For more information about formats, visit our ordering page.
Supplemental Materials include online resources and graphic organizers that accompany the printed unit, links to resources on other sites, and a list of recommended print resources.
Freedom Now: The Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi
First edition. October 2012.
The civil rights movement was one of the most pivotal events in U.S. history. Today we think of the key leaders, mass demonstrations, and watershed legislation that have become synonymous with this movement. Often forgotten are the everyday people who were on the frontlines of the fight for justice and equality, working for change in their home communities. Freedom Now: The Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi explores the history of the civil rights movement at the local level as well as the national level. Mississippi was one of the most racially divided states in the South. It symbolized the oppression and violence of white supremacy, and the strong black movement that rose up in response.
Three readings explore the history of the struggle of African Americans for freedom. Part I of the reading identifies the historical roots of racial inequality and discrimination by exploring the end of slavery, Reconstruction, and the rise of Jim Crow. In Part II, students read about the movement that developed in Mississippi, and the ways in which national and local forces interacted at the grass-roots level. The readings conclude with an examination of the legacies of the civil rights movement.
The Choices Role Play
A central activity helps students understand the importance of the 1964 Democratic National Convention, at which African American delegates from the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party challenged the legitimacy of the all-white Mississippi Democratic Party.
Data Analysis: Separate, but Equal? Measuring Plessy v. Ferguson in Mississippi
Students analyze historical data to compare education resources for white and black students in Mississippi.
The Anti-Lynching Campaign of Ida B. Wells
Students use primary sources to examine the work of an early civil rights activist.
Voices from Mississippi
Students read primary sources about the experiences of female student activists in Mississippi.
Singing for Freedom
Students analyze songs sung by the Freedom Riders in 1961 and consider their importance in the civil rights movement.
Oral Histories: Students in the Civil Rights Movement
In this online lesson, students hear stories from former civil rights activists about what motivated them to join the movement.
A Nonviolent Movement?
Students use primary sources to assess popular perceptions of the civil rights movement and examine different perspectives on the role of violence.
Civil Rights and U.S. Public Schools Today
Students review the role of two Supreme Court decisions: Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education and consider arguments around the issue of school segregation.