Unit two is called "Fighting for Justice." In this unit we explore the ways men and women outside of governments have worked to create just communities. We begin by the unit by learning about the struggle for women's rights. Then, we will examine the legacy of the Civil War and explore how young and old activists fought against racial discrimination. We will pay close attention to the history of school integration, including an in-depth comparison of Little Rock in 1957 and Boston in 1974.
End of Unit Standards-Based Assessment: Memorial Project (see bottom of page for handouts)
Here are 2014 WMS students participating in a celebration of the Gettysburg Address.
Massachusetts guarantees access to public schools to all kids in 1845. There was a struggle to desegregate the schools on Nantucket!
Check out this site about the 1850 case in Massachusetts about segregated schools. This was one of the cases used by the Supreme Court to support "separate but equal" train cars in the Plessy case.
Sarah Remond, a black woman, challenged discrimination in a Boston theater and elsewhere in 1853.
Brief article from NPR about subtle racial bias
Thinking about how to build a more just community, a government appointed group tried to figure out how to solve some of the issues in Ferguson, MO.
Really interesting and interactive map about racial segregation in the US today (using 2010 US Census data)
1930s maps showing how regions of cities in the US were labeled. These labels were used by the Federal government to make it harder for some people to get a loan to buy a house or to get insurance for the house.
"Code Switch is a great blog about issues of race, culture, and ethnicity. This entry is about the beginnings of the integration of Hollywood through Jazz musicians in the 1930s.
Victor Green first published "The Negro Motorist Green Book" to help people of color safely travel in parts of the country. Check this resource out as a pdf on this page.
A comprehensive look at "The Green Book" including interactive maps created by Brian Foo of the New York Public Library.
A recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action in Michigan highlighted differences of opinion about racial "colorblindness" and the law.
Article about how it is legal to discriminate against LGBT people in most states
Incredible resource from the FBI with maps, timeline, and tons of information.
NY Times article and video of Money, Mississippi today along with historical images
Article written in 1958 reflecting back on Mose Wright's courageous actions in bringing evidence to court.
Website about a book published in 2015 called "Emmett Till: The Murder that Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement." LOTS of pictures, information, and links.
PBS resource with information about Roy and Carolyn Bryant.
60 Minutes story from 2009 about the ongoing FBI investigation into the 1955 murder of Emmett Till
Article about the death of JW Milam's wife Jaunita in 2014.
Two most recent articles from the New York Times in 2017. Carolyn Bryant (now 82 years old) was interviewed for a new book.:
NPR article about a 1964 murder that has never been solved
NY Times report about a TV show that discusses unsolved "civil rights era" cases from the 1960s.
NPR article about the legacy of busing in Boston (2016): http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/10/05/495504360/looking-back-on-50-years-of-busing-in-boston
Interviews of people who were involved in desegregating Boston schools
• Choose from these people who have the most to say about this topic:
-- Activists: Mary Ellen Smith, Lewis Finfer
-- Students: Barbara Faith, Joanne Sweeney
-- Teachers: Patricia A. Kelly
-- Politicians: John Nucci, Jimmy Kelly
The Boston Globe organized many perspectives that people have about busing in Boston.
Article from 2013 about Louise Day Hicks.
In the midst of desegregating schools through busing, an integrated Hyde Park football team pushed to win the league title.
"A Fear of Going to School: Five Former Boston Students Reflect on Busing"
Did busing slow Boston's desegregation?
Read about the organized "stay-out" of Boston schools on June 18, 1963 in protest of de facto segregation.
ASSIGNMENTS AND VIDEOS
Watch this Eyes on the Prize segment about the Black Panthers. Pause as needed to complete the ticket to leave. We will have a discussion before the end of class.
"Understanding Jim Crow" video and questions
Jane Elliott's classroom experiment: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/etc/view.html
• for red and orange classes, click on Day 2
Now that you have seen "Eye of the Storm," watch this follow-up video below. Learn about how the students in Ms. Elliott's class grew up and 14 years later still remember the lesson from 3rd grade.
FIRST EXAMPLE: WATCH FROM 32:45 - 35:45
SECOND EXAMPLE: WATCH FROM 38:35 - 42:45
#1 - LOOK AND WRITE:
In your blue book, list 5 things you notice in this image.
What do you think is going on? WRITE AT LEAST TWO SENTENCES (use your background knowledge and clues in the image to help you)
#2 - WATCH AND WRITE:
In your blue book...
1. Who is Tommie Smith and John Carlos?
2. What did they do at the Olympics in 1968?
3. What does "Black Power" mean? (the video will help you a little; we will learn more in class)
#3 - OPTIONAL: WATCH VIDEO AND CHECK OUT TOMMIE SMITH AND JOHN CARLOS MEMORIAL
This site tells the story of Quock Walker, a slave in Massachusetts who successfully sued for his freedom in 1783:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2h38.html
There were other cases of slaves suing their masters for freedom in the early 1800s. Some won because they were able to prove white or Native American ancestry, others because they had been unlawfully captured or transported. The power of slaves to sue (research shows they won more than half of the cases!) in a court dominated by white judges, juries, and lawyers impresses me. The Dred Scott case of 1851 changed everything.
These two sites deal with the "Triangle Trade." The second site is from a high school history class and has a straightforward description (ignore the assignment, just read for information):
http://www.africanculturalcenter.org/4_5slavery.html
http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips/t5prod/cohenwq1.html#Introduction
This is the "Act to Prohibit the Importation of Slaves" (1807):
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=179
African's in America: The Terrible Transformation:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/narrative.html
The website of the American Anti-Slavery Group:
Travel to sites of the Civil War: http://www.civilwartrails.org
Were your ancestors soldiers in the Civil War?: http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/
A description of the 13th Amendment. You can also find other amendments at this site:
http://topics.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiii
A description of the 14th Amendment: http://topics.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv
Another site for post Bill of Rights amendments to the Constitution:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html
Marching for Freedom by Elizabeth Partridge is "the story of how ordinary kids helped change history. Award-winning author Elizabeth Partridge explorers the events at Selma from their point of view, drawing on the vivid recollections of some of those who marched as children." This site links you with Google Lit Trips which is an interactive way to follow the story, if you have access to Google Earth. Check out the site, grab the book, and download the .kmz file:
Great site for learning about the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s (click on "Explore History"):
http://www.sitinmovement.org/home.asp
FOR STUDENTS WHO WILL MISS CLASS 2/17 AND/OR 2/18
Use this link to learn more about the CHOICES people made in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957:
http://www.choosingtoparticipate.org/explore/exhibit/stories/little-rock
Make sure you read every page and use every link. READ THROUGH THE QUESTIONS AT THE END CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU CHOOSE THE ONES YOU WILL ANSWER IN YOUR BLUE BOOK. Go back to any page you need to answer the questions you chose.