland Cox, Joseph Echols Lowery, and Pete Seeger." [Internet Scout Project]
• The March on Milwaukee Civil Rights History Project "The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries has a digital collection of primary source material that documents Milwaukee's civil rights history. This website contains audio, video, photographs, and documents, and can be searched by those formats or by collection. Visitors unfamiliar with the Milwaukee area, as well as those interested in a timeline of the civil rights struggle there, should click on the links 'Map' and 'Timeline.' The map traces the route of an open housing march that took place in August of 1967, in addition to showing where most African-Americans lived at the time, the North Side. The timeline begins in 1954, when Brown v. Board of Education was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, and ends in 1976 when a federal judge ordered the Milwaukee public schools to be desegregated. Visitors shouldn't miss listening to one or two of the 'More Than One Struggle Oral History Project' entries, which has MP3s of audiocassette recordings of Milwaukee residents who were involved in the civil rights movement." [Internet Scout Project]
• Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project "With its diverse ethnic groups and civic-minded citizens, the city of Seattle has been a beacon for people seeking an open-minded urban experience for decades. The story of Seattle’s past is a complex one, and this well-thought out website explores some of the complex struggles for civil rights in the area over the past one hundred years. Based at the University of Washington, the Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project has worked to document the stories of civil rights activists in the area, and also present reports on segregation in Seattle and the various newspapers that have represented the city’s communities of color. Visitors to the site can listen to some of these activists talk about their lives and read some of their Research Reports, which include 'The Chicano Movement in Washington State, 1967-2006' and 'The 1920 Anti-Japanese Crusade and Congressional Hearings.'" [Internet Scout Project]
• The Civil Rights Digital Library "Partner organizations including The New Georgia Encyclopedia, the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services have joined forces to create the very impressive Civil Rights Digital Library (CRDL). The intent of the CRDL is to promote an 'enhanced understanding of the Movement by helping users discover primary sources and other educational materials from libraries, archives, museums, public broadcasters, and others on a national scale.' Visitors can browse through the materials by place, people, events, or topics, such as 'Community Organizing,' 'White Resistance,' 'Economic Justice,' and 'Voting Rights.' Also, visitors can browse the materials by contributing institutions or media type. Available material includes oral histories, archival footage, and still photographs." [Internet Scout Project]
• Mississippi Freedom Summer Digital Archive "The Mississippi Freedom Summer Project website, from Miami University of Ohio, documents the history of 1964's 'Freedom Summer,' which was when volunteers gathered at the former Western College for Women in order to be trained to register African-American voters in Mississippi. Three volunteers were subsequently murdered in Mississippi, and 'these events called attention to racial inequality and served as a catalyst for change.' The collection was created by a grant from the Ohio Humanities Council, the Miami University Libraries, and a generous grant from Catherine Ross-Loveland, a 1952 graduate of the Western College for Women. The materials here include over 765 documents related to the Freedom Summer, including reports from the FBI about those involved with the activities around this form of civil rights activism and articles from the Ohio press about the civil rights movement in the South during that time. There are also 27 videos here from conversations and tours held on campus in 2004 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Freedom Summer. The videos include walking tours of the Western College for Women and panel discussions about faith and activism. Overall, it's a tremendous collection and one that merits several visits." [Internet Scout Project]

Finding Images

To find images related to the history of the Civil Rights Movement, try searching the Image Collection in the Academic Search Complete database or the Artstor Digital Library .

Coretta Scott King (1927-2006)

James Forman (1928-2005)

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955)

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Home / Essay Samples / History / History of The United States / Civil Rights Movement

Civil Rights Movement Essay Examples

Emmett till: the murder that changed america.

For every citizen to have the same importance, privileges and prospects would mean to have equality. The lack thereof became the determination to obtain for black woman and men in the US, on a platform known as the Civil Rights Movement. Contrary to popular belief...

Martin Luther King Jr.: a Legacy of Civil Rights and Social Justice

Martin Luther King Jr. is an iconic figure in American history, celebrated for his tireless efforts in advancing civil rights and social justice. His life and work continue to inspire and resonate with people around the world. This essay delves into the remarkable journey of...

Civil Rights Movement and Civil Rights Act of 1964

Considering the topic 'Civil Rights Movement and Civil Rights Act of 1964 Essay' we can say that the main aims of the Civil Rights movement in the classic ‘Montgomery to Memphis’ period of 1955-1968 were to establish laws and public institutions in an attempt to...

Causes and Effects of the Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement was a period committed to activism for equal rights and treatment of African-Americans in the United States. During this period, many people revitalized for social, lawful and political changes to deny separation and end isolation. Numerous significant occasions including victimization African-Americans...

Discussion About Was the Civil Rights Movement Successful

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress”. The civil rights movement had many successes along with some failures as well. Successes included ending segregation and the important advance in equal rights legislation. Failures of the movement included a continued deep-rooted racism towards African...

The Success of the Civil Rights Movement: a Struggle for Equality

The Civil Rights Movement in the United States was a watershed moment in history, seeking to dismantle racial segregation, discrimination, and ensure equal rights for all citizens. This essay explores the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement, examining its impact on legal reforms, social attitudes,...

Civil Unjust in United States in 1968

Martin Luther King Jr. quotes, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right.” This generation had civil unjust, no trust in the...

Civil Right Acts after Civil War

In my essay, I will be writing about racism in the united states between the blacks and the white and how the blacks are treated unfairly compared to the whites. So, what exactly is racism about? In layman terms racism is the belief of one...

Gender Ineguality in the America

This assignment will compare the sociological perspectives between functionalism and feminism and contrast them. It shall be analysing their views on families. Although feminism began in 1792, when Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) wrote a book ‘a vindication of the rights of women’ stating that women were...

The African Americans in Custer Died for Your Sins

In Chapter 8 of Custer Died For Your Sins, Deloria sets the foundation of how African Americans and Natives were treated by the white man and effectively highlights the differences between both minority groups. The Civil Rights movement was a “huge” accomplishment for African Americans...

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About Civil Rights Movement

United States

W.E.B. Du Bois, Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Henry MacNeal Turner, John Oliver Killens

Unfortunately, there's still a lot of discrimination in our society. The modern civil rights movement is working to address the less visible but very important inequities in our society, such as gender inequality, discrimination of the disabled, ageism, police brutality, etc.

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