When most people think of the Civil Rights Movement in America, they think of Martin Luther King, Jr. Delivering his "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. But "the Movement" achieved its greatest results due to the competing strategies and agendas of diverse individuals.

The incarceration of Japanese Americans in World War II was a grave failure of our democracy and highlights the dangers that can result when the three branches of government failed to uphold the Constitution, and certain communities are excluded from political power. Until the 1950s, Asian Americans were not allowed to become naturalized citizens and did not have the power to vote or engage in many of America’s political processes. In this lesson, students will investigate how citizenship and voting rights have evolved throughout history and reflect critically on how the rights and privileges conferred by citizenship impact political power on both an individual and community level.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 8.2, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, HS.1, HS.2, HS.6, HS.9
Historical Knowledge: HS.53, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.30, 8.31, HS.67, HS.68
Social Science Analysis: 7.27, 7.29, 8.33, 8.36, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.77, HS.78

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harvard philosophy professor T.M. Scanlon for a discussion of freedom of expression, tolerance, and human rights. (53 minutes)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Judge Thelton Henderson for a discussion of the U.S. civil rights movement and its implications for international law. (43 min)

Course map for a fully online course that examines multiculturalism in the context of personal and professional interaction with students, schools, communities, and workplaces. Includes learning objectives, activities, assignments, assessments, and readings, as well as links to additional resources and course materials.

This lesson provides fliers and other documents related to the demonstration in Memphis on March 28, 1968. On that day, students near the end of the march broke windows of businesses. Looting ensued. The march was halted. King was deeply distressed by the violence. He and fellow leaders negotiated a commitment to nonviolence among disagreeing factions in Memphis, and another march was planned for April 8. On April 4, as he stepped out of his motel room to go to dinner, he was assassinated.

A century before the Civil Rights movement, this small town on Lake Michigan had racially integrated schools, churches, government, and civic organizations. Settled by Black and White pioneers in the mid-1800s, Covert Township worked across racial and ethnic lines at a time when doing so was widely rejected if not outright illegal. Learn the story of this remarkable community, told against the backdrop of Reconstruction’s overthrow in the South and worsening racial conflict in the North.When much of America was tearing itself apart and squandering the moral victories of the Civil War, this community nestled in the west Michigan wilderness came together — not as a utopian social experiment, but as ordinary people who relied on one another to solve the problems of ordinary life on the frontier, and whose legacy endures today in Covert and beyond. This little-known American story offers an example our country needs now more than ever.The Woodson Center's Black History and Excellence curriculum is based on the Woodson Principles and tells the stories of Black Americans whose tenacity and resilience enabled them to overcome adversity and make invaluable contributions to our country. It also teaches character and decision-making skills that equip students to take charge of their futures. These lessons in Black American excellence are free and publicly available for all.

Huckleberry Finn opens with a warning from its author that misinterpreting readers will be shot. Despite the danger, readers have been approaching the novel from such diverse critical perspectives for 120 years that it is both commonly taught and frequently banned, for a variety of reasons. Studying both the novel and its critics with an emphasis on cultural context will help students develop analytical tools essential for navigating this work and other American controversies. This lesson asks students to combine internet historical research with critical reading. Then students will produce several writing assignments exploring what readers see in Huckleberry Finn and why they see it that way.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. In this learning experience students will learn more about Martin Luther King Jr. and how he marched for causes he believed in. As a result of this learning experience students will choose their own important cause to walk or advocate for in order to honor and celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy of advocacy and leadership.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

This game is designed to test, reinforce, and enhance students' understanding of Disability Rights Law. I've used it in several different ways: as a game that students play in class, with a prize for the winning student or team (playing the game and discussing the correct answers takes about one hour of class time); as a closed-book quiz that students take in class, followed by discussion of the correct answers (again, about one hour of class time); and as an open-book assignment that students complete before class, followed by discussion of the correct answers in class (about 30 minutes of class time).

I use this assignment to get my students thinking, writing, and talking about disability, the disability rights movement, and disability policy. I ask students to watch and review several documentary films about people with disabilities and to post their reviews on the clinic's online discussion board.

This 1946 federal court ruling marked a victory for Mexican Americans and chipped away at the separate but equal doctrine, declaring segregated schools based on national origin unconstitutional.

American History TV presented live coverage from the National Museum of African American History and Culture on Washington, D.C.'s National Mall. They showed exhibits chronicling the African American story from slavery through the inauguration of the first African American president. This clip features legislation and the Domestic Slave Trade.

Martin Luther King, Jr., discusses his view of the definition of civil rights in response to a question asked by William Workman, associate editor of Columbia, South Carolina’s, "State" newspaper, during “Press Conference U.S.A.,” a U.S. Information Agency (USIA) series that was distributed internationally. By law, USIA programs could not be shown in the United States until 12 years after production.

Students will listen to a brief biography, view photographs of the March on Washington, hear a portion of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and discuss what King's words mean to them.

After introducing the story of Emmett Till, students will break into small groups and be given one of the three Emmett Till stories (past, present or future). In small groups, students will read their particular story.

Nikki Giovanni's poem 'The Funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr.' is paired with Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, taking students on a quest through time to the Civil Rights movement.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Equal Rights Amendment. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

Slavery has existed around the world for generations. It has spanned across cultures and spread throughout continents, leaving its mark on families, communities, countries, governments and industry. Its reach continues to exist today. In this lesson, students will hear about the history of slavery and examine how it has evolved over time.