The Civil Rights Movement in Southeast North Carolina

This guide identifies collections that contain content related to the Civil Rights Movement that spanned the mid-20th century in the United States. With the goal of gaining equal rights, Black Americans organized and protested against racial discrimination and inequality. The bulk of the movement occurred from the late 1940s through the 1970s. with issues focusing on business, education, legislation, politics, and public health. Collections especially relate to events within Wilmington and Southeast North Carolina with especial emphasis on school desegregation, equal access to public accommodations, equal employment, and voting rights. Material includes articles, correspondence, personal accounts, political and legal documents, publications, photographs, and memorabilia.

The Wilmington Coup of 1898 and the 1971 Wilmington Ten—significant events in the greater civil rights history of Wilmington—have been given their own subject guides. Firsthand accounts of the experiences of Black soldiers during World War II can be found in the WWII subject guide. Please refer to those individual pages, linked under Related Guides, for more information.