Teaching Hard History

Latest Episodes:

The History of Whiteness and How We Teach About Race – w/ Edward E. Baptist and Aisha White Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

Historian Ed Baptist provides context on the creation and enforcement of a U.S. racial binary that endures today, as well as Black resistance as a force for political change. And Aisha White urges educators to ask themselves, "What did you learn about race when you were younger?" before they engage with children. She argues that self-reflection and ongoing education are vital tools to combat the fallacy of ignoring students' racialized experiences.

To start the conversation in your classroom, this overview of the "Historical Foundations of Race" by David Roediger is a comprehensive and perfect for educators—from the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

For younger learners, P.R.I.D.E.'s Research Findings offer valuable insights into child development and race. And elementary teachers may want to use this lesson—"Looking at Race and Racial Identity in Children's Books"—from Learning for Justice.

If you're interested in bringing archival sources into your lessons, Freedom on the Move provides some wonderful, detailed K-12 lessons utilizing fugitive slave ads. And here's the 1910 essay "The Souls of White Folk" by W.E.B. Du Bois that was quoted in the introduction.

And be sure to visit the enhanced episode transcript for even more classroom resources about teaching the construction of race and the history of whiteness.

Creating Brave Spaces: Reckoning With Race in the Classroom – w/ Matthew R. Kay Sep 03, 2021

Show notes

People from all corners of public life are telling teachers to stop discussions about race and racism in the classroom, but keeping the truth of the world from students simply doesn't work. English teacher Matthew Kay urges educators to create brave spaces instead. He provides examples of classroom strategies for engaging with students at the intersections of race, literature and lived experience. Hint: it involves vulnerability, accountability and quality affirmations.

Visit the enhanced episode transcript for even more resources about strategies for teaching about Race and the Jim Crow era.

Jim Crow: Yesterday and Today Aug 26, 2021

Show notes

This season, we're examining the century between the Civil War and the modern civil rights movement to understand how systemic racism and slavery persisted and evolved after emancipation—and how Black Americans still developed strong institutions during this time. Co-hosts Hasan Kwame Jeffries and Bethany Jay discuss how students need to grasp this history to understand injustices many of them face today, from voter suppression to mass incarceration.

Visit the enhanced episode transcript for even more resources about teaching the era of Jim Crow.

Baseball, Civil Rights and the Anderson Monarchs Barnstorming Tour (special) - w/ Steve Bandura and Derrick White Aug 19, 2021

Show notes

In 2015, Coach Steve Bandura loaded the Anderson Monarchs, a little league baseball team from Philadelphia, onto a 1947 Flxible Clipper Bus for a barnstorming tour back in time. Bandura and the players recount lessons learned while visiting historic civil rights sites, meeting veteran activists and playing baseball along the way. And historian Derrick E. White, co-host of The Black Athlete podcast, explores the intersection of sports and civil rights history.

Listen to our latest Spotify playlist for even more Movement Music inspired by this episode!

For good advice on teaching about barrier breakers like Jackie Robinson, read "More Than a Name: Teaching Historic Firsts".

See pictures of the Anderson Monarchs Civil Rights Barnstorming Tour from the team's website. And see great footage from the road in this video about the tour.

After you listen to The Black Athlete podcast, check out Derrick White's book about the history of Black College Football: Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

See Mo'ne Davis on the cover of Sports Illustrated in this article about the underdogs from Philadelphia who took the Little League World Series by storm.

Be sure to visit the enhanced episode transcript for additional classroom resources for teaching about sports and the civil rights movement.

Walking in Their Shoes: Using #BlackLivesMatter to Teach the Civil Rights Movement – w/ Shannon King and Nishani Frazier Apr 13, 2021

Show notes

The civil rights movement offers critical context for understanding the systemic police violence, voter suppression efforts, 'law and order' rhetoric and criminalization of activism we see today. It also helps us understand the strategies activists use to fight these injustices. Historians Shannon King and Nishani Frazier explain how they use 21st-century Black activism to teach the movement's history—and how they use the movement to help students better understand the contemporary Black freedom struggle.

Listen to our latest Spotify playlist for even more Movement Music inspired by this episode.

"You do know that when Dr. King was alive we had the Watts riots…" – Watch the exchange we discuss between Don Lemon and Rev. Jesse Jackson during the 2014 Ferguson uprising.

