Ronald Takaki
Profile.
Ronald Takaki (April 12, 1939 - May 26, 2009) was an academic, historian, ethnographer, author, and activist who is credited with founding ethnic studies.
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Period: 20th Century
20th Century
Inside the Volcano: A Curriculum on Nicaragua
Teaching Guide. Edited by Bill Bigelow and Jeff Edmundson. 1990. 130 pages.
Fourteen interactive lessons on the history of Nicaragua.
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Fourteen interactive lessons on the history of Nicaragua.
The Export of Colors
Article. By Manlio Argueta. From Cuzcatlán, Donde bate la mar del sur.
An excerpt from a novel of historical fiction about the impact of an export economy on peasants in El Salvador.
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An excerpt from a novel of historical fiction about the impact of an export economy on peasants in El Salvador.
Medgar Evers
Profile. By Dernoral Davis.
Medgar Evers (July 2, 1925—June 12, 1963), Civil Rights Movement activist in Mississippi.
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Medgar Evers (July 2, 1925—June 12, 1963), Civil Rights Movement activist in Mississippi.
Rethinking What We Know About the Vietnam War
Teaching Activity. Zinn Education Project. 21 pages.
Two lessons to introduce key facts about the Vietnam War and the Pentagon Papers, documents that provide essential history that is often ignored by textbooks.
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Two lessons to introduce key facts about the Vietnam War and the Pentagon Papers, documents that provide essential history that is often ignored by textbooks.
Stealing Home: Eminent Domain, Urban Renewal, and the Loss of Community
Teaching Activity. By Linda Christensen. Rethinking Schools. 9 pages.
Teaching about patterns of displacement and wealth inequality through the history of Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop communities and the building of Dodger Stadium.
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Teaching about patterns of displacement and wealth inequality through the history of Palo Verde, La Loma, and Bishop communities and the building of Dodger Stadium.
A People’s History of the Supreme Court: The Men and Women Whose Cases and Decisions Have Shaped Our Constitution
Book — Non-fiction. By Peter Irons. Foreword by Howard Zinn. 2006. 588 pages.
A detailed and critical history of the Supreme Court.
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A detailed and critical history of the Supreme Court.
Fred Korematsu Speaks Up
Book — Non-fiction. By Laura Atkins and Stan Yogi. Illustrated by Yutaka Houlette. 2017. 112 pages.
Story of Fred Koretmatsu, jailed for resisting incarceration by the U.S. government during WWII. He took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court twice.
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Story of Fred Koretmatsu, jailed for resisting incarceration by the U.S. government during WWII. He took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court twice.
Congo, Coltan, and Cell Phones: A People’s History
Teaching Activity. By Alison Kysia. 28 pages.
In this lesson, students learn about the colonial history of Congo, debate responsibility for crimes against humanity, and investigate the connection, past and present, between the exploitation of natural resources and violence.
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In this lesson, students learn about the colonial history of Congo, debate responsibility for crimes against humanity, and investigate the connection, past and present, between the exploitation of natural resources and violence.
July 4, 1976: Marion Prisoners Stage Bicentennial Hunger Strike
Inmates at United States Penitentiary (USP) Marion staged a hunger strike on the U.S. bicentennial in protest of inhumane treatment by the prison administration.
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Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision
Book — Non-fiction. By Barbara Ransby. 2024 (Second Edition). 512 pages.
This biography chronicles Baker's long and rich political career as an organizer, an intellectual, and a teacher, from her early experiences in depression-era Harlem to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
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This biography chronicles Baker's long and rich political career as an organizer, an intellectual, and a teacher, from her early experiences in depression-era Harlem to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Repair: Students Design a Reparations Bill
Teaching Activity. By Ursula Wolfe-Rocca.
In this activity, students take on the role of activist-experts to improve upon a Congressional bill for reparations for Black people. They talk back to Congress’ flimsy legislation and design a more robust alternative.
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In this activity, students take on the role of activist-experts to improve upon a Congressional bill for reparations for Black people. They talk back to Congress’ flimsy legislation and design a more robust alternative.
The Mis-Education of the Negro
Book — Non-fiction. By Carter G. Woodson, with an introduction by Jarvis Givens. 2023. 224 pages.
