On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court handed down its decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregated public educational facilities unconstitutional. Click the links below to access resources to help you dig deeper into this seminal event in U.S. history. U.S. Reports Notes concerning Chief Justice Warren’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education 1954…
Today in History–April 5–the Library of Congress features Robert Smalls, a Civil War hero, civil rights activist, and five-term U.S. Congressman who was born into slavery on this date in 1839. Conscripted to the Confederate Army, Smalls captained a small Black crew to hijack an ammunition transport and deliver it to the Union Army in 1862. Learn…
Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1, 1955, for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. To coincide with her trial on December 5, 1955, the Women’s Political Council initiated a one-day citywide bus boycott. At a meeting later that evening, a vote to extend the boycott was passed….
Bayard Rustin was an openly gay civil rights activist, social reformer, pacifist, AIDS activist, and author. He was the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. Bayard Rustin photos Bayard Rustin historical newspaper coverage from 1942 Race, Religion, and Nationalism — Basic Problems of World Peace 1943 Institute of International Relations 1949 The Application…
The Northwest Council for Computer Education developed the Crossroads of History project, which allows learners to use primary sources and social justice standards to conduct meaningful dialogue and inspire informed actions that give voice to marginalized communities, thanks to a Teaching with Primary Sources regional grant from the TPS Western Region. Participants first completed an on-demand course comprising best practices…
Today in History–September 04–the Library of Congress features Paul Robeson, who sang at an outdoor concert near Peekskill, New York, to a mixed-race audience of more than 20,000 people on this date in 1949. Violence followed the performance. Learn more about the Peekskill Riots and this artist, activist, and polymath/polyglot by visiting the Today in History section and then clicking the…
Today in History–July 26–the Primary Source Nexus features two presidential edicts signed by President Harry S. Truman on this date in 1948. Executive Orders 9980 and 9981 mandated, respectively, that “All personnel actions taken by Federal appointing officers shall be based solely on merit and fitness. . .” and “equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons…
Harry Belafonte image set Remembering Harry Belafonte primary source set A Time for Freedom video (5:29) Off the record interview with Harry Belafonte (audio) 1987 Harry Belafonte interview (transcript) 2019 Legendary Folk Singer Odetta speaks of Harry Belafonte in video interview (24:10) Historical newspaper coverage of Harry Belafonte “Calypso”—Harry Belafonte 2017 essay RIP Harry Belafonte…
Look closely at this source and respond to the questions below. Where is your eye drawn to first? Next? After? What do you notice about the source’s design? What, in particular, stands out to you? Why do you think this source was created? How do you know? (Be sure to point to evidence from the…
OVERVIEW The American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB) is a collaboration between the Library of Congress and WGBH Educational Foundation. It was founded in 2013 “to coordinate a national effort to identify, preserve, and make accessible as much as possible the historical record of publicly funded broadcasting in the U.S.” It now features contributors from…
Freedom Summer 1964 is a free digital learning tool from the Indiana University Center on Representative Government that explores key events surrounding this time in America’s history, and the impact of the Civil Rights movement on civil rights legislation. In Freedom Summer, players predict the outcomes of both civil and Congressional actions, and discover how…
Fannie Lou Hamer, Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party delegate, at the Democratic National Convention, Atlantic City, New Jersey August 1964 | curator’s note Jury Frees Five Law Officers in Miss. Beating The Detroit Tribune. (Detroit, Mich.), 21 Dec. 1963 Civil Rights oral histories mentioning Fannie Lou Hamer Euvester Simpson Charles McLaurin Maria Varela Jennifer Lawson Peggy Jean…