In the early 1960s, the civil rights movement brought national attention to the need for equal treatment for African Americans. Activists demonstrated their opposition to unfair Jim Crow laws and racial separation by silently sitting in restaurants and other segregated places. Sit-ins proved that silence and nonviolent resistance can effectively combat injustice. Despite their peaceful intentions, protesters often found themselves targets of people opposed to racial integration. Readers will learn about the factors behind these groundbreaking protests as well as the key civil rights figures who rose to prominence during a turbulent era in U.S. history.