How did the Civil Rights Movement(s) and the 1980s contribute to reshaping conceptions of American identity and the meaning of the nation to different groups of people? Which period was more influential to the transforming of the nation? Select two topics or social groups to respond to this question.

Starting in the 1950s, the Civil Rights movement shaped the idea of American identity as one of greater equality among different groups. While all of the goals of the movement were not met and the struggle for equality is ongoing, African Americans began to push for greater equality with regard to voting rights, legal rights, and economic status. Later, in the 1960s and 1970s, the movement began to stress the importance of Black pride and the celebration of Black identity. Blacks began to wear their hair and dress in ways that stressed their own identity and not simply acceptance of white standards, and they continued to celebrate their distinct history and traditions.
Many groups were inspired by the Civil Rights movement, including LBGTQ+ people in the 1980s. Groups such as ACT UP, or the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (see their website below), began to agitate to direct more funding to solving the AIDS crisis. Protests centered not only on helping people with AIDS and helping to find a cure for AIDS but also on granting greater recognition of and respect for LBGTQ+ people. Therefore, the 1980s continued the development of civil rights organizations that began in the 1960s and continued the quest for the recognition and equality of different social groups.
https://actupny.org/