The movement in the mid-20th century that sought to combat racial segregation and discrimination in the U.S. was the Civil Rights Movement. Emerging prominently in the 1950s and 1960s, this movement aimed to achieve social justice and equal rights for African Americans and other marginalized groups. It was marked by significant events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, and various sit-ins and protests against Jim Crow laws. Key figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X emerged, advocating for nonviolent resistance, legal challenges, and grassroots organizing to dismantle systemic racism and secure equal rights under the law.