What do you think of when you hear the term “Civil Rights?”  Words like equality, justice, prejudice, segregation, and discrimination come to mind.  Pictures of events like the March on Washington, Montgomery Bus Boycott, Greensboro Sit-In, and the speech “I Have a Dream” flash in the mind’s imagination.  Important figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and the Little Rock Nine personify this era.  This list of people and events hardly skims the surface of what occurred during the Civil Rights Movement.  Therefore, one would expect these and countless other figures, dates, events, organizations, and facts to be covered in the school setting.

                                                                             Courtesy of: www.avon.k12.ma.us/librarymediaahsummerreading09.htm

 Textbook Critique

The investigation and critique of a fourth grade Social Studies textbook proved otherwise.  Harcourt Horizons – North Carolina included only one page to encompass the entire Civil Rights Movement.  The sole person chosen to represent this time period was Martin Luther King, Jr.  Although MLK was significant, there are several other people that the book failed to recognize, not to mention the countless women, children, and people from diverse backgrounds that contributed to this movement. There was also a blurb on the Greensboro Sit-In, but this was the only connection to North Carolina.  All in all, it was painfully obvious that the textbook was missing key information and compelling links that would draw the students in.

Courtesy of the webpage: www.exodusnews.com/editorialseditorial-106.htm

Library Critique

          School libraries can provide a wealth of knowledge about any historical subject.  The library at one particular elementary school had about nine books to represent this topic, with the majority being about Martin Luther King, Jr.  A couple of the books were about the Civil Rights Movement in general, two were about Rosa Parks, and one detailed the role of children in the fight for rights.  Once again, other significant figures, events, and links to North Carolina were missing.  One would expect a library to not only provide general information about key figures, but also delve deeper into the vast array of unsung heroes and little known (but important) occurrences that contributed to the strides made during this era.

Student Interviews            

          The lack of information represented in the textbook and school library was reflected in the knowledge, or lack thereof, of the students about Civil Rights.  Two students from a second grade classroom were interviewed to gauge their understanding of this topic.  The first interview assessed the students’ general U.S. history and social studies awareness.  It revealed that they recognized important concepts, people, and terms, but could not expand upon them.  The second interview had five focused questions about the Civil Rights Movement.  It was evident that they knew the underlying conflict of this time, but could not recall any specific information.  

            It is obvious that much can and needs to be taught about this critical time in America’s history!  The events and effects of the Civil Rights Movement were not isolated to the 1950s and ‘60s.  This country is still experiencing the aftershocks of the ­­fervor that shook our nation’s foundation and made great strides against inequality.  Diversity in schools is a hot topic in Wake County, affirmative action is currently debated, and this country just elected the first African-American president.  All of these current events and many more are directly influenced by what happened during the Civil Rights Movement.  Due to the lasting impact of this era, it is imperative that today’s students study the early steps toward the establishment of equality.

Courtesy of The City University of New York