116 Civil Rights Movement Essay Topics & Examples

Trying to write a successful civil rights movement essay? Questions about the subject may flood your brain, but we can help!

As a student, you can explore anything from civil disobedience to the work of Martin Luther King Jr in your paper. And we are here to help! Our experts have gathered civil rights movement essay topics for different assignments. In the article below, see research and paper ideas along with tips on writing. Besides, check civil rights essay examples via the links.

📃 8 Tips for Writing a Civil Rights Movement Essay

A civil rights movement essay is an essential assignment because it helps students to reflect on historical events that molded the contemporary American society. Read this post to find some useful tips that will help you score an A on your paper on the civil rights movement.

Tip 1: Read the instructions carefully. Check all of the documents provided by your tutor, including the grading rubric, example papers, and civil rights movement essay questions. When you know what is expected of you, it will be much easier to proceed with the assignment and achieve a high mark on it.

Tip 2: Browse sample papers on the topic. If you are not sure of what to write about in particular, you can see what other students included in their essays. While reading civil rights movement essay examples, take notes about the content, sources used, and other relevant points. This might give you some ideas on what to include in your paper and how to enhance it to meet the requirements.

Tip 3: Collect high-quality material to support your essay. The best sources are scholarly articles and books. However, there are also some credible websites and news articles that offer unbiased information on the civil rights movements. If the instructions don’t prevent you from using these, you could include a wide array of resources, thus making your essay more detailed.

Tip 4: Offer some context on the civil rights movement. The 20th century was instrumental to the history of America because there were many political and social events, including World War II and the subsequent Cold War. While some events may not relate to the history of the civil rights movement, they are important for the readers to understand the context in which the movement took place.

Tip 5: Consider the broader history of discrimination in the American society. Discrimination is the key focus of most civil rights movement essay topics. For the black population, the movement was instrumental in reducing prejudice and improving social position. However, there were many other populations that faced discrimination throughout the American history, such as women, Native Americans, and people from the LGBT community. Can you see any similarities in how these groups fought for equal rights?

Tip 6: Reflect on the sources of the civil rights movement. The story of racial discrimination and oppression in America spanned for over 400 years, so there is a lot of history behind the civil rights movement. Here, you could talk about slavery and segregation policies, as well as how the black communities responded to the struggle. For instance, you could consider the Harlem Renaissance and its influence on the Black identity or about other examples or cultural movements that originated in the black community.

Tip 7: If relevant, include a personal reflection. You can write about what the civil rights movement means for you and how it impacted the life of your family. You can also explore racial discrimination in contemporary society to show that some issues still remain unsolved.

Tip 8: Maintain a good essay structure. Ensure that every paragraph serves its purpose. A civil rights movement essay introduction should define the movement and state your main argument clearly. Follow it with several main body paragraphs, each one exploring a certain idea that relates to the key argument. In conclusion, address all the points you’ve made and demonstrate how they relate to your thesis.

With these few tips, you will be able to write an excellent paper on the civil rights movement. Check the rest of our website for essay titles, topics, and more writing advice!

🏆 Best Civil Rights Movement Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

