Massive Resistance

Massive Resistance was a strategy adopted by some Southern U.S. states in the late 1950s and early 1960s to oppose desegregation mandated by the Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education. This movement included a series of laws and measures aimed at preserving racial segregation in public schools and other areas of public life. It involved governors, state legislators, and local officials who sought to maintain the status quo, often resorting to legal challenges and even defiance of federal orders, ultimately resulting in significant social and political conflict during the Civil Rights Movement.