Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Profile.
Overview of the farm labor organization, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, with artwork by Erin Currier.
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Period: 21st Century
21st Century
Time to Abolish Columbus Day
Article. By Bill Bigelow. 2015. If We Knew Our History Series.
When the school curriculum celebrates Columbus, children are taught that it’s OK for white people to rule over peoples of color and that militarily powerful nations can bully weaker nations. By his own account, Columbus enslaved people, destroyed cultures, and terrorized those who challenged his rule. It’s time to abolish Columbus Day.
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This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate
Book — Non-fiction. By Naomi Klein. 2015. 576 pages.
Naomi Klein tackles the war our economic model is waging against life on earth.
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Naomi Klein tackles the war our economic model is waging against life on earth.
The Missouri Tigers and the Hidden History of Black College Football Activists
Article. By Dave Zirin. 2015.
The protest by the University of Missouri football team placed in the context of a long history of activism by college athletes.
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The protest by the University of Missouri football team placed in the context of a long history of activism by college athletes.
This Changes Everything (Film)
Film. By Avi Lewis. 2015. 90 minutes.
Seven portraits of communities on the front lines of the climate crisis.
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Seven portraits of communities on the front lines of the climate crisis.
In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse
Book — Fiction. By Joseph Marshall III. Illustrations by Jim Yellowhawk. 2015. 176 pages.
A contemporary Native American boy learns about the history of Crazy Horse in a journey with his grandfather.
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A contemporary Native American boy learns about the history of Crazy Horse in a journey with his grandfather.
“All the Real Indians Died Off”: And 20 Other Myths about Native Americans
Book — Non-fiction. By Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz and Dina Gilio-Whitaker. 2016. 224 pages.
Deconstructs persistent myths about American Indians rooted in fear and prejudice — an astute and lively primer of European-Indian relations.
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Deconstructs persistent myths about American Indians rooted in fear and prejudice — an astute and lively primer of European-Indian relations.
Teaching Central America
Website.
An online collection of lessons, book lists, biographies of noted historical figures, and readings for free use by classroom teachers.
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When We Fight We Win!: Twenty-First-Century Social Movements and the Activists That Are Transforming Our World
Book — Non-fiction. By Greg Jobin Leeds, Dey Hernandez Vazquez, and AgitArte. 2016. 208 pages.
A visually rich and inspiring book of 21st century leaders and activists distill their wisdom, sharing lessons of what makes and what hinders transformative social change.
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A visually rich and inspiring book of 21st century leaders and activists distill their wisdom, sharing lessons of what makes and what hinders transformative social change.
Challenging Ourselves: Martin Luther King, the Movement, and Its Lessons for Today
Article. By Charles E. Cobb. 2017.
Charles E. Cobb Jr. discusses the Civil Rights Movement and its lessons, and how they apply to current movements.
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Charles E. Cobb Jr. discusses the Civil Rights Movement and its lessons, and how they apply to current movements.
Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale
Picture book. Written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh. 2013. 32 pages.
An age-appropriate story that brings to light the hardship and struggles faced by thousands of families crossing the border.
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An age-appropriate story that brings to light the hardship and struggles faced by thousands of families crossing the border.
Zapata’s Disciple: Essays
Book — Non-fiction. By Martín Espada. Reprinted in 2016. 160 pages.
Essays and poems attacking social injustice and marginalization.
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Essays and poems attacking social injustice and marginalization.
Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History
Book — Non-fiction. By Kate Schatz. Illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl. 2016. 112 pages.
Profiles of women who fight for social justice around the world.
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Profiles of women who fight for social justice around the world.
Milo’s Museum
Picture book. By Zetta Elliott. Illustrated by Purple Wong. 2016. 36 pages.
A story that introduces young readers to the historic mis-representation (and absence) of people of color in museums and how to take action.
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A story that introduces young readers to the historic mis-representation (and absence) of people of color in museums and how to take action.
First Light
Film. By Upstander Project. 2015. 13 minutes.
Story of forced removal of Native American children in Maine sent to boarding schools.
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Story of forced removal of Native American children in Maine sent to boarding schools.