1. Impact of Civil Rights Movement
   The freedom to vote for all Americans became central in the civil rights movements, and one of its successes was the legislation that culminated in the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
2. Civil Rights-Black Power Movement
   Barack Obama was aware of the violence and oppression of black people in the United States. It shows self determination of the black people in struggles for civil rights- black power.
3. Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War
   The Vietnam War caused unintended consequences for the civil rights movements of the 1960s as it awakened the African-Americans’ consciousness on the racism and despotism that they experienced in the United States.
4. The Civil Rights Movement in the United States
   In the United States, the 1960s was characterized by the rise of Civil Rights Movements, the aim of which was to suppress and end discrimination and racial segregation against African Americans.
5. Ida B. Wells-Barnett: Leader of the Civil Rights Movement
   The psychology of a leader is the psychology of a winner. One such example is one of the early leaders of the civil rights movement, American investigative journalist Ida Bell Wells-Barnett, who, thanks to her […]
6. Plan: Civil Rights Movement in United States
   The following assessment plan has details on the objectives of the assessment plan, the types of assessment plans, and the adaptation of the lesson plan to fit special groups of students.
7. Music of the Civil Wars, Civil Rights & Freedom Movements of Europe, Africa, North & South America During the 20th Century
   The aim of Giovinezza was to reinforce the position of Mussolini as the leader of the Fascist Movement and of Italy.
8. Civil Rights Movement
   The Civil Rights Movement is an era that was dedicated for equal treatments and rights to the activism of the African American in the US.
9. Invisible Southern Black Women Leaders in the Civil Rights Movement
   Based on 36 personal interviews and multiple published and archived sources, the author demonstrates that black women in the South have played a prominent role in the struggle for their rights.
10. African-American Women and the Civil Rights Movement
    The key factors that left the Black women unrecognized or led to recognition of just a few of them as leaders are class, race and gender biases.
11. The Civil Rights Movement: Historical Interpretation
    Rosa Parks was one of the pivotal figures in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and a critical event in the Civil Rights Movement.
12. The Civil Rights Movement’s Goals and Achievements
    Despite the considerable oppression of non-white groups of the population and the fear accompanying it, the Movement continued to fight and achieved success in its goals, affecting the country even in the modern period.
13. The Civil Rights Movement: I Have a Dream
    The civil rights movement has changed many aspects of the nation, such as housing, the economy, and jobs. The movement changed the outlook, the power structure, and the very core of the nation.
14. Music and the Civil Rights Movement
    It was famous in the 1960s and 1970s and continues to live now.”We Shall Overcome”, like many other freedom songs, reflects the goals and methods of the early protestors.
15. “The Souls of Black Folk” and the Civil Rights Movement
    At the beginning of the 20th century, multiple decades had passed since the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery.
16. Law History From Jim Crow to Civil Rights Movement
    It was not until the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.that the problems of law enforcement in the South was truly recognized and reforms started designed to reduce the influence of political agendas on the […]
17. Civil Rights Movement: Fights for Freedom
    The Civil Rights Movement introduced the concept of black and white unification in the face of inequality. Music-related to justice and equality became the soundtrack of the social and cultural revolution taking place during the […]
18. Civil Rights Movement and Political Parties
    One of the examples of the effects of social unrest on political institutions in American history is the Civil Rights Movement, and it defined the general courses of the main parties as well as the […]
19. Civil Rights Movement Distorted Image
    The study of the role and image of historical characters in CRM is incorrect and distorted. Rosa Parks is considered the person who informally initiated the movement due to the refusal to give up a […]
20. Protest Music and the US Anti-Lynching and Civil Rights Movement
    In the 1950s and 1960s, the civil rights movement continually challenged the government to fulfill the promise of equality and justice.
21. Civil Rights Movement in the USA Brief History From the Time Before the Civil War
    This was part of a planned act of civil disobedience in which Plessy was to be arrested, charged and tried, and the court case would then be used to challenge the law.
22. Newspaper Coverage of Japan-America Internment in WW2 and the Civil Rights Movement
    The media covered this because this movement persuaded whites to join them in their mass protests and they were killed in the event.

