Liberalism & The Civil Rights Movement: Justice, Equality & Protest (1945-1975) |
Big Ideas
Organizing Principles
- Between World War II and 1969, the New Deal philosophy that the government was a legitimate agent of social welfare became firmly embedded in the American mind.
- In post World War II America, an increasingly active citizenry along with the hesitant support of the federal government successfully struggled on behalf of civil rights for all Americans.
Essential Questions
Students will consider...
- How did American participation in war influence the onset of the African American civil rights movement of the 20th Century?
- What creates greater positive social change —national legislation, court decisions, organizations and leadership or the civic participation, efforts and sacrifices of local communities?
- How did domestic programs proposed by subsequent 20th Century presidents extend the relief, recovery and reform efforts of the New Deal?
- How did the advocacy, strategies and protests of the African American Civil Rights Movement encourage and influence subsequent civil rights movements?
Understandings
Students will understand how, why and/or to what extent...
- Movements for change and reform often become necessary when the relationship between a nation and its ideals are conflicting.
- Social justice and reform movements require the leadership and participation of various individuals and groups within communities and government.
- The advocacy, strategies and protests used to achieve social justice and reform produce varying degrees of success and opposition.
- An individual or group’s perception of themselves, their country, and their place within a society may change and/or provoke change.
- Democratic leaders can modify the power and institutions of government in response to the challenges, needs and desires of their time.
Knowledge
Students will know...
- Civil Rights turning points occurred for multiple reasons and ultimately produced a significant amount of change (e.g., Brown v. Board of Education, Montgomery Bus Boycotts, March for Jobs and Freedom, Delano Grape Strike and Boycott)
- American involvement in World War I, World War II and the Cold War influenced the development of the African American civil rights movement
- The federal government selectively influenced the direction and outcome of the African American civil rights movement, as well as other social justice movements through the passage of legislation, executive action, and court decisions.
- The African American civil rights movement occurred in various communities led by individuals, including women and children, who planned and organized protests originally based on civil disobedience.
- The African-American civil rights movement was complex, in terms of advocacy, strategy, and protests all of which influenced the development of other social justice movements throughout the 20th Century.
- The U.S. government’s support of civil rights led to state’s rights debates, conflict between the federal and state governments, and a realignment of political parties.
- 20th Century African American civil rights leaders, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Ella Baker and Stokely Carmichael differed on how to best achieve greater freedom and equality.
- 20th Century civil rights movements and events were met with various types of resistance and opposition, often violent.
- The presidential terms in office of Democrats Harry Truman, John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson extended New Deal liberalism which led to a conservative reaction within American politics.
Skills
Students will be able to...
- Use Historical Comprehension to explain how American involvement in war influenced the development of the African American civil rights movement.
- Use Historical Analysis and Interpretation to compare multiple perspectives of civil rights supporters and opponents in defending their motives, beliefs, hopes, and fears.
- Use Historical Analysis and Interpretation to critique competing historical interpretations of the civil rights movement on what creates greater positive social change--national leadership and governmental decisions or civic participation and community organization.
- Use Historical Analysis and Interpretation to determine the complexity of civil rights movements in how and why various individuals and community organizations advocated, strategized and protested on behalf of greater freedom and equality.
- Use Historical Analysis and Interpretation to judge the relevance of the African American Civil Rights Movement to contemporary events and my own life through a variety of classroom settings such as debates and seminars.
- Use Historical Research to interpret historical data, construct reasoned arguments and draw conclusions about key Civil Rights turning points using historical evidence collected from a variety of sources.
- Use Chronological Thinking to identify the historical narrative for Justice, Equality, & Protest (1945-1975).