Chapter 10 – The Modern Civil Rights Movement, 1945–1970s

Resources for Chapter 10 – The Modern Civil Rights Movement, 1945–1970s

Opening Hook

Documents

Document 10.1 – “We Charge Genocide”

Document 10.2 – Ella Baker’s “Bigger than a Hamburger” Speech

Document 10.3 – Diane Nash and the Freedom Rides

Document 10.4 – John Lewis’s Speech at the March on Washington

Document 10.5 – Fannie Lou Hamer and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party

Document 10.6 – The Black Panther Party of Self-Defense

Document 10.7 – Martin Luther King at Grosse Pointe High School

Document 10.8 – “Say it Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud”

Check for Understanding

Additional Resources

Podcasts

Malcolm X Beyond the Mythology
Teaching Hard History, Season 3, Episode 14 — Learning for Justice
https://learningforjustice.org/podcasts/teaching-hard-history/civil-rights-movement/malcolm-x-beyond-the-mythology

This podcast is designed for teachers to deepen their understanding of Malcolm X and share the complexity with students. The conversation challenges the simplistic, often Hollywood-driven mythology surrounding Malcolm X to provide a historically complex view of his commitment to Black self-determination and radical critique of American society. Dr. Lang and Dr. Jeffries emphasize that teaching Malcolm X’s life and work can illuminate the full diversity of strategies and political thought that defined the Black freedom struggle.

The Real Black Panthers
Throughline — National Public Radio
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/31/1152784993/the-real-black-panthers-2021

This podcast can be assigned to students who can then share out their most surprising takeaways. It delves into the actual history of the Black Panther Party (BPP), moving beyond the sensationalized media portrayals of armed revolutionaries to explore their community work. The hosts highlight the BPP’s Survival Programs—such as the Free Breakfast for School Children program—and their comprehensive Ten-Point Platform, which addressed systemic issues like poverty, housing, and police brutality.

Documentaries

Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement
PBS, 1987
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/eyesontheprize/

The documentary series Eyes on the Prize is widely regarded as the definitive historical chronicle of the American Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1985. Through powerful archival footage and moving interviews with both activists and opponents, the series presents a sweeping, grassroots history of the Black freedom struggle in the United States. Screening clips of events in this chapter and in the entire book will bring a stunning visual narrative to students.

Fannie Lou Hamer’s America
American Reframed, 2022
https://www.pbs.org/video/fannie-lou-hamers-america-9knshm/

This documentary highlights the life and legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer, a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement. It is a deeply personal look at her struggle for voting rights and social justice. Screening this documentary sheds fascinating insight onto a little known female figure and would benefit all students.

James Brown: Say It Loud
A&E Documentary, 2024
https://play.aetv.com/shows/james-brown-say-it-loud

This A&E documentary explores the life and influence of James Brown, particularly his role in the Civil Rights Movement and the cultural impact of his music. It’s a great resource for discussing the intersection of music and social change. After viewing the documentary, students could research a current song and research the cultural context and importance to society.

Freedom Riders
PBS American Experience
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/freedomriders/

This documentary tells the powerful story of the Freedom Riders, civil rights activists who challenged segregation in the American South in 1961. It’s an excellent resource for understanding the courage and determination of these individuals. The emphasis on the role of young people provides inspiration to all students.

Books

Understanding and Teaching the Civil Rights Movement
Hasan Kwame Jeffries, ed., 2021
View on Amazon

This tightly edited text by Hasan Kwame Jeffries provides educators with essays and practical strategies for teaching this complex history. The volume argues against simplified narratives, emphasizing the movement’s long duration, national scope, and focus on Black Power, economic justice, and women’s leadership, in addition to the traditional focus on legislative change in the South. Teachers can use this resource to supplement this and all chapters.

Teaching U.S. History Through Sports
Brad Austin and Pamela Grundy, eds., 2022
View on Amazon

This edited volume explores the intersection of sports and US history, offering unique perspectives on how sports have influenced and reflected broader societal changes. It provides high school teachers with engaging content to connect students’ interest in sports with historical events and movements. Students could be assigned to a civil rights issue that an athlete embraces and report back to the class.

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
Phillip Hoose, 2010
View on Amazon

Newbery Honor and National Book Award-winning young adult biography about an unsung hero of the civil rights movement who, as a teenager, challenged segregation in Montgomery nine months before Rosa Parks.

The Children
David Halberstam, 1998
View on Amazon

A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist’s compelling history of the young people whose courage and persistence shaped the modern Civil Rights Movement.

The March Trilogy
John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, 2013–2016
View on Amazon

This graphic novel trilogy, co-written by John Lewis, provides a visually compelling account of the Civil Rights Movement. It’s an excellent resource for engaging students who are visual learners and for sparking discussions on civil rights history. It can be assigned for any student interested in learning about Lewis’ extraordinary life.

Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement
Janet Dewart Bell, 2018
View on Amazon

This book shines a light on the often overlooked contributions of Black women to the Civil Rights Movement. It’s an essential resource for any classroom discussion on the intersection of race, gender, and activism. Teachers can assign different chapters to students based on their interests to deepen their understanding of the role of women in the movement.

Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years, 1954–1965
Juan Williams, 2013
View on Amazon

This companion book to the PBS series Eyes on the Prize covers the major events and figures of the Civil Rights Movement. It’s a thorough resource for students to gain a deeper understanding of this critical period in American history. The images, primary sources, and critical essays are accessible to both students and teachers. Also, The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader: Documents, Speeches, and Firsthand Accounts from the Black Freedom Struggle book (1991) is a comprehensive anthology of primary sources.

Glossary

Civil Rights Movement: The organized struggle by Black Americans during the 1950s and 1960s to end segregation and achieve equal rights under the law.
freedom ride: The 1961 journeys by civil rights activists on interstate buses to challenge segregation in the South.
Freedom Riders: Civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated South in 1961 to challenge the non-enforcement of Supreme Court rulings.
mandatory minimum: Laws requiring judges to impose a minimum prison sentence for certain crimes, regardless of circumstances.
march: An organized procession of people walking together to demonstrate support for a cause or to protest.
mass incarceration: The substantial increase in the number of people imprisoned in the United States, disproportionately affecting Black Americans, beginning in the 1970s.
nonviolent: Using peaceful means rather than force to achieve goals.
protest: A statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something.
self-defense: The use of reasonable force to protect oneself from an attack.
sharecropping: A system where tenant farmers worked land owned by others and paid rent with a share of their crops, often trapping them in debt.
systemic racism: Racial discrimination and inequality built into and perpetuated by social, economic, and political systems and institutions.
testimony: A formal written or spoken statement, especially one given in a court of law or as evidence.
voter registration: The process of enrolling to vote.