In 1964, the battle for Civil Rights in the United States reached a
climactic moment, sparking a new wave of activism by politicians,
thinkers, writers, preachers, and citizens that would challenge the
nation to live up to the principles of its founding fathers. The
movement remains a cultural touchstone for those who were part of it,
for those who teach it, and for those who have been given opportunity
because of it. And it remains an active struggle, the subject of
Congressional legislation and Supreme Court decisions. Now, through oral
history, exclusive photographs and commentary by Presidential biographer
Jon Meacham and other eminent writers, TIME celebrates the 50th
anniversary of the Civil Rights movement and the many trailblazers who
helped to re-shape America.