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Opposition to equality is, unfortunately, not new to the history of the United States. Recognizing the relevance of history to today’s justice and civil rights movements is crucial for understanding and countering current pushbacks against democratic values. Analyzing the opposition to the Civil Rights Movement can help us to understand the exceptional strength of the ordinary people who were part of the movement. And recognizing that racism wore both institutional and individual faces can help us to understand the importance of the movement’s achievements and the work that remains.

“Teaching and learning about race, racialized power dynamics, the freedom struggles of our ancestors, and multiracial organizing and citizen engagement are essential if democracy is to succeed in our multiracial society. The nation—the world—has never had a flourishing democracy within the context of profound difference. Yet a multiracial democracy is the only kind of democracy that will succeed in the United States.” —Angela Glover Blackwell