The African-American Civil Rights Movement (1954 - 1968) refers to the social movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against Black Americans and restoring voting rights to them.
The emergence of the Black Power Movement, (BPM) which lasted roughly from 1966 to 1975, enlarged the aims of the Civil Rights Movement (CRM) to include racial dignity, economic and political self-sufficiency and freedom from oppression by White Americans.
The movement was characterised by major campaigns of civil resistance. Between 1955 and 1968, acts of non-violent protest and civil disobedience produced crisis situations between activists and government authorities.
Federal, state and local governments, businesses and communities often had to respond immediately to these situations that highlighted the inequities faced by African-Americans. Martin Luther King Junior was the most prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He thought that Black Americans, as well as other disadvantaged Americans should be compensated for historical wrortgs.