Are you qualified to vote? – This is an amazing collection of Jim Crow era state voter applications and literacy tests from before the Voting Rights Act.

"Voter suppression then and now" – This lesson plan offers students historical context and an examination of the issue today.

"Teaching About Mass Incarceration: From Conversation to Civic Action" – A teacher shares ideas from her own classroom.

Visit the enhanced episode transcript for even more resources about using current events to teach about the civil rights movement.

The Black Panther Party and the Transition to Black Power – w/ Robyn C. Spencer and Jakobi Williams Mar 30, 2021

Show notes

The history of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense can help us understand the transition from civil rights to Black Power, as well as contemporary issues like mass incarceration. From the Ten-Point Platform to survival programs, historian Robyn C. Spencer outlines key aspects of the party's revolutionary ideology, grassroots activism and community service. And historian Jakobi Williams joins to share valuable classroom insights.

Want more Movement Music? Our latest Spotify playlist has even more songs inspired by this episode.

Check out this great Resource Guide (pdf) – "Teaching The History of the Black Panther Party: 5 Essential FAQ's" – from The Intersectional Black Panther Party History Project.

And your students can find rich archival materials about the Black Panthers online. This collection of Black Panther newspapers from 1968-1973 offers amazing articles and images from the moment of the movement. Or they can view these FBI investigative files on the Black Panther Party to see how the FBI's Charlotte Field Office tracked the BPP's activities, income, and expenses from 1969 to 1976.

Visit the enhanced episode transcript for even more classroom resources about teaching the Black Panther Party and the transition from Civil Rights to Black Power.

And Educators! Get a professional development certificate for listening to this episode—issued by Learning for Justice. Listen for the special code word, then visit learningforjustice.org/podcastpd.

Malcolm X Beyond the Mythology – w/ Clarence Lang Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

Historian Clarence Lang joins us for a conversation about Malcolm X. We discuss his commitment to Black pride and self-determination and his rejection of the white gaze and the myth of American exceptionalism. Learn how teaching about the life and works of Malcolm X can illuminate the universe of possibilities of the civil rights movement—and the diversity of ideology, strategy and political thought within the Black freedom struggle.

Our latest Spotify playlist has even more Movement Music inspired by this episode.

Tyree Boyd-Pates posted some great photos of Malcolm Little in this Twitter thread. In the news, the Washington Post published a recently discovered letter attesting to FBI involvement in the assassination of Malcolm X. And here's a quick guide to teaching the Autobiography of Malcolm X from Penguin Random House.

And visit the enhanced episode transcript for additional classroom resources about Malcolm X.

Community Organizing, Youth Leadership and SNCC – w/ Courtland Cox, Kaia Woodford, Karlyn Forner and John B. Gartrell Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, we talk with movement veteran Courtland Cox about lessons from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and his own development as a young organizer of the Emmett Till generation. We join Karlyn Forner and John B. Gartrell to tour the resources available through SNCC Digital Gateway. And we hear from student organizer Kaia Woodford about the lessons from the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements that inform her activism today.

Our latest Spotify playlist has even more Movement Music inspired by this episode.

And visit the enhanced episode transcript for additional classroom resources about Community Organizing, Youth Leadership and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

Listen, Look and Learn: Using Primary Sources to Teach the Freedom Struggle – w/ J. Todd Moye, Guha Shankar, and Noelle Trent Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

Oral histories, historic sites, archives and museums expand students' understanding of the past. They fill in gaps in our textbooks—complementing what's included and capturing what's not. This episode highlights online oral history collections including the Civil Rights History Project. It offers recommendations for students conducting their own oral histories. And it explores resources from the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

Our latest Spotify playlist has even more Movement Music inspired by this episode.

And visit the enhanced episode transcript for additional classroom resources about using primary sources to teach the Black freedom struggle.

Young, Gifted and Black: Teaching Freedom Summer to K-5 Students – w/ Nicole Burrowes. La Tasha Levy and Liz Kleinrock Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

Teaching civil rights history to young learners creates both opportunities and challenges. The 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Project and the subsequent Freedom Schools offer important lessons for helping elementary students to understand the civil rights movement. In this episode, we explore community-based strategies and activities for bringing the black freedom struggle into your classroom.

Our latest Spotify playlist has even more Movement Music inspired by this episode.

And visit the enhanced episode transcript for additional classroom resources about Freedom Summer, Freedom Schools and teaching the civil rights movement to K-5 students.

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