US History - Standards of Learning - USII.25
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/brown/brown-aftermath.html
The Civil Rights movement was one of the tumultuous times in American history. It is important for students to recognize the men and women who rose above the turmoil to lead America through this troubling time. By listening and reading the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Banes Johnson the students can identify the goals and the course of action these leaders chose in guiding America through the obstacles that America faced. The transcripts can be used to compare the leaders and their ideas, and in turn the students will be able to better grasp what was the Civil Rights Movement
William Connolly
Source IDTag: USII.25.001
2. Robert F. Kennedy – Speech - Assassination of Martin Luther King - April 4, 1968 - Transcript
http://www.cs.umb.edu/~rwhealan/jfk/r040468.htm
The Civil Rights movement was one of the tumultuous times in American
history. It is important for students to recognize the men and women who
rose above the turmoil to lead America through this troubling time. By
listening and reading the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, President John
F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Banes Johnson the students can
identify the goals and the course of action these leaders chose in guiding
America through the obstacles that America faced. The transcripts can be
used to compare the leaders and their ideas, and in turn the students will
be able to better grasp what was the Civil Rights Movement
William Connolly
Source IDTag:USII.25.002
3. Martin Luther King - I Have a Dream - August 28, 1863 - Transcript
http://www.hpol.org/transcript.php?id=72
The Civil Rights movement was one of the tumultuous times in American
history. It is important for students to recognize the men and women who
rose above the turmoil to lead America through this troubling time. By
listening and reading the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, President John
F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Banes Johnson the students can
identify the goals and the course of action these leaders chose in guiding
America through the obstacles that America faced. The transcripts can be
used to compare the leaders and their ideas, and in turn the students will
be able to better grasp what was the Civil Rights Movement
William Connolly
Source IDTag:
USII.25.003
4. Martin Luther King - Letter From Birmingham Jail Cell - April 16, 1963
http://almaz.com/nobel/peace/MLK-jail.html
The Civil Rights movement was one of the tumultuous times in American
history. It is important for students to recognize the men and women who
rose above the turmoil to lead America through this troubling time. By
listening and reading the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, President John
F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Banes Johnson the students can
identify the goals and the course of action these leaders chose in guiding
America through the obstacles that America faced. The transcripts can be
used to compare the leaders and their ideas, and in turn the students will
be able to better grasp what was the Civil Rights Movement
William Connolly
Source IDTag:
USII.25.004
5. Lyndon Banes Johnson Speech - We Shall Overcome – March 5, 1965
http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/johnson.htm
The Civil Rights movement was one of the tumultuous times in American
history. It is important for students to recognize the men and women who
rose above the turmoil to lead America through this troubling time. By
listening and reading the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, President John
F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Banes Johnson the students can
identify the goals and the course of action these leaders chose in guiding
America through the obstacles that America faced. The transcripts can be
used to compare the leaders and their ideas, and in turn the students will
be able to better grasp what was the Civil Rights Movement.
William Connolly
Source IDTag:USII.25.005
6. Image Marian Anderson Concert 1939 Lincoln Memorial
http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/anderson/linimage2.html
In 1939 Marian Anderson was to have performed a concert at Constitution Hall
in Washington DC. However the owners of the Hall, the Daughters of the
American Revolution refused to allow a “singer of color” the opportunity to
perform. Hearing of this First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Interior Secretary
Harold Ickes invited Anderson to perform on Easter Sunday on the steps of
the Lincoln Memorial. The concert would serve as the symbolic beginning of
the Civil Rights movement. This source shows the size of the crowd gathered
to hear the concert.
-Chris Garth
Source IDTag:
USII.25.006
7. Video File “Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial 1939”
http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/anderson/lincoln.html
This source can be found at the UPenn site and requires a Real Player to
cast the video. In this one minute film which has narration and is edited
Marian Anderson is seen performing at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 during
her famous Easter Day concert. Contained in the film is part of her
performance of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” the signature moment in the concert
which symbolically began the Civil Rights movement in the 20th century.
Anderson is shown with the statue of Lincoln seated over her right shoulder
while she is facing the audience. The film also scans the audience showing
its size and thus suggesting the impact of the concert. This event is one of
the most remarkable of the 20th century and the footage here is a treasure
to present to students.
-Chris Garth
Source IDTag: USII.25.007
8. Image Truman Press Release of Executive Order No 9981
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/odyssey/archive/09/0901001r.jpg
In this source President Truman’s administration is releasing for public
consumption his order desegregating the American military. This order
specifically directs the creation of a commission to implement the
desegregation ordered by Truman. The usefulness of this source is to
demonstrate the speed at which change takes place and would offer students
the opportunity to discuss what steps were likely taken to slow down the
desegregation and would be an interesting comparison to the steps taken by
Branch Rickey the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers prior to the
promotion of Jackie Robinson in 1947.
