Zero tolerance policies were supposed to end school violence. Instead, they’re pushing students out of school and into the justice system — and children of color are paying the highest price.
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.
The time had come. It was Dec. 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on the Montgomery public bus. This act led to Parks’ arrest, ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott and ushered in the new civil rights movement.
Grades: 4-8 Subjects: Social Studies, Reading and Language Arts, ELL/ESL Categories: Race and ethnicity; History Story Corner is a student-directed feature in Teaching Tolerance magazine. In the current issue, we tell
This week’s statement from Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on historically black colleges and universities is a prime example of whitewashing U.S. history. Classroom teachers for grades 6-12, however, can use this moment as a teaching opportunity.
Doreen Rappaport tells the story of a young Suzie King Taylor and her brother who attended a secret school for black children in Georgia in the mid-1800s. Later on, Taylor would become the first black woman to teach openly in a freedmen's school.
Julie Weiss is an education writer with a commitment to social justice. She holds a Ph.D. in American studies, has taught at the college level and now develops curricula, textbook materials and assessments.