Originally released in 1933, The Mis-Education of the Negro continues to resonate today, raising questions about the legacy of slavery and enduring white supremacy.
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Originally released in 1933, The Mis-Education of the Negro continues to resonate today, raising questions about the legacy of slavery and enduring white supremacy.
Dec. 23, 1944: The Case of Eddie Slovik
General Dwight Eisenhower endorsed the finding of a court-martial in the case of Eddie Slovik, who deserted from the U.S. Army during World War II.
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On the Laps of Gods: The Red Summer of 1919 and the Struggle for Justice That Remade a Nation
Book — Non-fiction. By Robert Whitaker. 2009. 386 pages.
The story of the 1919 Elaine massacre in Hoop Spur, Arkansas.
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The story of the 1919 Elaine massacre in Hoop Spur, Arkansas.
July 4, 1963: Clyde Kennard Died
Clyde Kennard (June 12, 1927–July 4, 1963) bravely and righteously tried to pursue higher education in Mississippi. He faced the fatal wrath of the state as a result of his efforts to challenge white supremacy.
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The Sum of Us: How Racism Hurts Everyone (Young Readers’ Edition)
Book — Non-fiction. By Heather McGhee. 2023. 240 pages.
This young readers’ edition analyzes racism in U.S. politics and policymaking, and provides a potential path forward through solidarity.
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This young readers’ edition analyzes racism in U.S. politics and policymaking, and provides a potential path forward through solidarity.
Rosa Parks Lived a Long and Active Life, So Why Is This Timeline So Boring and Short?
Teaching Activity. By Ursula Wolfe-Rocca. 3 pages.
This timeline activity builds on students’ viewing of the 2022 film, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, and involves collaborating on a new timeline of Mrs. Parks' life.
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This timeline activity builds on students’ viewing of the 2022 film, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, and involves collaborating on a new timeline of Mrs. Parks' life.
Martin Luther King Jr.: Beyond “I Have a Dream”
Resources about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., beyond the traditional narrative.
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Simulating Redlining: When “Race Was the Real Currency”
Teaching Activity. By Adam Sanchez. Rethinking Schools.
A high school social studies teacher describes a classroom simulation where students experience the effects of decades of racist federal housing policies.
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A high school social studies teacher describes a classroom simulation where students experience the effects of decades of racist federal housing policies.
Borderlands and the Mexican American Story
Book — Non-fiction. By David Dorado Romo. 352 pages.
From missions and the Alamo to muralists, revolutionaries, and teen activists, this is the true story of the Mexican American experience.
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From missions and the Alamo to muralists, revolutionaries, and teen activists, this is the true story of the Mexican American experience.
They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals
Book — Non-fiction. By Mariah Blake. 2025. 320 pages.
An investigation of the chemical industry’s decades-long campaign to hide the dangers of forever chemicals, told through the story of a small town on the frontlines of an epic public health crisis.
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An investigation of the chemical industry’s decades-long campaign to hide the dangers of forever chemicals, told through the story of a small town on the frontlines of an epic public health crisis.
“Semiquincentennial Blues” – Teaching the 250th Anniversary of the United States through Blues Poetry
Teaching Activity. By Jesse Hagopian. 2025. 19 pages.
A lesson for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding exploring the blues as both a cultural art form and a vehicle for political resistance.
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A lesson for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding exploring the blues as both a cultural art form and a vehicle for political resistance.
Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America
Book — Non-fiction. By Howard Bryant. 2026. 320 pages.
Highlighting the lives of Paul Robeson and Jackie Robinson, this book tells the story of sports and fame, Black life in the United States, and the promise of integration through the Cold War lens of two transformative events.
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Highlighting the lives of Paul Robeson and Jackie Robinson, this book tells the story of sports and fame, Black life in the United States, and the promise of integration through the Cold War lens of two transformative events.
Disguising Imperialism: How Textbooks Get the Cold War Wrong and Dupe Students
Article. By Ursula Wolfe-Rocca. If We Knew Our History series.
Too often, when it comes to U.S. Cold War interventions, the official curriculum is sanitized and disjointed, leaving students ill-equipped to make sense out of their nation’s global bullying.
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Too often, when it comes to U.S. Cold War interventions, the official curriculum is sanitized and disjointed, leaving students ill-equipped to make sense out of their nation’s global bullying.