Year 12 Modern History (General) Unit 4
CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS
Source: Wikimedia Commons
During the 1950s and 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement fought to end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans and achieve equal rights for all citizens.
Important figures included Martin Luther King Jr., who promoted peaceful protests and delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech; Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott; and Malcolm X, who encouraged Black pride, independence and self-determination. Protesters used methods such as marches, sit-ins, boycotts and Freedom Rides to challenge unfair laws and treatment.
Despite facing violence, arrests and strong opposition, the movement achieved major victories, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which helped protect the rights and freedoms of African Americans and brought lasting changes to American society.
Source: Library of Congress
Last updated 8 November 2026
Martin Luther King Jr
Martin Luther King Jr. was a key leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, using peaceful protests, marches and powerful speeches, including his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, to fight racial segregation and discrimination and promote equal rights for African Americans.
Source: Getty Images
Asselin, K. C. (2014). Martin Luther King Jr.: civil rights leader. ABDO.
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Elton, M. (2018). Martin Luther King’s unfinished dream: the historians’ view.
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The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. (n.d.). About Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. https://thekingcenter.org/about-tkc/martin-luther-king-jr/
NBC News. (2018, April 4). MLK talks ‘new phase’ of civil rights struggle, 11 months before his assassination [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xsbt3a7K-8&t=290s
Rare Facts. (2017, November 8). I have a dream speech by Martin Luther King Jr [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP4iY1TtS3s
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott and inspiring peaceful protests against racial segregation and discrimination across the United States.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Academy of Achievement. (2022). Rosa Parks. https://achievement.org/achiever/rosa-parks/
Ashby, R. (2008). Rosa Parks: Freedom rider. Sterling.
Burke, M. (2023). Rosa Parks: The “no” that sparked the civil rights movement. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20231128-rosa-parks-the-one-moment-that-sparked-the-civil-rights-movement
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https://www.loc.gov/exhibitions/rosa-parks-in-her-own-words/about-this-exhibition/#explore-the-exhibit
Manufacturing Intellect. (2017, August 17). Rosa Parks interview (1995) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqiQqM9nQ0U
Nobleman, M. T. (2002). Rosa Parks. World Almanac Library.
Richard, K. J. (2020). Beyond the bus boycott: the impact of Rosa Parks on the civil rights movement.
https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/188416
Tracy, K. (2008). The life and times of Rosa Parks. Mitchell Lane.
Malcolm X
Malcolm X was an influential leader of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s and 1960s who challenged racial discrimination, promoted Black pride and independence, and encouraged African Americans to defend their rights and fight for equality through self-determination and self-defence when necessary.
Source: Pittsburgh Post Gazette
BBC. (n.d.). Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam and black nationalism. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zkrgg7h/revision/6
Burlingame, J. (2010). Malcolm X: I believe in the brotherhood of man, all men. Enslow Publishing.
CBC. (2010, April 8). Malcolm X on Front Page Challenge, 1965: CBC Archives [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7IJ7npTYrU
Cocks, M. (n.d.). The life of Malcolm X from prison to civil rights leadership. https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/modern-history/mod-malcolm-x-reading
Joseph, P. (2025). Reflecting on the life of Malcolm X, civil rights, and human rights. https://stateofblackamerica.org/index.php/authors-essays/reflecting-life-malcolm-x-civil-rights-and-human-rights
Jura, A. (n.d.). Malcolm X and black nationalism in the civil rights movements. Study.com
Malcolm X. (2016, October 26). Famous Malcolm X speech “any means necessary” [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Awg_62EbZ60
Rollo, J. A. (n.d.). Malcolm X: biography, speeches and assassination. Study.com
Rummel, J., & Wagner, H. L. (2005). Malcolm X: Militant Black leader. Chelsea House.
Sharp, A. W. (2010). Malcolm X and Black pride. Lucent Press.
John F Kennedy
President John F. Kennedy played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement by supporting efforts to end racial segregation, using federal authority to protect African American students and proposing new civil rights laws in 1963 that helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, passed after his assassination.
Source: Getty Images
Darraj, S. M. (2003). John F. Kennedy. Chelsea House.
John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. (n.d.). The modern civil rights movement and the Kennedy Administration. https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/civil-rights-movement
JFK Library. (2023, June 10). An unfinished agenda: President Kennedy and civil rights, 60 years later [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdCG0K-i6bs
The main speech starts at 15:40
John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. (1963). Televised address to the nation on civil rights [Video]. JFK Library Foundation. https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/historic-speeches/televised-address-to-the-nation-on-civil-rights
This is the full broadcast of JFK’s address to the nation. There is a transcript at the bottom of the page.
National Park Service. (2021). The Kennedy’s and the civil rights movement. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-kennedys-and-civil-rights.htm
Nurse, D. (n.d.). John F. Kennedy’s role in the civil rights movement. Study.com
University of Virginia. Miller Center. (n.d.). The Civil Rights Act of 1964. https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/the-civil-rights-act-of-1964
WGBH Educational Foundation. (n.d.). JFK and civil rights. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/jfk-domestic-politics/
Lyndon B Johnson
President Lyndon B. Johnson played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement by pushing for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which helped end legal racial segregation, outlaw discrimination and protect voting rights for African Americans.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Donohue, M. R. (2015). Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of Lyndon B. Johnson. ABDO.
Clary, Z. (2023). When Lyndon B. Johnson chose the middle ground on civil rights—And disappointed everyone. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/to-fight-for-civil-rights-lyndon-b-johnson-settled-for-the-middle-ground-180981482/
Day, M. (Ed.). (2016). Lyndon B. Johnson. Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Elkins, L. (2023). Lyndon B. Johnson’s civil rights act of 1964. Study.com
Gittinger, T., & Fisher, A. (2004). LBJ champions the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Prologue, 36(2). https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/summer/civil-rights-act
Gold, S. D. (2009). Lyndon B. Johnson. Marshall Cavendish Benchmark.
Karatzas, K. (2016). Lyndon B. Johnson and the Civil Right Act of 1964. Vestnik Volgogradskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta. Serija 4. Istorija. Regionovedenie. Mezhdunarodnye Otnoshenija, 21(3), 25–33. https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2016.3.3
University of Virginia. Miller Center. (n.d.). The Civil Rights Act of 1964. https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/the-civil-rights-act-of-1964
The White House Historical Association. (n.d.). Lyndon B. Johnson. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/lyndon-b-johnson
Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad was an influential African American religious leader who led the Nation of Islam during the Civil Rights Movement, promoting Black pride, economic independence and separation from white society, while mentoring important figures such as Malcolm X.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Grant, T. (2026, October 3). Elijah Muhammad. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elijah-Muhammad
Yusuf, D. J., & Ibrahim, B. I. (2026). Impact of Elijah Muhammad leadership of the Nation of Islam and activism in Jim Crow’s America: Lessons for leadership and social activism in Nigeria. Advance Journal of Current Research, 11(5). https://aspjournals.net/journals/ajcr/articles/115/1598/view