The civil rights movement in the United States was sparked by several factors, including systemic racism, social inequalities, and landmark events such as the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954. The movement came to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, as activists sought to dismantle segregation and combat discrimination through nonviolent protests, legal challenges, and grassroots organizing. Key events, like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington, attracted national attention. Figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks became symbols of the struggle for justice, fundamentally transforming American society and legislation.