The films from the Eyes on the Prize series seem to suggest a break between the phase of the civil rights movement that achieved its greatest success in the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 and the phase that begins at the end of the 1960s (in fact these films were made at a separate time from the first six). Yet, Theoharis suggests that even in these changes, we should see continuities throughout the long civil rights movement in terms of goals, the significance of women’s leadership, and the harassment of civil rights leaders.

Thinking about the unit as a whole, what continuities, and what changes do you see in the civil rights movement as it moves into the 1970s? Why did the American public see it as a break? Why was “black power” viewed as a threat?

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