White Citizens' Councils

White Citizens' Councils were organizations founded in the American South during the 1950s, primarily in response to the civil rights movement and the push for racial integration. They aimed to maintain segregation and white supremacy through economic and social pressure, often intimidating Black communities and their supporters. Comprised of white business leaders and local citizens, these councils collaborated to resist desegregation efforts, using tactics like boycotts and public shaming. They played a significant role in preserving racial inequality during a critical period in American history, particularly in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954.