Each year, students and all Americans have an opportunity to discover more about African Americans and their ascent from slavery. Their struggle for equal rights and treatment is similar to other minorities in America, but with one major difference—no other minority group came to America against their will, and as slaves. The essential strength provided through family ties was eroded when slaves were bought, sold, and separated. Denied education and the right to vote also stunted any major progress that was available to other minorities.
The formation of the NAACP in 1909 provided a significant step in developing the political power that resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Now that African Americans have legal equality, the struggle now turns to economic, educational, and social equality. The election of President Obama and other black political leaders is an encouraging sign that better days are ahead for African Americans.
Learning Activity
The sharing of information and reasoned conclusions from student research with their peers is a standards-based strategy for increasing 21st-century skills. Assign students to create an oral report of at least two minutes (or a slide show of at least seven slides) that cites at least three resources.
Reports should focus on major events and situations that characterized African American progress from slavery through the early 20th century. Often students don't understand how the history of these events and situations were caused by racial prejudice that still exists today. Many of these events/situations are highlighted in Historical Newspapers Topics collections.
Assign students to study one of the following series of major events/situations in black history from the pathfinders listed below:
Each pathfinder listed below starts by clicking the TOPICS tab; and then clicking the link provided within each pathfinder (pathfinders are listed chronological order by eras :
Pathfinder 1: Slavery and Politics > Fugitive Slave Act
Pathfinder 2: Civil War > Freeing Slaves
Pathfinder 3: Reconstruction > Black Reconstruction
Pathfinder 4: Reconstruction > Jim Crow Laws
Pathfinder 5: Progressive Era > Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois
Pathfinder 6: World War > African Americans and the War
Pathfinder 7: The Roaring Twenties > Harlem Renaissance
Students should address at least three of the following essential questions for critical thinking that are most appropriate to their subtopic in their reports (you may substitute others):
How did this event/situation contribute to African American inequality or equality?
What were the motivations that led to creating this event/situation for African Americans?
How did African Americans react to this event/situation?
How did this event/situation result in progress or regress for African Americans?
Who were and why were some groups against progress for African Americans in this event/situation?
Who were and why were some groups supportive of progress for African Americans in this event/situation?
Use our custom ProQuest models for written or PowerPoint reports written and PowerPoint-style reports.
