Thursday, October 24, 2024

Teaching for Change has Released the Second Edition of Its "Putting the Movement Back Into Civil Rights Teaching"

Teaching for Change has released the second edition of Putting the Movement Back Into Civil Rights Teaching, an important teaching tool originally published jointly with the Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC) in 2004. Edited by Deborah Menkart, Alana D. Murray, and Jenice L. View, Putting the Movement Back Into Civil Rights Teaching is used in school districts and with community groups across the country.

The 2nd edition of the 576-page book is $29.95. Order

The Civil Rights Movement is one of the most commonly taught stories about the fight for democracy and equal rights. However, the powerful stories of everyday people organizing and working together for social change are lost in the focus on a few major heroes and dates. The book and its companion website offer a collection of lessons, essays, articles, primary documents, and poetry to help K-12 educators delve more deeply than a "heroes and holidays" approach to teaching about the Civil Rights Movement in their classrooms. The book's focus is on the themes of women, youth, organizing, culture, institutional racism, and the interconnectedness between social movements. The resources are organized in eight sections: Critiquing the Traditional Narrative, Framing the Movement, Desegregation of Public Spaces, Voting Rights, Black Power, Labor and Land, Transnational Solidarity, and Student Engagement.

There will be a book release event on Wednesday, October 30th in Washington, D.C. at the Busboys and Poets in Brookland (telephone 202-636-7230 625 Monroe St NE, Washington, DC 20017). Presenters include the editors (Jenice L. View, Alana D. Murray, and Deborah Menkart), SNCC veterans (Courtland Cox, Judy Richardson, and Jennifer Lawson), and lesson authors. Educator Jessica Rucker is the emcee. Attendees will hear about the book and engage in some of the activities. Free and open to the public. Books available for purchase and signing. The first 20 classroom teachers in attendance will receive a free copy of the book.

Go to the book's webpage.