Category Archives: Civil Rights and Black Power Movements (1946-1975)

Following World War II, African American activists and their allies employed non-violent tactics to challenge white supremacy. These efforts included sit-ins, boycotts and marches, and sustained organizing and voter registration efforts. The work of civil rights organizations resulted in the passage of landmark civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s in the form of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Despite the triumphs of the civil rights movement, the movements efforts were also often met with threats and violence. By the late 1960s, the Black Power Movement, represented by groups such as the Black Panther Party, offered a more immediate and aggressive approach to counter racial injustice and inequality.