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The Civil Rights Program (The Children’s March in Birmingham)
Age Population: K-12 Introduction: The Civil Rights
Movement displayed many different forms of protest. Campaigns seeking free
speech and voting rights included picketing, sit –ins and incarceration.
These were some of the many ways African Americans voiced their opposition
of segregation, Jim Crow and overall disenfranchisement in American
society. Despite pleas for non-violent demonstrations by advocates like Martin Luther King, Jr., many protests became volatile as citizens and police challenged each other. Nonetheless, the participants in the Civil Rights Movement remained committed to non-violence. As a result, the movement was responsible for showing all Americans that brutality and force could be overcome. The Civil Rights movement fought to disband the injustices placed on African Americans during the early 1900’s. Organizations including the NAACP, CORE, and SNCC fought for both integration and the right to exercise voting privileges. Prominent leaders such as W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X emerged demanding civil rights for African Americans. The African American Museum’s Civil Rights Program is designed to educate children from grades K- 12 on the significance of the U.S. civil rights movement, and the influence of exercising an organized non-violent protest in one’s own community. Mighty Times: The Children’s March on Birmingham "The
Children's March" tells the story of how the young people of
Birmingham, AL, braved fire hoses and police dogs in 1963 and brought
segregation to its knees. Their heroism complements discussions about
the ability of today's young people to be catalysts for positive social
change*. Objective: 1. To provide participants with hands on activities examining the way civil rights demonstrations were organized. 2. To teach grades K-12 the significance of community organization and social responsibility. 3. To give an historical overview of the societal role African Americans played prior to and during the Civil Rights Movement. Methodology: o
Mighty Times: The Children’s March on Birmingham will be introduced and
shown to the participants (40 minutes). It will be followed by a
discussion which asks “What are you willing to fight for?” o
The participants will be randomly divided into two groups (protesters and
status quo) and instructed on their approach. The protesters will be
directed to make picket signs (materials will be provided) supporting
causes that are important to them in a non-violent way. The status
quo will be directed to defend their entitlement to causes that they want
to protect. o
The protestors will march and chant for their causes, while the status quo
will verbally intimidate and throw balls stuffed with cotton at the
protestors. The status quo will attempt to discourage and provoke
the protestors into breaking the rules of engagement. At the end of the
activity the roles are not exchanged. This is done to illustrate to
finality of race and social racism in the real world, where roles are not
interchanged. o
A discussion on Race and Representation will follow, asking the
participants the following questions:
How did you feel as a protestor?
How did you feel as a member of the status quo? Why do you think your roles were not changed? What did race and class have to do with the civil rights marches? How are our civil rights viewed and exhibited today? What can you do to protect your rights as well as the rights of others? Fee Structure The cost of each program is as follows: Educational group program I for 20 participants or fewer - $25. Educational group program II for 30 participants - $35. Educational group program III for over 30 participants, but fewer than 60 - $45. *http://www.tolerance.org/teach/resources/childrens_march.jsp |
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