Unit 11 - Civil Rights and the Vietnam WaR

Understanding through Music

Think About It

Here are two songs about the Vietnam War. They have very different perspectives. Which one do you prefer and why?

Understanding Through Art

Desegregation in public places was a long fight during the Civil Rights movement. While certain state and local governments in the south tried to resist, some schools even preferred to close if they were required to desegregate. Security needed to be provided because of threats of violence against black students.

Norman Rockwell was a famous painter who created many warm and comfortable scenes of American culture. His work was sometimes used on major magazine covers. But one of his most political pictures was The Problem We All Live With (1960). The picture shows a scene of security guards protecting a black schoolgirl; a racial insult is written across the back wall. What do you think about the image? How should the audience think or feel about “The Problem”?