The American Civil Rights Movement was spurred by several factors, including systemic racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement faced by African Americans, particularly in the South. The post-World War II era saw increased awareness and outrage against unjust laws, fueled by the experiences of black soldiers during the war, who were inspired to fight for equality at home. Key events, such as the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954, which declared school segregation unconstitutional, and the growing influence of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., helped galvanize activists to challenge racial injustice throughout the 1950s and 1960s.