Instructify

Civil rights issues have received a lot of attention in the United States recently. On one hand, the nation elected its first African-American President. On the other hand, same-sex marriage bans have threatened the rights of millions. While the minority group being attacked has changed, the struggle itself is, sadly, nothing new.

Teachers and students who are interested in the history of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 60s now have an outstanding resource at their disposal, The Civil Rights Digital Library. The site “promotes an enhanced understanding of the movement by helping users discover primary sources and other educational materials from libraries, archives, museums, public broadcasters, and others on a national scale.” Quite simply, there is a wealth of information here for educators. The bulk of the site’s content is divided into four categories: events, places, people, and topics. The information is also organized by media type, covering everything from pamphlets to slide shows. There is an impressive list of the various institutions that contributed to the Civil Rights Digital Library, as well as an alphabetical list of featured collections. Most importantly, the educator resources section is extensive, and includes learning modules, lesson plans, slide shows, teaching guides, study guides, time lines, worksheets, and annotated bibliographies.

In short, The Civil Rights Digital Library boasts a collection of resources as numerous and remarkable as the massive list of people who have fought for racial equality. Some of that struggle took place right here in North Carolina, a fact which may help students connect to this material in a way that will really hit home. –JIMI RADABAUGH

The Civil Rights Digital Library

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The National Museum of the American Indian

In Motion: The African American Migration Experience

Drop Me Off in Harlem: Learn how people and culture intersected in the Harlem Renaissance

Photo credit: DrewMyers on flickr