Papers: Stories by Undocumented Youth
Book — Non-fiction. Edited by José Manuel, Cesar Pineda, Anne Galisky, and Rebecca Shine. Illustrated by Julio Salgado. 2012. 84 pages.
Undocumented youth from around the world tell their stories with simplicity and intimacy in this student-friendly collection.
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Undocumented youth from around the world tell their stories with simplicity and intimacy in this student-friendly collection.
Support Indigenous Rights: Abolish Columbus Day
By Bill Bigelow
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The movement to abolish Columbus Day and to establish in its place Indigenous Peoples' Day continues to gather strength, as every month new school districts and colleges take action. This campaign has been given new momentum as Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas assert their treaty and human rights. Especially notable is the inspiring struggle in North Dakota to stop the toxic Dakota Access Pipeline, led by the Standing Rock Sioux.
Dave Archambault, chairperson of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, explains that the oil pipeline “is threatening the lives of people, lives of my tribe, as well as millions down the river. It threatens the ancestral sites that are significant to our tribe. And we never had an opportunity to express our concerns. This is a corporation that is coming forward and just bulldozing through without any concern for tribes.”
The “bulldozing” of Indigenous lives, Indigenous lands, and Indigenous rights all began with Columbus’s invasion in 1492.
Dave Archambault, chairperson of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, explains that the oil pipeline “is threatening the lives of people, lives of my tribe, as well as millions down the river. It threatens the ancestral sites that are significant to our tribe. And we never had an opportunity to express our concerns. This is a corporation that is coming forward and just bulldozing through without any concern for tribes.”
The “bulldozing” of Indigenous lives, Indigenous lands, and Indigenous rights all began with Columbus’s invasion in 1492.
Nov. 7, 1985: Court Ruling in Wrongful Case Against Rubin “Hurricane” Carter
U.S. District Court Judge handed down his decision to free Rubin “Hurricane” Carter who had been wrongfully accused of murder.
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Climate Change and School in a Yup’ik Fishing Village
Article. By Jill Howdyshell.
The author describes how climate change is hitting Indigenous communities in Alaska much harder than other places in the world. And yet, administrators still insist that school discussions should focus on student test scores.
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The author describes how climate change is hitting Indigenous communities in Alaska much harder than other places in the world. And yet, administrators still insist that school discussions should focus on student test scores.
From Mountaintop Removal to Divestment: The Story of Swarthmore Students’ Fight Against Fossil Fuels
Article. By Hannah Jones.
The global movement to get institutions to divest from fossil fuels began with students. This article tells the inspiring story.
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The global movement to get institutions to divest from fossil fuels began with students. This article tells the inspiring story.
Teaching Sacrifice Zones
Teaching Activity. By Rosemarie Frascella. Rethinking Schools.
Our extractive fossil fuel-based economy has always demanded that some people’s homes and health be sacrificed for the benefit of more privileged and powerful others. This article explores how one teacher engages her students in thinking about how “sacrifice zones” play out in their lives.
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Our extractive fossil fuel-based economy has always demanded that some people’s homes and health be sacrificed for the benefit of more privileged and powerful others. This article explores how one teacher engages her students in thinking about how “sacrifice zones” play out in their lives.
Warning from My Future Self
Book — Fiction. By Jean Tepperman. Illustrated by Alfred Twu. 2017. 34 pages.
A dystopian call-to-action story about the threat of climate change and the need for young people to act now.
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A dystopian call-to-action story about the threat of climate change and the need for young people to act now.
Sept. 20, 2017: Hurricane Maria Strikes Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico as a major Category 4 storm.
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Oct. 24 and 27, 2018: Hate Crimes in Kentucky and Pennsylvania
Two hate crime shootings in one week, one of African American shoppers in Kentucky and the other of Jewish worshippers in Pittsburgh.
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American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear
Book — Non-fiction. By Khaled Beydoun. 2018. 264 pages.
Describes the many ways in which law, policy, and official state rhetoric fueled the resurgence of Islamophobia in the United States
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Describes the many ways in which law, policy, and official state rhetoric fueled the resurgence of Islamophobia in the United States