African American women played a more critical role in the civil rights movement than credited for in the past, serving routinely as informal leaders, says a UC Davis scholar who studies leadership in social movements. "They were responsible for a great deal of door-to-door mobilization and recruitment efforts," in some cases risking their lives to further the movement, says Belinda Robnett, an assistant professor of sociology and women's studies. Because most formal leadership positions were held by men -- primarily ministers -- women were relegated to being informal leaders. Women provided key links between the local community and groups such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Robnett says. And even when women were invited to make their participation more formal, they resisted, concerned that the titles they'd have been given would have put them into gender-specific roles such as secretary.