The year 1957 was full of new beginnings and hope for a growing movement. In January, prominent civil rights leaders attended a historic meeting in Georgia with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the helm. In September, as protests were heating up around the nation, a group of Black students, known as the Little Rock Nine, integrated Central High School in Arkansas. At the same time, activists’ push for legislation resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Progress toward equality for Black Americans was slow, but people’s commitment to the movement continued to deepen during the year as the prospect of change seemed possible. This detailed account explains why 1957 was such a critical year in the civil rights movement.