Civil Rights Movement
Also called: American civil rights movement · Topic: Citizenship: Idea and Indian Law · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 6 "Citizenship"
Meaning
The Civil Rights Movement was the struggle of the 1950s and 1960s against racial segregation in the southern USA. It was led by Martin Luther King Jr. He argued that every person has equal dignity, that segregation is "social leprosy" which leaves deep psychological wounds, and that it harms white people too. He urged non-violent protest, a method influenced by Gandhi.
Example
After the Montgomery bus boycott (1955-56), the movement won the Civil Rights Act 1964 and the Voting Rights Act 1965. In India, the women's and dalit movements work in a similar way to change public opinion and government policy.
Don't confuse with
- Civil rights: these are a category of rights in Marshall's scheme (life, liberty, property). The Civil Rights Movement was a historical campaign that fought for equal citizenship for Black Americans.