Highlighting the relationship between the racial slavery in the formation of U.S. colleges and universities and the archive of Black student revolt, this dissertation examines one of the longest and most violent Black student strikes in the history of postsecondary education--the San Francisco State College strike in 1968-1969. Rather than…

Today's movement in support of the 99 percent is a reminder that throughout U.S. history, a major engine of change has been grass-roots organizing and solidarity. Major history textbooks, however, downplay the role of ordinary people in shaping events--especially those who formed labor unions and used the strike to assert their rights. One of the…

The chapters on the 1960s and early 1970s in recent editions of secondary-level United States history textbooks have done an impressive job in getting beyond the traditional political narratives of presidential administrations to include the movements of protest and reform based on citizen activism. But despite their laudable efforts to broaden…

In this classroom simulation, students travel back in time to 1945, when racism was institutionalized in many states through segregation. Though students cannot literally travel back to the Jim Crow era, teachers can create a situation that brings home the point of injustice and the choices individuals are faced with in such situations. Suddenly,…

Little known about the now celebrated 1912 Bread and Roses strike is that prominent Progressive-era reformers condemned the strikers as "uncivil" and "violent." An examination of Bread and Roses' controversies reveals how a ruling class enlists middle-class sentiments to oppose social-justice arguments and defend a civil…

"A People's History for the Classroom" helps teachers introduce students to a more accurate, complex, and engaging understanding of U.S. history than is found in traditional textbooks and curricula. It includes a new introductory essay by veteran teacher Bill Bigelow on teaching strategies that align with Howard Zinn's "A People's…

The mid-1960s saw civil rights victories in Congress during Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency. In "Going Down Jericho Road," Michael Honey wrote how Martin Luther King Jr.'s final focus showed that the struggle for black and working class parity continued. The 1968 Memphis sanitation workers strike was a gritty struggle won in the streets by a host…

Describes a lesson that focuses on the strike organized by the African-American washerwomen in Atlanta (Georgia) in order to protect their autonomy and increase their pay. Explains that the laundry workers' protest contrasted the image of complacent Southern workers depicted by the city's business and political elite. (CMK)

Examines three of the changes wrought by coal mining: (1) the miner's working conditions; (2) the establishment of company towns; and (3) the violence that ensued when miners from Harlan County, Kentucky, referred to as "Bloody Harlan," tried to better their lives by joining labor unions. (CMK)

Describes a lesson plan that utilizes two primary sources, a handbill announcing the reduction in Baltimore and Ohio rail workers' wages and a list of damages to Baltimore and Ohio Railroad property, in order to determine the causes and effects of the Rail Strike of 1877. Provides the two sources and other handouts. (CMK)

This paper modifies Edna Bonacich's theory of class conflict which cites the split labor market during the period of 1920-30 as the cause of racial antagonisms. The author states that Bonacich neglected the role of employers and technological advance in the creation of the split labor market. (ML)

This resource booklet was prepared by classroom teachers for use with social studies students at the secondary school level. Ideas and concepts that social studies teachers need to know in order to present the role of labor unions in the current economy are reviewed. These concepts include the principle of scarcity, trade-offs, how wages are…

Designed for use in secondary economics or other social studies classes, this kit presents instructional materials and replications of primary source documents on the development of the labor movement in America. The documents are divided into four major areas of study: the growth of organized labor, the function of a union, labor and politics,…

Background reading materials are provided in this booklet developed to be used in conjunction with the award winning color documentary film "With Babies and Banners." The film records the role that the women of Flint, Michigan, played in the great General Motors sit-down strike of 1937. The readings are suitable for college audiences and…

Provides a fascinating look at the ideological and cultural schisms that developed between the communist party and local trade unions in Schenectady, New York. By the 1950s trade unions had become more conservative while the communist party championed the rights of women and blacks. This split debilitated the communist party. (MJP)