The 1970s is often referred to as the “Post–Civil Rights Decade.” While the movement for civil rights continued, the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 signaled to many an end of an era and a shift in focus for Black Americans. Federal legislation in the 1960s was finally being enforced, and many Black Americans felt emboldened heading into the 1970s. This confidence was seen in increased efforts of African Americans to become more engaged in politics. While these endeavors were met with resistance, they bore fruit as the decade wore on.