During the 1960s, a nationwide movement championing equality and pushing to reform national segregation laws reached from the largest cities to the smallest rural towns.
Civil rights activists fought oppression and racial violence with the hope that both the government and its citizens would halt the suppression of the rights of African Americans. The movement inspired people such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Carl Stokes to break down racial barriers and pursue their goals of racial equality.
The Civil Rights Movement did not only focus on race, it also battle for the rights of women, students, and ethnic minorities.
"The provisions of this civil rights act forbade discrimination on the basis of sex as well as race in hiring, promoting, and firing. The word "sex" was added at the last moment." ~National Archives
“Historical momentum for civil rights legislation picked up speed after 1945 as a result of black migration to northern cities and the experiences of black soldiers in World War II. Bills introduced in Congress regarding employment policy brought the issue of civil rights to the attention of representatives and senators.” -CongressLink