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Young Black organizers who confront oppressive systems have always been met with violence—educators can look at the uprisings of Freedom Summer in 1964 and those in Minneapolis in 2020 for evidence. Despite the pushback they face, Black activists’ work leads to changes in laws and culture. Use these resources to teach about Freedom Summer and highlight how Black people have asserted their agency in efforts to effect policy change in the United States.

It’s essential to understand—and to teach young people—that enslaved Africans fought for their own liberation, including the first recorded rebellion on Sept. 1, 1663; the Stono Rebellion on Sept. 9, 1739; and David Walker’s September 1829 Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World. For resources on enslaved people’s work toward freedom, check out these texts and this summary objective from our Teaching Hard History framework.

“Because we know that attacks on knowledge are fueling threats to freedom, and that repression in one place fuels its spread elsewhere, we call for global resistance to all efforts to destroy the vital tools that help us to imagine and create more equitable and inclusive futures for us all.”  —African American Policy Forum

In fall 2023, Charles Person, the youngest of the 13 original Freedom Riders, generously opened his home for a conversation with Learning for Justice. We are honored to share with you a video excerpt from that conversation wherein Person recounts parts of his story, imparts wisdom and offers suggestions for ways people can engage in justice movements.

This conversation is the first in a series of interviews with veterans of the Civil Rights Movement.