Final answer:
During the Civil Rights Movement, key actions taken by government and political figures included the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, and President Eisenhower's intervention in Little Rock, Arkansas. These efforts were complemented by the activism of individuals and organizations pushing for racial equality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Civil Rights Movement was defined by significant actions taken by the United States government and influential figures. Some of these actions include:
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
- The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which eliminated discriminatory voting practices such as literacy tests.
- Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Supreme Court decision that ruled segregation in public education unconstitutional, stating "there is no place for separate but equal".
- President Eisenhower's deployment of the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce the integration of Central High School after resistance from white "segregationists" and organizations like the White Citizens' Council.
While these government actions were pivotal in advancing civil rights, other noteworthy contributions included the efforts of activists like Martin Luther King Jr. with his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", as well as the grassroots campaigns such as the Montgomery bus boycotts led by Rosa Parks and the formation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) which organized protests, sit-ins, and freedom rides.