Civil Rights Movement (USA)
Where can I find information about the Civil Rights Movement in the United States?
(Years 7-10)
Image: Civil rights march on Washington, D.C by Unseen Histories on Unsplash.
Entry last updated: 14/11/24
Introduction
The American Civil Rights Movement was a movement in the 1950s and 1960s for racial equality, especially in the Southern States of America where there was segregation between black and white people. This meant that black people were not allowed to use the same things as white people, like schools, churches, restaurants and public transport. The people involved in the Civil Rights Movement were fighting for equal rights, which includes an end to segregation and racial discrimination. The fight for equal rights is not over and continues in different ways today, like the Black Lives Matter movement.
General websites
Have a look at these websites to find out more about the Civil Rights Movement, how it began, and the social change it had in America.
Britannica School is part of EPIC, a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics. It is put together especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.
Log in, and then enter the keywords 'civil rights movement' into the search box at the top of the page.
Choose the page civil rights movement (United States).
If you would like more information, change the 'reading level' near the top of the page to 3.
Select the 'Related' tab along the top of the page for links to more information, including biographies of many of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.
Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.
This is a free website filled with educational articles and videos on lots of different topics.
Enter keywords 'civil rights movement' into the search box at the top of the page.
Select to read Introduction to the Civil Rights Movement.
Look to the left of the page for a list of links to important protest movements like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and groups like the Black Power.
Tips: Websites that have .org or .net in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the organisation’s mission and values are.
This part of the BBCs website is aimed at school students in the UK. The videos will not work in New Zealand, but you can still use the articles and information.
Use the search bar at the top of the page to type in the keywords 'civil rights'.
Scroll down the page to The Civil Rights Movement in America.
You will find here a summary of important events and dates of the movement.
Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the world's oldest public broadcasting organisation and we like it because it is reliable.
Books
Here are a few books about the Civil Rights Movement. Ask at your school or local library for more.
Twelve days in May: Freedom Ride 1961 by Larry Dane Brimner.
Extraordinary people of the civil rights movement by Sheila Hardy and P. Stephen Hardy.
Civil rights for beginners by Paul Von Blum.
The Civil Rights Movement by Eric Braun.
SCIS no. 5402242
