It is no coincidence that rock'n'roll and the civil rights movement began at the same time. The genre originated in African-American music and was heavily discriminated against. Mainstream white Americans would target anything negative about it. But as the teenage population of the 1950s began to increase music sales, the genre began to gain popularity. It was Elvis Presley's style and new voice that made girls weak in the knees and made boys want to be him. Artists such as Presley were influential enough to change the views of their devoted fans on civil rights issues. Once protest songs and rock 'n' roll became more popular and influential, a gap opened up between the young adult generation and their parents, leading to the rebellion of the civil rights movement. Thanks to these factors, rock 'n' roll greatly influenced the civil rights movement. Rock 'n' roll originated from a type of music called rhythm and blues (R&B), consisting of doo-wop and gospel music. It was popular primarily in the South during the 1940s, but quickly spread to urban cities. It was Les Paul's invention of the electric guitar in 1952 that added a new sound and made rhythm and blues the rock 'n' roll we all know and love today. Most of the R&B artists were African American and in their songs they referenced sexual issues. So together this gave a bad connotation to the music and their race, so both were never fully accepted in the north. The term "rock" was slang primarily used by African Americans, referring to a form of music that was easy to dance to. Meanwhile, "rolling" was usually a euphemism for sex, like "rolling in the hay." It was Alan Freed who first popularized the term "rock and roll" for this generation...... middle of paper ...... grew up in the nitpick culture of the 1950s and was influenced by it new wave of rock'n'roll music. The gap between the values ​​of parents and those of their children has widened. As teenagers became more and more rebellious, the civil rights movement came into play. These were the same teenagers and young adults who took this rock rebellion and brought it to lead the civil rights movement to the action, realizing that not all traditions are good. Works Cited Bertrand, Michael T. Race, Rock and Elvis. Urbana: University of Illinois, 2000. Print. Dundy, Elaine. Elvis and Gladys: The Genesis of the King. Np: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1985.Print.Rodman, Gilbert B. Elvis after Elvis: The posthumous career of a living legend. London: Routledge, 1996. Print. Sickels, Robert. 100 Artists Who Changed America: An Encyclopedia of Pop Culture Luminaries. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2013. Print.