The primary focus of the civil rights movement in the United States during the 1960s was to end racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans. Activists aimed to secure equal rights, particularly through landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The movement utilized peaceful protests, marches (like the March on Washington), and grassroots organizing to demand justice and equality. Figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as prominent leaders, advocating for nonviolent resistance and promoting the idea that civil rights were fundamental human rights.