Organizing Archives

I’ll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month

Book — Non-fiction. By Jarvis R. Givens. 2026. 208 pages.
At a time when Black history is under attack, this book offers an inspiring vision for how it can still be a source of power, truth, and possibility.

August 21, 1939. Arrest of five young Black men for peaceful protest at the whites-only "public" library in Alexandria, Va.

Aug. 21, 1939: African Americans Arrested for Going to Public Library

Five Black men were arrested for staging a peaceful sit-in at the Alexandria “public” library that denied access to African Americans, making this the anniversary of one of the earliest instances of this form of non-violent protest that became popular in the mid-20th century.

Nov. 6, 2023: Statue of Liberty Sit-in Demanding Gaza Ceasefire

Hundreds of protesters occupied the base of the Statue of Liberty as part of a sit-in demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.

Fight for the Right to Read

Book — Historical non-fiction. By Jeff Gottesfeld and Michelle Y. Green, and illustrated by Kim Holt. 2025. 36 pages.
The story of Samuel Wilbert Tucker, who organized a sit-in and subsequent court cases to challenge the exclusion of African Americans from public libraries.

SNCC Legacy Project Toolkits

Teaching Guides. By the SNCC Legacy Project. 2025.
Six toolkits that are free to download, each with primary documents, narrative history, photos, and discussion questions.

A Century of Struggle Poster and Guide

Poster. By Ricardo Levins Morales and Janna Schneider, with a Companion Guide by Jennings Mergenthal and Jaime Hokanson. 2025. 50 pages.
Chronicles U.S. social justice struggles, groups, activists, campaigns, slogans, publications, and events from 1900–2000.

The People Speak (Film) | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

The People Speak – Extended Edition – DVD

Film. Directed by Howard Zinn, Chris Moore, and Anthony Arnove. 2009. 110 minutes.
Dramatic readings and performances based on Voices of a People's History and A People's History of the United States.

June 28, 1969: Stonewall Riots

Police arrived at the Stonewall Inn and arrested anyone found to be cross-dressing, resulting in mayhem and what are now referred to as the Stonewall Riots. This was a milestone in a long history of LGBTQ+ activism.

ACT UP New York Activists | Zinn Education Project

June 5, 1981: AIDS Epidemic Recognized by Medical Community

The CDC published a medical study about five gay men, plagued by a mysterious autoimmune disease (AIDS), in June 1981.

How to Survive a Plague

Film. Directed by David France. Public Square Films. 2012. 109 minutes.
This documentary is about the early years of the AIDS epidemic, and the grassroots movement of activists, many of them in a life-or-death struggle, who seized upon scientific research to help develop the drugs that turned HIV from a mostly fatal infection to a manageable disease.

July 4, 1965: First Annual Reminder Demonstration for Gay and Lesbian Rights

Gay and lesbian activists on the east coast protested in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia to demand equitable treatment and respect.

King of the North: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life of Struggle Outside the South

Book — Non-fiction. 2025. By Jeanne Theoharis. 400 pages.
Illustrates how King’s time in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago — outside Dixie — was at the heart of his campaign for racial justice.

Teaching the Fight for Queer Liberation

Teaching Activity. By Nick Palazzolo. Rethinking Schools. 2025. 74 pages.
A dilemma-based, problem-solving lesson on the history of the fight for queer liberation in the United States.

Walkout

Film. Produced by Moctesuma Esparza. 2006. 111 minutes.
Walkout tells the true story of the Chicano students of East L.A., who in 1968 staged several dramatic walkouts in their high schools to protest academic prejudice and dire school conditions.

Sept. 25, 1970: NYU Weinstein Hall Occupation for LGBTQ+ Rights

LGBTQ+ activists organized an occupation of NYU’s Weinstein Hall to protest the university’s discriminatory conduct against LGBTQ+ students and the local community.

April 19, 1911: Grand Rapids Furniture Workers Strike

Though ultimately unsuccessful in achieving their demands, the Grand Rapids Furniture Workers Strike of 1911 included thousands of workers and garnered notable public support.

Nov. 4, 1985: Calvin College Students Call for Divestment from Apartheid South Africa

Students and faculty joined in an ultimately successful anti-Apartheid campaign at Calvin College.

July 24, 1969: Founding of the Gay Liberation Front

A group of gay men and lesbians who were tired of police abuse and frustrated with the Mattachine Society’s tactics formed the Gay Liberation Front.

July 6, 1973: Founding of the Lavender Panthers in San Francisco

Spurred by the sharp increase in violence against the LGBTQ+ community, the Lavender Panthers formed as a group of armed street vigilantes who patrolled San Francisco to defend the gay community.

May 21, 1990: ACT UP National Action to “Storm the NIH”

ACT UP New York organized a national action to “Storm the NIH” demanding that the National Institutes of Health do more to support those suffering from HIV and AIDS.

Nov. 11, 1950: Founding of the Mattachine Society

The Mattachine Society was founded in Los Angeles by a group of leftist gay men and acted primarily as a social group in which members could discuss the discrimination and antigay violence they experienced.