massive resistance

Cultural  

1. The opposition of many white leaders in the South to the decision of the Supreme Court in Brown versus Board of Education in 1954. The Court had declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. The expression massive resistance was used in a letter signed by over a hundred members of Congress, calling on southerners to defy the Supreme Court's ruling.

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Example Sentences

Indeed, Herring acknowledges the risk that Miyares will reverse many of the stances he has taken, just as Herring reversed the positions of his predecessors from the Jim Crow and Massive resistance eras.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 14, 2022

Massive resistance is the brain child of apple-growing, economy-minded U.S.

From Time Magazine Archive

Massive resistance has given way to moderation in both news coverage and editorial opinion.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Massive resistance," he argues, is a "massive myth leading to massive retreat and massive surrender."

From Time Magazine Archive