COFO, or the Council of Federated Organizations, was established in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. It aimed to coordinate efforts among various civil rights groups, including the NAACP, SNCC, and SCLC, to promote voter registration and civil rights for African Americans, particularly in the southern states. The organization played a crucial role in initiatives like the Freedom Summer of 1964, which sought to increase voter registration among African Americans in Mississippi. COFO's collaborative approach helped amplify the voices of marginalized communities and brought national attention to the struggles for civil rights.