The civil rights movement in the United States saw a wave of powerful nonviolent protests, including sit-ins and Freedom Rides, which played a crucial role in the fight for equal rights.

Sit-ins: Sit-ins were a form of protest where African American activists would occupy segregated spaces, such as lunch counters or restaurants, to challenge racial inequality. One of the most notable sit-ins took place in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1960, when four Black students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University refused to leave a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter.

Freedom Rides: Freedom Rides were organized bus trips by civil rights activists to challenge segregated interstate bus terminals. In 1961, a group of integrated activists, known as the Freedom Riders, embarked on these journeys to expose the continued segregation and discrimination faced by African Americans. They faced violence and arrests but their actions drew national attention to the cause.

These nonviolent protests, both sit-ins and Freedom Rides, were instrumental in raising awareness about racial segregation and putting pressure on the government to enact change. They demonstrated the power of peaceful resistance and drew attention to the injustice faced by African Americans on a daily basis.