Discusses Tennessee's Highlander Folk School. Reports that the school helped organize labor unions and played a role in the civil rights movement of the 1950s. Explains that Highlander sought to bring about southern integration. Argues that successful civic education draws out the experiences and interests of participants and nurtures respect and…

Presents the story of Linda Brown and the Supreme Court case of "Brown v. Board of Education" for a classroom activity on segregation and discrimination. Stimulates discussion and critical thinking, and provides a historical understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment and the segregation issue. (NL)

Scholars examine the Afro-American past to understand the position that black people have occupied in U.S. society, their efforts to cope with their status, and their successes and failures in pursuing full equality. The four major themes of Afro-American history and the transformations associated with them are: (1)"Africa to America" (Africans to…

Reviews the Henry Louis Gates Jr. memoir, "Colored People," and Julius Lester's novel of the civil rights movement, "And All Our Wounds Forgiven." Discovers a number of salient points concerning the black experience of integration in both books. Considers some of the interesting questions raised and their possible use in class…

Maintains that Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King, Jr. fundamentally altered the tradition of protest and reform. Compares and contrasts the role of each man in U.S. social and constitutional history. Concludes that while Thoreau lacked the broad influence of King, his writings influenced both King and Mohandas Gandhi. (CFR)

Teaches race relations to college students using visual materials. Uses three films, "Gone with the Wind,""Mississippi Burning," and "The White Dawn," to illustrate how films depict history inaccurately and to help students unlearn false images. Includes questions for classroom discussion of U.S. racist culture. (NL)

Describes a secondary class activity in which students conduct historical research on the U.S. civil rights movement presenting their findings in comic book format. Discusses four components of comic book development: plot development, layout, drawing, and narration. Includes two pages from a student-developed comic book and suggestions for…