🎓 Most Interesting Civil Rights Movement Topics to Write about

1. “Black Power” in the Civil Rights Movement
   They wanted to reform the system to ensure a more democratic and actively participating society in the decision-making process of governance for the country.
2. Civil Rights Movement in “Freedom Riders” Documentary
   As a commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of freedom movements, Nelson’s movie is a story of segregation and racism, abhorrence, courage, and the general brutality of the depicted events.
3. The Civil Rights Movement: Martin King and Malcolm X’s Views
   King also stressed that the major concepts he adopted were taken from the “Sermon on the Mount and the Gandhian method of nonviolent resistance”.
4. President Johnson in the Civil Rights Movement
   The problem of gay and lesbian rights appeared to be rather challenging and disruptive to the society. They include hippies and other social layers that were not eager to change things while others were trying […]
5. Medgar Wiley Evers in the Civil Rights Movement
   Following the rejection of his application to study at the University of Mississippi, NAACP hired him as a field secretary to Jackson that was to the Deep South in recognition of his effort and contribution […]
6. Civil Rights Movement by E. Durkheim and K. Marx
   The theories will also be used to predict the future of racism in the United States. The level of segregation experienced in the country led to new interferences and constraints.
7. Civil Rights Movement: Purposes and Effects
   The civil rights movement was a popular lobby group created to advocate for equality in the United States for both blacks and whites. To a large extent, the civil rights movement completely transformed the lives […]
8. Coalition Politics After the Civil Rights Movement
   Such coalitions also forced the American government to address the challenges affecting different cities. New policies and laws emerged in order to promote the rights of many American citizens.
9. Deacons for Defense: Armed Resistance in the Civil Rights Movement by Lance Hill
   The book describes the tension and struggles that existed between the African Americans and the members of the white citizens’ council, Ku Klux Klan.
10. Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Movement
    Martin Luther King noticed the negative trend and he took his stand to make people see the devastating effects of the war.
11. Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson: the Civil Rights Movement
    The social historians have managed to cogently present the politics that surrounded the civil rights movement. The movement also managed to gain the support of the aims of government, the executive, legislature, and even the […]
12. The Civil Rights Movement in the USA
    The movement’s main aim was to end the racial segregation and fight for the voting power of the black people in America.
13. The Civil Rights Movement
    Although the positive role of the Civil Rights Movement for changing the role of the African Americans in the American society is visible, this topic is also essential to be discussed because the movement for […]
14. The Contributions of Richard Wright and Gwendolyn Brooks to the Civil Rights Movement
    Among these were Richard Wright and Gwendolyn Brooks who used literary works to voice out their displeasure on the discrimination against blacks as well as portray a humanitarian point of view on the plight of […]
15. The Civil Rights Movement: Oppressing the Black Population
    In response, the black citizen resorted to fighting for his rights; thus, the rise of the civil rights movement. In conclusion, these key events helped to reinforce the African American struggle for equal right rights, […]
16. Silent Voices of the Modern Civil Rights Movement
    This is the why she gets my nomination for recognition in the “Museum of Silent Voices of the Modern Civil Rights Movement”.
17. Dr. King’s Role in United States Civil Rights Movement
    His popularity started after he led other activists in boycotting the services of the Montgomery Bus Service in the year 1955 after an incident of open discrimination of a black woman in the bus. Martin […]
18. The Civil Rights Act as a Milestone Element of American Legislation
    Although the Civil Rights Act has undergone several amendments, the Civil Right Act amendment of 1964 was the main amendment that addressed the above types of discrimination.
19. Harold Washington With Civil Rights Movement
    Hence, this study examines the main achievements of Harold Washington in the fields of employment, racism, equality in provision of social amenities, gender equality, freedom of expression, and the creation of the ethics commission in […]
20. American Africans Action in the Struggle for Equality
    Community leaders in various segmentations of the society had showed resistance to the white supremacy and domination against the African Americans which had been abounded in some states.’Everyday’s Use’ written at the peak of the […]
21. The Civil Rights Movement: Ending Racial Discrimination and Segregation in America
    Finally, the paper will look at both the positive and negative achievements of the civil rights movements including an assessment of how the rights movement continues to influence the socio-economic and political aspects of the […]
22. Civil Rights Movement Major Events in 1954-1968
    This research paper seeks to highlight the historical events that took place in 1954-1968 in the United States which were instigated by the Civil Rights Movement in the hope of securing the civil and basic […]
23. The African American Civil Rights Movement
    During the 1960s notable achievements were made including the passage of a Civil rights Act in 1964 that outlawed any form of discrimination towards people of a different “race, color or national origin in employment […]

📌 Good Civil Rights Research Topics

1. Theatre in the Era of the Civil Rights Movement
2. To What Extent Can the 1950’s Be Viewed as a Great Success for the Civil Rights Movement
3. The Stages of the Progressive Reform in the Civil Rights Movement
4. The Contradicting Outcome of the Civil Rights Movement in America
5. The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement
6. The Fight for Aid from the Civil Rights Movement
7. The Long Term Effects of the Civil Rights Movement
8. Violent and Non-violent Methods of Protests Embraced by African American in the Civil Rights Movement
9. The Role of The Supreme Court in the Civil Rights Movement
10. The Success of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s
11. Women in the Civil Rights Movement
12. U.S. Democracy and the Civil Rights Movement
13. The History of the Civil Rights Movement in the United Stats and Its Impact on African Americans
14. The Relationship of Southern Jews to Blacks and the Civil Rights Movement
15. The Importance of Students During the Civil Rights Movement
16. A Look at Civil Rights Movement in the United States and the Role of Martin Luther
17. White Resistance to the Civil Rights Movement
18. The Impact of Rock ‘n’ Roll on the Civil Rights Movement
19. African Americans and Religion During the Civil Rights Movement
20. The Historical Accuracy of the Portrayal of the Civil Rights Movement in Selma, a Drama Film by Ava DuVernay

