Civil Rights Education in America
With the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington approaching, professor and historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. asks what American students know about the Civil Rights Movement. His answer? Not much.
With the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington approaching, professor and historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. asks what American students know about the Civil Rights Movement. His answer? Not much.
On August 6, 1965, surrounded by civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law. The landmark piece of legislation was designed to enforce the 15th Amendment and prohibited states from imposing any race-based voting qualifications that would abridge the right of any citizen to vote. In particular, the legislation prohibited the imposition of … Read more »
On January 31, 1919, the American baseball player Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia, to a family of sharecroppers. The following year, his family moved to Pasadena, California, and it was here that Robinson grew up. In high school, he was a star on his school’s baseball, football, basketball, and track teams; after two years at Pasadena Junior College, he became the first athlete to earn varsity letters in … Read more »
As teachers begin to think about their lesson plans to help students commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday on January 15 (nationally observed this year on Monday, January 21), take a look at the National Portrait Gallery’s Struggle for Justice exhibit, much of which can be viewed online. The exhibition is a permanent installation on the museum’s second floor and documents America’s history of increasing participation and inclusiveness … Read more »
Distinguished scholar-teachers Amy and Leon Kass demonstrate how short stories, speeches, and songs can be used to enhance civic education and how a pedagogical approach that stresses learning through inquiry can make primary sources come alive for students of all ages.
View the CurriculumBuy the Book“What a wonderful collection of American songs, speeches, and stories. It should be valuable for teachers, students, parents, and readers of all kinds.”
— Diane Ravitch