Department of History

The civil rights era was a time of awakening and dramatic change in the United States. From taking part in boycotts and sit-ins to simply registering to vote for the first time, ordinary Americans from all walks of life were invilved in the movement. Learn what it wsa like to be one of the voices calling the status quo into question and demanding chnage, with Close Up's Ordinary Americans: The Civil Rights Movement.Through the inspiring personal accounts of four remarkable and vastly different women, The Civil Rights Movement tells the story of this turbulent time. Discover through news footage what it was like to take part in a peaceful demonstration, a conflict with police, or a rally led by Malcolm X, and understand the lasting significance of what dedicated ordinary Americans accomplished. Whether through the eyes of a little girl marching the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama or of a grown woman determined to participate in the 1964 Democratic National Convention, see how the movement touched the lives of Americans.