Black History Month: Happy Birthday, NAACP

Americans celebrate Black History Month each February. This month on February 12 also marks the historic 100th anniversary of the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

The founders of the NAACP chose February 12 as the official birth date to coincide with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln who emancipated African Americans from slavery. The NAACP is one of the oldest and most influential African American organizations in the United States.

Its mission is and continues to be "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination." Its name, retained in accord with tradition, is one of the last surviving uses of the term "colored people."

The inauguration of Barack Obama as president in January demonstrated both symbolically and dramatically how the work of the NAACP and other African American organizations has succeeded in advancing civil rights. However, most African Americans still do not share economic and social equality with mainstream white Americans. So, the struggle for equality continues but with greater hope than ever for success in the future.

SIRS Leading Issues provides a variety of topics that affect most African Americans directly. These issues will need additional work, cooperation, legislation, and funding to level the playing field of opportunity for African Americans as well as other minorities.

Assign students to select from one of the following issues (or you can make the selection) and decide on a Pro or Con position.

Each of the issues is one that continues to have an impact on African Americans more than most Americans: Affirmative Action; Gun Control; Hate Crimes; Poverty; and Racism.

Pathfinder #1: Click More Issues link in the Pro vs. Con section > Affirmative Action
Pathfinder #2: Click More Issues link in the Pro vs. Con section > Gun Control
Pathfinder #3: Click More Issues link in the Pro vs. Con section > Hate Crimes
Pathfinder #5: Click More Issues link in the Pro vs. Con section > Poverty
Pathfinder #6: Click More Issues link in the Pro vs. Con section > Racism

The unique SIRS five-step process for all Leading Issues ensures that students use multiple resources and critical thinking to support either side of the issue you assign or they select.

ProQuest also provides four unique report and presentation models for students to use that are specifically tailored to the five-step format of each Leading Issue.

1. Writing a Research Paper
2. Writing a Mini-Research Paper (student and teacher management versions)
3. Creating a PowerPoint Presentation
4. Creating a Mini-Debate (student and teacher management versions)

This coordinated approach with the five-step process makes reporting and presentation easier and ensures organized critical thinking in each report. Teachers should explore these models to see which are most suited for their students.

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