April 15, 1960: Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Founding
Founding of the youth-led Civil Rights Movement organization, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
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Theme: Democracy & Citizenship
Democracy & Citizenship
Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot
Film. Produced by Bill Brummel. Learning for Justice. 2015. 40 minutes.
Documentary about the students and teachers of Selma, Alabama who fought for voting rights.
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Documentary about the students and teachers of Selma, Alabama who fought for voting rights.
Stepping into Selma: Voting Rights History and Legacy Today
Teaching Activity. Teaching for Change. 2015. 20 pages.
Introductory lesson on key people and events in the long history of the Selma freedom movement.
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Introductory lesson on key people and events in the long history of the Selma freedom movement.
SNCC Digital Gateway
Digital collection. Historical materials, profiles, timeline, map, and stories on SNCC’s voting rights organizing.
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June 20, 1967: Muhammad Ali Convicted for Refusing the Vietnam Draft
Muhammad Ali was convicted for refusing induction in the U.S. armed forces.
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June 12, 1963: Medgar Evers Murdered in Mississippi
Medgar Evers, WWII veteran and civil rights activist, was murdered by a white supremacist in Jackson, Mississippi.
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The Voting Rights Act: Ten Things You Should Know
Article. By Emilye Crosby and Judy Richardson. 2015.
Key points in the history of the 1965 Voting Rights Act missing from most textbooks.
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Key points in the history of the 1965 Voting Rights Act missing from most textbooks.
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer
Picture book. By Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Ekua Holmes. 2015. 45 pages.
Illustrated biography of Fannie Lou Hamer, activist for voting and economic rights from Mississippi.
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Illustrated biography of Fannie Lou Hamer, activist for voting and economic rights from Mississippi.
Nov. 3, 1972: Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan Occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Protesters from the Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) offices in Washington, D.C. for six days.
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Dec. 13, 1903: Civil Rights and Human Rights Activist Ella Baker Born
Born on this day, Ella Baker was a civil rights and human rights activist beginning in the 1930s whose career spanned more than five decades.
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Dec. 18, 1944: U.S. Supreme Court Rules Against Fred Korematsu; Declares Denial of Civil Liberties Legal
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Korematsu v. United States that the denial of civil liberties based on race and national origin was legal.
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Dec. 16, 1965: Students Suspended for Anti-War Armbands
A group of students wore black armbands to school to protest the war in Vietnam. The school board got wind of the protest and passed a preemptive ban.
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Count Them One by One: Black Mississippians Fighting for the Right to Vote
Book — Non-fiction. By Gordon A. Martin Jr. 2014. 272 pages.
A detailed portrait of brave individuals who risked everything in their fight for the right to vote.
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A detailed portrait of brave individuals who risked everything in their fight for the right to vote.
Francis Scott Key Opposed “Land of the Free”
Article. By Jefferson Morley. 2012.
"Star-Spangled Banner" songwriter Francis Scott Key opposed abolitionists and free speech in his role as district attorney of the city of Washington.
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"Star-Spangled Banner" songwriter Francis Scott Key opposed abolitionists and free speech in his role as district attorney of the city of Washington.
How to Abolish Columbus Day and Get an Indigenous Peoples’ Day Resolution Passed
Article. By Mahtowin Munro.
Campaign guidelines from the organizer of a successful effort to abolish Columbus Day and establish Indigenous Peoples' Day in Cambridge, Mass.
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Campaign guidelines from the organizer of a successful effort to abolish Columbus Day and establish Indigenous Peoples' Day in Cambridge, Mass.
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.
Reconstructing the South: A Role Play
Lesson. By Bill Bigelow. 17 pages.
This role play engages students in thinking about what freedpeople needed in order to achieve — and sustain — real freedom following the Civil War. It's followed by a chapter from the book Freedom's Unfinished Revolution.
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This role play engages students in thinking about what freedpeople needed in order to achieve — and sustain — real freedom following the Civil War. It's followed by a chapter from the book Freedom's Unfinished Revolution.
The Reconstruction Era and the Fragility of Democracy
Teaching Guide. By Facing History and Ourselves. 2015.
A collection of lessons, videos, and primary sources to teach about Reconstruction.
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A collection of lessons, videos, and primary sources to teach about Reconstruction.
A Short History of Reconstruction, Updated Edition
Book — Non-fiction. By Eric Foner. 2015. 352 pages.
A people's history view of the Reconstruction era.
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A people's history view of the Reconstruction era.
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 internment 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 internment by the U.S. government during WWII. He took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court twice.
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.
The Era of Reconstruction, 1861-1900
Book — Non-fiction. By National Park Service. 2017. 165 pages.
A theme study on the history of the Reconstruction era.
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A theme study on the history of the Reconstruction era.
A People’s History of Muslims in the United States: What Textbooks and the Media Miss
By Alison Kysia
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When I teach history related to Islam or Muslims in the United States, I begin by asking students what names they associate with these terms. The list is consistent year after year: Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad, and Muhammad Ali.
All of these individuals have affected U.S. history in significant ways. If we take a step back and look at the messages these figures communicate about Muslims in U.S. history, we see a story dominated by men and by the Nation of Islam. Although important, focusing solely on these stories leaves us with a skewed view of Muslims in U.S. history. Even these examples are a stretch. Most of my students reference 9/11 as the first time they heard of Muslims.
All of these individuals have affected U.S. history in significant ways. If we take a step back and look at the messages these figures communicate about Muslims in U.S. history, we see a story dominated by men and by the Nation of Islam. Although important, focusing solely on these stories leaves us with a skewed view of Muslims in U.S. history. Even these examples are a stretch. Most of my students reference 9/11 as the first time they heard of Muslims.
Teaching Untold Stories During Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
By Moé Yonamine
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“They’re Latinos . . . I think they’re some kind of farm workers.”
“No, they’re Asians with name tags.”
And then a student in a quiet voice walked by me slowly and muttered, “I think something really bad is happening to them.”
My students at Roosevelt High School in Portland, Oregon — one of the state’s most racially diverse schools — studied each black and white photo posted around the room, inspecting the background and the facial expressions; confused, anxious, frustrated. They began a journey to uncover the hidden story of the Japanese Latin American removal, internment, and deportation during World War II.
“No, they’re Asians with name tags.”
And then a student in a quiet voice walked by me slowly and muttered, “I think something really bad is happening to them.”
My students at Roosevelt High School in Portland, Oregon — one of the state’s most racially diverse schools — studied each black and white photo posted around the room, inspecting the background and the facial expressions; confused, anxious, frustrated. They began a journey to uncover the hidden story of the Japanese Latin American removal, internment, and deportation during World War II.
May 19, 1921: Yuri Kochiyama Born
Political activist Yuri Kochiyama was born in San Pedro, California.
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