-Chris Garth
Source IDTag:
USII.25.008
9. Jackie Robinson Cartoon and KKK threat
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/education/units/content/cultural_diversity/
These two images show the feelings towards Jackie Robinson’s promotion to
the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Robinson received threats from all regions of
the country, but especially when his team played in southern areas of the
U.S. Cincinnati was one of the few western baseball teams in the Major
Leagues at the time and was a particularly souce of vile opposition to
Robinson. The Cartoon shows the impact of Robinson’s play as a hitter that
eventually helped him to become not only accepted as a major league player
but also as a symbol of the changing race relations in America. The letter
most likely written by a member of the KKK in 1951 shows that even after he
was named the Rookie of the Year the feelings towards a Black player
remained strong.
-Chris Garth
Source IDTag:
USII.25.009a and
USII.25.009b
10. Jackie Robinson as a Soldier (The National Baseball Library)
http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/education/units/content/cultural_diversity/
Jackie Robinson was drafted in 1942, five years before he was allowed to
play in the Major Leagues. He was eventually discharged in 1944 but never
saw combat as his duty was restricted by injury. This image originally
appeared in the New York World Telegram. This source could be used to
demonstrate the path of new racial attitudes in America and also to help
students understand an element of World War II in which FDR ended the
practice of segregated military units.
-Chris Garth
Source IDTag:
USII.25.010
11. *Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=87
This landmark 1954 court case “Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka” overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and ruled that separating children on the basis of race was unconstitutional. The South became a battle ground between those who took steps to enforce this decision and white Southerners and politicians who vowed to prevent integration in their states. This led to the events at Central High School in Arkansas in 1957. President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent National Guard troops to Little Rock to protect the African American students. When the “Little Rock Nine” attempted to enter the school they faced verbal abuse by a hostile crowd. Eisenhower ordered the protesters to “cease and desist” and federalized the Arkansas National Guard. With the help of troops, the nine African-American students entered the school to attend their first day of classes. Students read will analyze the Brown v. Board of Education decision and explain its importance to education and the civil rights movement.
Focus Questions:
- How does the decision define “separate but equal”?
- Explain why the court says that segregated schools are inherently unequal.
- What aspects of life did this decision affect? What aspects did it not affect?
*Photo Gallery:
http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/central/
The website is “Arkansas Online” and features photographs by Will Counts for the Arkansas Democrat relative to the events at Central High in 1957. View photographs taken by Counts and answer the following questions:
§ Why did school integration make so many Southerners angry?
§ View the rest of the photographs. Assume the role of an African-American living under the rules of segregation. How would you react? Why?
§ After viewing the photographs, do you believe that sending in federal troops was the only alternative to resolve the situation in Little Rock? Why? Why not?
§ How have race relations changed since 1957?
12. *The Civil Rights Act of 1964
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/index.php?flash=true&
Students may also access the document transcript at this website.
Before his assassination on November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy sent a civil rights bill to Congress which guaranteed equal access to all public accommodations and gave the U.S. attorney general the power to file desegregation suits. After Kennedy’s tragic assassination, Congress passed and President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . The act outlawed segregation in businesses and theaters, restaurants, hotels. It prohibited discrimination in employment and ended segregation in public places and public schools. (July 2, 1964) The act was viewed by many as a fitting memorial to President Kennedy. Students will read and understand the principles of this act.
Focus Questions:
- What recourse does an individual have if they feel that they have been discriminated against?
- Who were the recipients of the benefits of the legislation in 1964?
- What was the purpose of defining every term used in Section 702 of the document?
- What protections were provided for individuals under this act?
- Create questions and conduct an interview with someone who lived through the Civil Rights Movement.
13. *“March on Washington Program” at Lincoln Memorial
http://www.jfklibrary.net/civil_rights_documents_index.html
This website is from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It features a variety of historical sources including a timeline, archives, White House diary, as well as a virtual museum tour. Also included in the website are additional links that provide useful information for both teachers and students.
This is the front cover of the program for the March on Washington, August 28, 1963.
Student view the cover to make inferences about the March on Washington, and compare the civil rights speeches of Kennedy and King.
http://www.jfklibrary.net/j061163.htm
*Audio File: John F. Kennedy’s Civil Rights Address to the Nation
(June 11, 1963) Radio and Television Report to the people on Civil Rights
One of the toughest decisions John F. Kennedy faced after he was elected president in 1960 was the issue of civil rights. The television images of the civil rights crisis in Birmingham, Alabama shocked the nation in 1963. President Kennedy was particularly sickened by the picture in the New York Times which showed a dog “lunging to bite a teenager in the stomach.”
