the civil rights movement has been incredibly whitewashed in US education. Americans were overwhelmingly against de-segregation, there was tons of violence against black Americans, and that violence was not solely committed by police officers.
The Klan might seem like a relic of the past now, but the KKK was incredibly powerful during the 50s and 60s, to the point where in my home state, 1/3 of men were Klansmen and were a significant political bloc. They weren't just voting in politicians that supported their vile views though, they were lynching people and burning crosses on lawns and shit.