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The title “Before Rosa Parks” loosely links a number of lessons that discuss African-American women who were active in the fight for civil rights before the 1950s. This lesson highlights Frances Watkins Harper, who challenged power structures in the South by talking to free former slaves about voting, land ownership and education—and fought segregated public transportation.

In this lesson, students will read a short biography of César Chávez—one of our nation’s greatest labor leaders. They will examine how much of the success attributed to Chávez was the result of the efforts of thousands of other people helping and supporting him. Students will learn about labor unions and reflect on how powerful it can be to speak up with others for change.

In this lesson, students will revisit the life of James Baldwin, an African-American literary writer and critic, as well as an icon for civil and gay rights.

This lesson centers on the invaluable work and activism of Bayard Rustin. Rustin was not only dedicated to orchestrating the civil rights movement; he was also one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s closest advisors, and the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington.

This lesson asks students to interrogate six historical documents that show differing opinions about the conflict in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963.

This lesson is the fourth in a series called Expanding Voting Rights. The overall goal of the series is for students to explore the complicated history of voting rights in the United States. Two characteristics of that history stand out: First, in fits and starts, more and more Americans have gained the right to vote. Second, over time, the federal government's role in securing these rights has expanded considerably.