Kennedy was concerned that the race riots might spread to other Southern cities. Consequently, he came to realize that he had to request civil rights legislation from Congress. In a televised speech, Kennedy announced his civil rights proposal. It is considered by many as one of his finest speeches.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/Ihaveadream.htm
From the website: America Rhetoric-The Power of Oratory in the United States (Michael E. Eidenmuller)
“An Index to and growing database of 5000+ full text, audio and video (streaming) versions of public speeches, sermons, legal proceedings, lectures, debates, interviews, other recorded media events.” This site provides access to 100 of the most important speeches in the 20th century. (compiled by Stephen Lucas-University of Wisconsin & Martin J. Medhurst-Baylor University)
*A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Delivered at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom-August 28, 1963.
In 1960, segregation divided the nation.
To persuade Congress to pass Kennedy’s proposed civil rights legislation, a “March on Washington” was organized, which drew more than 250,000 people to the nation’s capital.
Dr. Martin Luther King gave one of his most eloquent speeches here: “I Have a Dream.” King’s non-violent resistance was based on the teachings of people like Gandhi and Henry David Thoreau.
Lesson Suggestions:
§ Students compare Kennedy’s civil rights speech with King’s speech. What are the similarities? Differences? Paraphrase the central theme of both speeches.
§ Have students create a poster with pictures and a timeline showing the highlights of the Civil Rights Movement
§ Have students create a multimedia presentation that illustrates aspects of the Civil Rights Movement and present it to their classmates
14. Civil Rights
This poster was donated in 1964 by Rev. Walter Fauntroy, a principle organizer and chairman of the Washington, D.C., coordinating committee. There are several civil rights primary source documents on the Smithsonian website.
15. “The Civil Rights Movement”
http://www.temple.edu/naacp/civil8.jpg
This photograph of a burnt out bus can be used to illustrate the danger faced by African-Americans participating in the Civil Rights movement. This particular photograph is of a burnt out bus after one of the freedom rides of the early 1960’s. It should be pointed out to students that this photograph contains both African-Americans and whites in it.
16. “The Civil Rights Movement”
http://www.schoolhousevideo.org/Media/MLKinDC.jpg
This photograph is of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Washington, D.C. on the day of the “I Have a Dream Speech.” This photograph can be used as a visual image to connect students to the text of the “I Have a Dream Speech.”
17. “The Civil Rights Movement”
http://www.unc.edu/courses/2000fall/hist022-002/greensboro.jpg
This photograph demonstrates one method of non-violent protest used by Civil Rights Activists in the 1960’s. This photograph is of African-American students engaged in a sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1960.
18. “The Civil Rights Movement”
http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/BHS/Juniorprojects/Hopkins01/synettaj5284/63_march_Wash.jpg
This photograph is of the march on Washington D.C. conducted in August of 1963. This photograph depicts the large number of people who took part in the march on Washington and should connect students with the importance of the event.
19. “The Civil Rights Movement”
http://www.wildelake.com/black_history/images/brimingham_letter.jpg
This is a photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. in jail in Birmingham, Alabama following the protest of 1963. It was from this cell that King composed the Letter from a Birmingham City Jail.
20. “The Civil Rights Movement”
http://elsinore.cis.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/treatise/king/mlk01.htm
In August of 1963 Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered this now famous speech outlining his dream
of the future of this country. King speaks of the day in this country when
his children will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the
content of their character. This speech outlines the goal of whites and
blacks one day peacefully cooperating with one another in the United States
of America.
21. Civil Rights Movement
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aointro.html
The site covers the civil rights movement from the peculiar institution to
the Civil Rights Movement of the sixties. It has an excellent chronology of
the key moments and people of each area. It is accompanied by a primary
sources and direct link. Students and teacher will like its format and
primary sources. The history of the civil rights movement can be appreciated
through the use of this site.
-Carl Robidoux
22. Committee on Civil Rights—To Secure These
Rights
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/civilrights/srights1.htm
The World War II experiences of many African-Americans led to a questioning
of race relations in the United States post-war. President Truman
established the Committee on Civil Rights as part of his Fair Deal domestic
program. This committee’s report, issued in 1947 and known as “To Secure
These Rights” outlined the conditions of race relations in the United States
and provided Truman with recommendations on how to fix those problems.
Although Truman moved very slowly on following the recommendations, it began
a national discussion on race that continues to this day.
-Christopher Borden
23. “On the Verge of a Dangerous Racial
Conflagration”
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/sources/ps_till.html
File memo to President Eisenhower following the brutal murder of Emmett
Till, written by E. Frederic Morrow, the first African-American White House
staff member. Memo details the rising levels of violence against
African-Americans and Morrow’s growing discontent with both himself and the
Eisenhower administration for not doing more to prevent this violence.
