Why was the Civil Rights Act of 1957 significant? A. It declared that the segregation of public schools was illegal. B. It prohibited the use of federal troops to force compliance with civil rights laws. C. It was the first civil rights bill passed by Congress since Reconstruction. D. It guaranteed federal equal voting rights for African Americans.

D. It guaranteed federal equal voting rights for African Americans

The civil rights movement was a struggle for social justice that took place mainly during the 1950s and 1960s for Black Americans to gain equal rights under the law in the United States. The Civil War had officially abolished slavery, but it didn't end discrimination against Black people-they continued to endure the devastating effects of racism, especially in the South. By the mid-20th century, Black Americans had had more than enough of prejudice and violence against them. They, along with many white Americans, mobilized and began an unprecedented fight for equality that spanned two decades.