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Freedom Summer not only marked the mobilization of civil rights organizers in Mississippi during the 1960s, but it also yielded the creation of Freedom Schools and historic legislation. The fight for civil rights continues today, from voting rights to efforts to keep educators from teaching truthfully about our country’s full history. Use these resources next school year to help students contextualize Freedom Summer and how it connects to movements today.

“Democracy is not a state. It is not some high plateau that we struggle to reach so we can finally settle down to rest. Democracy is an act. It is an act that requires participation, organization and dedication to the highest principles.” —Rep. John Lewis

This Fourth of July, commit to the movement for democracy, human rights and justice. Understanding the honest history of the United States means contextualizing this holiday into the complex relationship between the U.S. and its citizens of color. 

To mark the anniversary, teach a more complex version of this historic milestone and the civil rights movement. LFJ has resources to help. Listen to this podcast episode and watch this webinar—based upon our guide by the same title—to help students delve deeper into the history of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. For additional context, students can discuss Browder v. Gayle, an often unheard-of civil rights case that overturned segregated public transportation in the South.