Since the colonial days of American history, one of the most difficult and pressing issues the country has faced is the question of civil rights. Civil rights are defined by Cornell Law School as "legal provisions that stem from notions of equality". Much of the history of America can be defined by the struggle by minority groups for civil rights. Be it the suffragette movement for women's equality in the early 20th century or the civil rights movement for black rights in the 1960's or any of the other countless movements for equality, in particular through the 20th century.

These films all deal, in a significant way, with civil rights, as in the struggle for equality, and were nominated for Oscars.