👍 Interesting Civil Rights Essay Topics

1. The War on Drugs and the Civil Rights Movement
2. The Civil Rights Movement and the Black Middle Class
3. The Role of Police During the Civil Rights Movement
4. The Achievements of Peaceful Protest During the Civil Rights Movement
5. Analyzing the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War
6. The True Face of The Civil Rights Movement
7. The History of the Civil Rights Movement, National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
8. Successes and Failures of Civil Rights Movement
9. The Historiography of Womens Role and Visibility in The Civil Rights Movement
10. The Relationship Between Activism and Federal Government During the Civil Rights Movement
11. To What Extent Was Grass Roots Activism a Significant Reason to Why the Civil Rights Movement Grew in the 1950s and 1960s
12. The Value of Studying the Civil Rights Movement
13. A History of the Civil Rights Movement and Feminist Movement in the United States
14. The Foundation of the Niagara Movement and Its Influence on the Civil Rights Movement in America
15. The Role of Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement
16. The Role and Importance of the Grassroot Organizers on the Civil Rights Movement
17. The Effect of Society on the World of Doubt and the Effects of the Civil Rights Movement
18. The Importance and Impact of the Civil Rights Movement to the Public Policy
19. The New York Times and The Civil Rights Movement
20. Understanding the Civil Rights Movement: America Vs. Australia
21. The Laws in the Reconstruction Era and the Civil Rights Movement

❓ Civil Rights Movement Essay Questions

1. How Effective Was the Early Civil Rights Movement in Advancing Black Civil Rights in 1880-1990?
2. What Role Did Jews Play in the American Civil Rights Movement?
3. How Did the African American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s?
4. Did Minority Rights Campaigners Copy the Tactics of the Black American Civil Rights Movement?
5. What is the NAACP’s Impact on the Civil Rights Movement in the US?
6. How Did Gandhi Influence the Civil Rights Movement?
7. To What Extent Can the 1950’s Be Viewed as a Great Success for the Civil Rights Movement?
8. How Far Was the Effectiveness of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s Limited by Internal Divisions?
9. How the Cold War Promoted the Civil Rights Movement in America, and How It Promoted Change?
10. How Far Was Martin Luther King Responsible for the Civil Rights Movement?
11. How Was Civil Disobedience Used in the Civil Rights Movement?
12. How Did the Civil Rights Movement Change America?
13. How Successful Had the Civil Rights Movement Been by the Late 1960s?
14. Did Black Power Groups Cause Harm to the Civil Rights Movement in America?
15. To What Extent Was Grass Roots Activism a Significant Reason to Why the Civil Rights Movement Grew in the 1950s and 1960s?
16. How Did Kennedy and His Administration Effect the Civil Rights Movement?
17. Did the Black Power Movement Help or Hinder the Civil Rights Movement?
18. How the Civil Rights Movement Influenced the Women?
19. What Are the Results of the Effort of the Civil Rights Movement?
20. How Did Martin Luther King Affect the Civil Rights Movement?
21. Are the Problems Faced by the Feminist and Sexual Emancipation Movements Similar to Those Faced by Civil Rights Movement, or Are There Major Differences?
22. Was the Civil Rights Movement Successful?
23. Has America Really Changed Since the Civil Rights Movement?
24. Why Was the Civil Rights Movement Successful by 1965?
25. How Did Religion Influence Martin Luther King, Jr as He Led the Civil Rights Movement?
26. How Significant Was Martin Luther King Jr. to the Black Civil Rights Movement?
27. How Did Martin Luther Kings Jr Death Affect the Civil Rights Movement?
28. How Important Was Martin Luther King to the Civil Rights Movement?
29. Does the Civil Rights Movement Have an Effect on the Way Minorities Are Treated by Authorities?
30. Was the Civil Rights Movement a Success or Failure?