Teaching the Struggle for Civil Rights, 1977-Present

Written for a period in time which is still evolving, this volume speaks to many of the civil rights issues that were overshadowed for much of the 20th century. As civil rights campaigns began to come into focus, so too did the cries for basic human rights from many groups. These civil rights movements can be characterized by a common sense of necessity in American history. These voices argue collectively for the inclusion of this new timeline of civil rights campaigns in classrooms across the United States. Topics include attention to emerging movements in the longer civil rights history including citizens with disabilities, LGBTQ+, Black Lives Matter, art and literature movements, economic access, and civil rights law. Each theme presented in these chapters gives teachers a background in which to build civil rights curriculum and discussion for students. In addition to historical analysis, this volume provides curriculum development solutions to teach these topics within an interdisciplinary social studies classroom.