The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross

Noted Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. recounts the full trajectory of African-American history in his groundbreaking series The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. The series explores the evolution of the African-American people, as well as the multiplicity of cultural institutions, political strategies, and religious and social perspectives they developed — forging their own history, culture and society against unimaginable odds. Using video clips from The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross, this collection of lesson plans addresses a wide range of themes of the African-American experience from 1500 to the present.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson, Module, Primary Source

Author: The WNET Group

I've Gotta Be Me: Race, Politics, and Identity

Explore the complex identity of Sammy Davis, Jr. and its impact on his career as a performer in this video from American Masters, Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me. As a black man in a predominantly white industry, Sammy struggled to be accepted by both groups. This resource explores how Sammy persevered in a society where race and culture posed many challenges. Support materials include discussion questions, vocabulary, and an identity map activity where students analyze the many factors that shape who we are as individuals and as members of different communities.

Material Type: Lesson, Primary Source

Authors: American Masters, PBS Learning Media

A Raisin in the Sun: Jim Crow, Home Ownership, and the American Dream

Learn how Jim Crow laws impacted home ownership and the pursuit of the American Dream in this series of videos from the American Masters film, Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart. Lorraine Hansberry’s family was at the forefront of fighting segregation in Chicago in the 1940s, even taking the fight all the way to the Supreme Court. Hansberry’s famous play, A Raisin in the Sun, continues the legacy of her parents by using literature to take a stand against racial inequality and injustice. Support materials include discussion questions, teaching tips, and a student handout comparing the experience of Lorraine Hansberry’s family and the Younger family in A Raisin in the Sun.

Material Type: Lesson, Primary Source

Authors: American Masters, PBS Learning Media

Mary McLeod Bethune Statue Dedication in National Statuary Hall

A statue of educator and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune was dedicated as part of Congress’s National Statuary Hall. She is the first African American to be represented in the collection and was selected by the state of Florida. Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) makes remarks at the ceremony.

Material Type: Primary Source

Author: C-SPAN

Shirley Chisholm and Black Women in Politics

Purdue University associate professor of political science and African American studies Nadia Brown discussed the legacy of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to win a seat in Congress and to run for president from a major political party. She also spoke about her impact on Black women in modern politics.

Material Type: Primary Source

Author: C-SPAN

The Concept of Systemic Racism

In response to a question from Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff discussed the ideas of bigotry, prejudice and systemic racism.

Material Type: Primary Source

Author: C-SPAN

On This Day: Black Panther Party (October 15, 1966)

On October 15, 1966, in Oakland, CA, Bobby Seale and Huey Newton founded the Black Panther Party. This group established their 10 Point Program outlining issues that were significant among members of the African American community, particularly with regard to the U.S. government. Included in these points was improving economic and social conditions among African Americans, establishing community programs, and ensuring safety in their communities. As their party grew, they coalesced with organizations across the country to grow awareness and promote change. View the videos below to learn more about this party and hear from some of its members.

Material Type: Primary Source

Author: C-SPAN

On This Day: Thurgood Marshall Nominated to Supreme Court (June 13, 1967)

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Thurgood Marshall graduated from the Howard University School of Law in 1933. He established a private legal practice in Baltimore before founding the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. In that position, he argued several cases before the Supreme Court, including Brown v. Board of Education, which held that racial segregation in public education is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause. In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson successfully nominated Marshall to succeed retiring Associate Justice Tom C. Clark. He was confirmed on August 30, 1967. Marshall served as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. Marshall was the Court's 96th justice and its first African-American justice.

Material Type: Primary Source

Author: C-SPAN

Civil Rights Leader Mary Frances Early

This lesson plan opens with reflective questions that ask students to reflect on their prior knowledge of Civil Rights leaders. Students then watch, analyze, and respond to an introductory video that presents an overview of Mary Frances Early's life and accomplishments. Next, students engage in an engagement activity, where they view seven video clips that detail various aspects of Early's life, including her childhood, her admission to the University of Georgia and accomplishment as the first African American student to graduate from the university, and her accomplishments and challenges throughout her life. Students then conduct research and compare Early to another Civil Rights leader of choice, preparing a presentation to share with their peers. The lesson concludes with a reflective video and writing prompt.

Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan

Author: C-SPAN

Dr. King on the Meaning of Civil Rights

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.

Material Type: Primary Source

Author: C-SPAN

Percy Julian: Chemistry and Civil Rights (NOVA)

In 1950, Percy Julian was one of the few African Americans with a Ph.D. He was Chicago's man of the year and a groundbreaking scientist. But it wasn't an easy road. Denied teaching positions and the target of death threats, Julian struggled to get ahead in a racially hostile world. Learn more about Percy Julian's contributions to science and civil rights. These resources, adapted from NOVA: Forgotten Genius, explore how Julian revolutionized chemistry with the first synthesis of a chemical compound, as well as the challenges he overcame as an African American facing legalized segregation.

Material Type: Lesson, Lesson Plan

Author: NOVA

Understanding Character: The Life of Percy Julian

In this blended lesson supporting literacy skills, students watch video dramatizations of Percy Julian's struggles with racism and how he refused to let it limit his possibilities in life. Students develop their literacy skills as they explore an English language arts focus on understanding character. During this process, they read informational text, learn and practice vocabulary words, and explore content through videos and interactive activities. This resource is part of the Inspiring Middle School Literacy Collection.

Material Type: Interactive

Teaching Black History Resource List

HIghlights from Dr. LaGarrett J. Kings recommendations on teaching Black Hiistory.

Material Type: Reading

Author: Amit

The Black Power Movement

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Black Power Movement. 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.

Material Type: Primary Source

Author: Lakisha Odlum

From Freedom’s Shadow

Freedom for some meant slavery for others. The cruel irony of this nation’s founding and its “Temple of Liberty”—the U.S. Capitol—is that both were made possible by the enslavement of African Americans. The labor of enslaved and free blacks helped build the Capitol. An enslaved African American man helped to cast the Statue of Freedom, which was placed atop the Dome during the Civil War. Since the end of the Civil War, African Americans have struggled to move out of the shadows and into the Temple of Liberty as full participants. This the online version of a traveling exhibit by the U.S. Capitol Historical Society that depicts the journey of African Americans from slavery to freedom and political representation in the U.S. Capitol. The exhibit opened February 2006 in Baltimore, Maryland at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture.

Material Type: Interactive

Do's and Don'ts of Teaching Black History

How do you ensure students get the most out of black history and Black History Month? Here are some suggestions.

Material Type: Teaching/Learning Strategy

Mary McLeod Bethune and Character

In this lesson, students will explore the biography of Mary McLeod Bethune and primary resources related to her life in order to understand the impact she had on other people, and how her example of integrity and principle can affect their own lives today.

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Lesson, Primary Source

Author: Florida Social Studies Content Team