Definition

1. Noun:
   • A social and political movement: The civil rights movement refers specifically to the organized effort, particularly in the United States during the mid-20th century, 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.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The civil rights movement achieved major legislative victories, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  • Martin Luther King Jr. was a pivotal leader in the civil rights movement.
  • Studying the history of the civil rights movement is essential for understanding modern American society.

Advanced Usage

• "the Civil Rights Movement": When capitalized, it most commonly refers specifically to the African American freedom struggle in the United States, peaking in the 1950s and 1960s.
  • The tactics of nonviolent protest defined the Civil Rights Movement.

Variants and Related Words

• Civil rights (n): The rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.
  • The fight for civil rights continues in many forms today.
• Civil rights activist (n): A person who campaigns for civil rights.
  • Rosa Parks is celebrated as a courageous civil rights activist.

Synonyms

• Freedom struggle: A campaign for liberation from oppression.
• Rights campaign: An organized effort to achieve legal or social rights.

Related Phrases

• Civil rights era: The period in history associated with the civil rights movement.
  • Many landmark court cases occurred during the civil rights era.
• Civil rights legislation: Laws passed as a result of the movement's advocacy.
  • The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a key piece of civil rights legislation.

Noun

1. movement in the United States beginning in the 1960s and led primarily by Blacks in an effort to establish the civil rights of individual Black citizens