The American civil rights movement began long before the 1960s and can be understood fully in response to the codification of Jim Crow laws in the late-1800s. In this discussion, Dr. Butler will provide the historical context necessary to understand the Black response to legalized segregation starting with the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision. The lecture will highlight the roles World War I, the Great Migration, and World War II played in laying the foundation for the 20th century struggle for racial equality.