The Civil Rights Movement Gains Momentum

Since the end of Reconstruction, African Americans had fought for the ability to freely exercise their constitutional rights, particularly those granted by the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship, due process of law, and equal protection under the law, and the 15th Amendment, which grants suffrage to African American men. During the Jim Crow era, these rights were often undermined by southern states and local laws.

During World War II, African American soldiers demanded a double victory: victory over fascism in Europe and victory over Jim Crow segregation at home. Along with the efforts of local leaders and volunteers of all ages and backgrounds, they ushered in a new and distinct era in the civil rights movement, one characterized by strategic and organized protests and nonviolent civic engagement and civil disobedience.