1961–1974 Archives

Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement: Oral Histories and Archives

Digital collection. More than 100 oral histories with leaders and shapers of the disability rights and independent living movement.

Pauli Murray: Fighting Jane Crow

Article. By Paula Giddings, The Nation, May 23, 1987.
Review of Pauli Murray's autobiography, Song in a Weary Throat: An American Pilgrimage.

She Would Not Be Moved: How We Tell the Story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Book — Non-fiction. By Herbert Kohl. Intro by Marian Wright Edelman. 2007. 126 pages.
The myths and facts about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down

Picture book. By Andrea Davis Pinkney. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. 2010.
A picture book about the 1960 Woolworth sit-ins.

Debating the Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1968

Book — Non-fiction. By Stephen Lawson and Charles Payne. 2006. 227 pages.
Introduces and examines the complex story of the modern Civil Rights Movement as it should be taught, providing key background information and analysis for teachers.

Hidden in Plain Sight: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Radical Vision

Teaching Activity. By Craig Gordon, Urban Dreams, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Project. 2003, updated in 2017.
Lesson to introduce students to the speeches and work of Dr. King beyond "I have a dream."

No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller

Book — Non-fiction. By Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. Artwork by R. Gregory Christie. 2012. 188 pages.
The story of Lewis Micheaux, owner of the famous National Memorial African Bookstore for grades 7+ .

Ruby Bridges

Film. Directed by Euzhan Palcy. 1998. 96 minutes.
The true story of Ruby Bridges, the six-year-old girl who helped to integrate the all-white schools in New Orleans.

I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin’s Life in Letters

Book — Non-fiction. Edited by Michael G. Long. By Bayard Rustin. Foreword by Julian Bond. 2012. 276 pages.
The story of the behind-the-scenes strategist, organizer, and advocate of non-violence, Bayard Rustin.

Pete Seeger

Profile. Pete Seeger (1919-2014) was a folk singer, songwriter, and activist.

Italian American Who Fought for Justice - Viola Luizzo Family | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Liuzzo, Viola

Profile. Viola Liuzzo (April 11, 1925 – March 25, 1965), Civil Rights activist, was murdered in 1965 by the KKK after the Selma to Montgomery March.

The Rock and the River

Book — Fiction. By Kekla Magoon. 2010. 304 pages.
Coming-of-age story that shows the close connections between the civil rights and Black power movements through an intimate and relatable lens.

The Autobiography of Medgar Evers: A Hero’s Life and Legacy Revealed Through His Writings, Letters, and Speeches

Book — Non-fiction. By Manning Marable and Myrlie Evers-Williams. 2006. 400 pages.
Comprehensive collection of the words of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers.

The Sky’s the Limit: People v. Newton, The REAL Trial of the 20th Century?

Book — Non-fiction. By Lise Pearlman. 2012. 800 pages.
Brings to life 20th century court cases and protests that played a major role in U.S. history.

Attica Prison Uprising

Resource list. Overview with links to articles, books, primers, films, and websites about the Attica Prison Uprising for the classroom.

Freedom on My Mind

Film. Directed Connie Field and Marilyn Mulford. Written by Michael Chandler. 1994. 110 minutes.
The story of the Mississippi freedom movement in the early 1960s.

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks

Book — Non-fiction. By Jeanne Theoharis. 2013. 320 pages.
A revealing window into Rosa Parks’ politics and years of activism.

‘I’m Studying the Vietnam War . . .’: The Veteran Voice in the Vietnam War History Curriculum

Article. By Jerry Lembcke. 2013.
Reflections on the pros and cons of student oral histories with Vietnam War veterans.

Pentagon Papers collage | Zinn Education Project

Camouflaging the Vietnam War: How Textbooks Continue to Keep the Pentagon Papers a Secret

Article. By Bill Bigelow. 2013. If We Knew Our History Series. While new U.S. history textbooks mention the Pentagon Papers, none grapples with the actual import of the Pentagon Papers.

Teaching Activity by Bill Bigelow