The civil rights movement was one of the most important events in American history. This was the time where African Americans stood up and fought for their civil rights. They fought through all of the racial hatred and prejudice. There were many influential leaders of the civil rights movement that were icons to other African Americans that followed them in search of civil rights for all. The civil rights movement was a hard time for African Americans, but they overcame it and as time went on things started to become better and better.