New Website: Civil Rights Teaching

Posted by on February 4, 2005

[posted from Public Education Network Newsblast]

DR. KING?S WORDS INTO ACTIONS

Can you name five female civil rights leaders? Did the Civil Rights Movement begin in 1954 and end in 1970? What were the goals of the Black Power Movement? If you can’t answer these questions, you may be in need of a new myth-busting quiz that challenges conventional wisdom about the Movement. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. Now more than ever, Americans need to connect with our legacy of social activism. To truly honor the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. during Black History Month, we should be talking less about his dream and more about the movement he helped to grow. This short month is often reduced to Dr. King, Rosa Parks, and the summer of 1964, but everyday citizens struggled to make the dream a reality. Where is their chapter in America?s history books? And how can we continue their legacy? Two nonprofit organizations working for equity in education — Teaching for Change and the Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC) — have joined forces to create a thought-provoking quiz on the Civil Rights Movement that motivates and inspires students of all ages. Instead of offering easy answers, the questions are crafted to inspire discussion and further inquiry. Supplemental chapters and lessons are available during the month of February, giving families, schools, and church groups the option to delve deeper into these empowering stories.

http://www.civilrightsteaching.org/