The United States of America was built on the principle that all men are created equal as stated in the Declaration of Independence. But in all actuality, this statement was moot when deemed unreasonable in reality because of American slavery and inequality to follow. Economic and social discrimination proceeded far after slavery was even abolished. In the 1950's and 60s these challenges were addressed with full force and are still being discussed today. The rise in grassroots movements confronted these issues pertaining to civil action and initiated a civil rights movement. This movement influenced government policy, such as The Civil Rights Act of 1964, but also people's responsiveness to racial issues. Although, these issues of racism are still within our society, and until there is unity and the realization on similar goals, these issues will never go away. The civil rights movement changed political and social standards for minorities and future progress will challenge the racism still present in everyday life. The issue of racial inequality in America grew immensely during the 1950's. In the South, grassroots movements calling attention to civil rights issues sprouted up throughout numerous states. These grassroots movements brought organization and leadership and gave the ordinary African American a voice. Yet Southern states, especially, restricted the lives of African Americans economically, socially, and politically (Roark, 832). Public spaces and schools were segregated along with employment, which kept blacks poor and underappreciated. Protests arose which conjured the attention of the media and white liberals. These protests challenged white institutions, but more dramatically challenged the Supreme Court, the president, and local segregation ordinances. The NAACP fought the Supreme Court with the case of Brown v. Board of Education. The decision announced equal but separate educational facilities were not constitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment. This reflected the growing number of black supporters wanting to fight for their rights (Roark, 833). The president's response not to endorse the decision of Brown v. Board of Education further strengthened the white institutions not to change. But the crisis of Little Rock Nine forced Eisenhower to send reinforcement to allow nine African American students to attend school. This was the first large event that was televised and showed the brutality and destruction that outraged the white public. Video and pictures put a face to the victims of injustices seen in the South. The blacks were protesting for their rights while whites were legally forcing them further away from society by closing public schools and using the money to support private white ones (Roark, 833). This only made blacks stronger and want to band together even more than they had been in the past. The first nationally announced protest proceeded after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man. The Women's Political Council and the Montgomery Improvement Association helped organize a bus boycott when Parks announced she would dispute her arrest. The black community of Montgomery protested against the local laws creating segregation. The increase in people and organization brought the civil rights movement onto national headlines and brought the fight into the homes of millions of Americans. During this time of civil unrest, the cold war brought a new s