How did Black Mississippians resist white supremacy and claim their constitutional rights?
Preview this unit for the table of contents, a student reading excerpt, and one lesson plan. Preview all units.
Additional unit descriptions for the U.S. History Series that summarize key events, people, and terms, as well as underrepresented histories and skill development are available, along with a timeline, on this MIRO board.
Second edition. February 2019. – The civil rights movement was one of the most pivotal events in U.S. history. Today we think of the key leaders, mass demonstrations, and watershed legislation that have become synonymous with this movement. Often forgotten are the everyday people who were on the frontlines of the fight for justice and equality, working for change in their home communities. Many historians believe that we should think of the civil rights movement not as one national movement, but as a collection of local movements that worked for racial justice in towns and cities across the country.
This curriculum explores the history of the civil rights movement at a local level. Mississippi was one of the most racially divided states in the South. It symbolized the oppression and violence of white supremacy, and the strong Black movement that rose up in response. The unit is divided into three parts. Each part includes:
- Student readings
- Accompanying study guides, graphic organizers, and key terms
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Lessons aligned with the readings that develop analytical skills and can be completed in one or more periods
- Videos that feature leading experts
This unit also includes a Perspectives Lesson as the key lesson and an additional synthesis lesson that allows students to synthesize new knowledge for assessment. You do not need to use the entire unit; feel free to select what suits your classroom needs.
“The civil rights unit is a great unit and priced so well that teachers don’t need to beg administrators to buy it for them. Choices units help teachers to add rich curriculum without relying on the whim of department chairs’ funding.” – Ce, History Teacher, New York