http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/archive-14/?_r=1

Black History Month To gain an understanding of the American Civil Rights Movement To understand the impact it had upon today’s society To recognise the importance of equality

By the end of the session All of you will have gained a basic understanding of the American Civil Rights Movement Most of you will be able to form an opinion supported by an example about the impact the American Civil Rights Movement has had upon society A few of you will be able to explains in which you can raise awareness of equality within your social group

The Civil Rights Movement 1950s – 1960s 1954 Rev Brown won the right to send his child to a white school 1955 Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white person, inspiring the Montgomery Bus Boycott 1957, nine black students, with military protection, went to a white school in Little rock, Arkansas 1963, a quarter of a million people marched to the Lincoln Memorial to hear Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech Answer the question:“What would you march for?” Defend and explain why this cause or belief is important enough to march for. What would they want to accomplish and how would they know if it had been accomplished? *Suggested song to play while students watch slide show and reflect: “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ’round” by Sweet Honey In The Rock 

What would you march for? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOig2v7ZfcA

The Civil Rights Movement gave black Americans legal equality: The Civil Rights Act 1964 outlawed segregation in schools, public places or jobs The Voting Rights Act 1965 gave all black people the vote The Fair Housing Act 1968 banned discrimination in housing

A More Perfect Union President Obama’s 2008 Speech on race In pairs, find the evidence of discrimination and the consequences of the discrimination.  Use two different coloured pens to mark the evidence in one colour and the consequences in another. Share the slide show from the New York Times with students to help them remember the many courageous acts of non-violence.  Click here for slideshow

What is your opinion? Where we are on the road to true equality of the races in our country? How much further do you think we still need to come? On the next slide, choose the statement which most represents your opinion

Choose one from the following: We have made no progress and we have a huge amount of work left to do. There is no racial equality in this country. We have made some progress, but we still have a lot of work left to do.  There is some racial equality in this country, but nowhere near enough. We have made very good progress, but we still have a little work to do.  There is mostly racial equality in this country. We have come all the way and achieved complete racial equality in our country and we have no work left to do.

To Summarize What played the largest role in your belief about “How far we have come”? Personal experiences, films, friends, the news? Is there any particular event in recent history that has made you feel strongly about your belief? What can you do as an individual to bring us, as a society, closer to true racial equality?