-Christopher Borden
24. Rules for Riding Desegregated Buses
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/sources/ps_bus.html
Following the desegregation of buses in Montgomery, AL in 1956, the
Montgomery Improvement Association created these rules for
African-Americans. The rules detail how to continue with a path of
non-violence and to resist temptation to be a “good winner.”
-Christopher Borden
25. “No School in our state will be
integrated…”
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/sources/ps_schools.html
This is a transcript of an address by Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett on
September 13th, 1962. Barnett is defying the Supreme Court and refusing to
admit James Meredith to the University of Mississippi. Two weeks after this
address, violence erupted at the campus and President Kennedy had to send
federal troops to end the violence and ensure Meredith’s enrollment.
-Christopher Borden
26. Nonviolence and Racial Justice—Martin
Luther King, Jr.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/sources/ps_nonviolence.html
Following the great success of the busing boycott in Montgomery, AL, the
leader of the movement, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote this article
explaining the rationale behind the use of non-violence and also explaining
why its use was critical to the future of the Civil Rights Movement.
-Christopher Borden
27. Letter from a Freedom Rider’s Father
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/sources/ps_riders.html
In the spring of 1961, UC-Berkeley student John Dolan left California to
join the “Freedom Rides” taking place across the American South. His father
vehemently protested this decision and wrote Dolan this letter with his
criticisms. This letter shows the level of pressure on the many students who
joined the movement.
-Christopher Borden
28. 1965 Alabama State Literacy Test
www.ccle.fourh.umn.edu/literacy.pdf
In order to prevent African-Americans from registering to vote, the state of
Alabama (as well as other southern states) created these “literacy” tests
that African-Americans had to take in order to register to vote. The test is
approximately 70 questions and is a United States Civics exam.
-Christopher Borden
29. Malcolm X Response to violence in
Birmingham
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LukWzli19M
This video highlights the (at the time) stark difference in opinions between
Dr. King and Malcolm X. In the clip, Malcolm X responds to the violence in
Birmingham in the summer of 1963 and criticizes all involved,
African-Americans, White Americans and the President for their actions or
non-actions.
-Christopher Borden
30. Martin Luther King “I Have a Dream”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8AxgXxmgFM
Although the text of this speech has already been used as a source
previously in this course, the video is very powerful and could be used to
great effect also. This speech was given in August of 1963 was the
culmination of a violent summer in America.
-Christopher Borden
31. John Lewis—“Patience is a Dirty and Nasty
Word”
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/sources/ps_washington.html
On the same day as Dr. King’s famous “I have a Dream…” speech, SNCC leader
John Lewis gave this angry and critical speech. The version provided is the
edited version that Lewis gave at the march. He originally had a much more
angry and aggressive speech; he changed the speech at the request of A.
Phillip Randolph, who argued that it was not the time for angry rhetoric.
-Christopher Borden
32. Photo—Fanny Lou Hamer
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/story/images/09_summer_09.jpg
At the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, NJ, civil
rights worker, sharecroppers and field workers sent their own racially
integrated delegates from Mississippi to replace the all-white Mississippi
delegation. Their bid for official recognition failed but they embarrassed
LBJ but their efforts captivated like-minded citizens across the country to
join the battle for civil rights.
-Christopher Borden
33. “Blowin in the Wind”
http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/vote/300.html
Popular music in society can be an incredibly powerful historical tool as it often reflects the moods and attitudes of the American public during a particular period of history. The events of the 1960s, particularly the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam war, triggered a number of responses through song about the mood of many Americans.
One of the most famous protest songs of the 1960s is Bob Dylan’s, “Blowin in the Wind.” In this song, Dylan addresses a number of issues including race, war and peace. Many people have often referred to this song as Dylan’s most important song. Because Dylan offers no clear cut solution to the questions he is asking, he leaves the answers up to interpretation of the listener. By leaving these questions open to interpretation, Dylan forces the listener (or student) to think about the questions he is asking and the problems that were affecting America in the 1960s and to a certain extent today.
The use of popular music in the classroom tends to be fairly successful and the students seem to enjoy it. Use of this song and other protest songs addresses standard USII.25 Analyze the origins, goals, and key events of the Civil Rights movement. This and other songs can be used in many ways. Because Bob Dylan had an obsession with the music of Woodie Guthrie, the music of both artists can be compared and contrasted and the students can look to try to see specifically how Guthrie influenced Dylan. In addition, Dylan also liked to draw upon the music of old traditional folk songs and spirituals so another activity could be to try and make connections across generations of music to see where people draw inspiration from. Finally, what has been really successful has been to have students analyze this song and the issues presented and then have them come back with present day songs which address similar issues and see if they can offer any solutions.
- Alexandra Friedman
