Text Set

This text set includes various primary and secondary sources related to the American Civil Rights Movement, including: 1) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail" responding to criticism of civil rights protests. 2) A podcast discussing the lasting legacy of King's "Letter" on its 50th anniversary with historian Clayborne Carson. 3) Langston Hughes' influential poem "I, Too" and Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun" providing insights into black experiences. 4) Additional sources like a New York Times article on Emmett Till, a photo of the "Little Rock Nine," and a clip from the PBS documentary "F

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Text Set

Shannon Vaskorlis
Standard VUS.1 (From Virginia and United
States History)

VUS.1 a) identify, analyze, and interpret primary and secondary source

documents, records, and data, including artifacts, diaries, letters, photographs,
journals, newspapers, historical accounts, and art, to increase understanding of
events and life in the United States

Primary and secondary sources included in this text set are going to be
centered around the Civil Rights Movement
Letter From Birmingham Jail
Readability: 50.5 (on Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease, out of 100)

Suitability: 11-12 grade & up

Annotation: Dr. Kings letter is written, from jail as he is being

imprisoned for protesting, to white clergymen from Alabama who
denounced his non-violent protests. In this letter, he asserts his
reasoning for his protesting and the need for it. This is one of the
most notable pieces of literature from the Civil Rights Movement,
from one of the most notable members of it. In social studies
education, it is important to have students focused on the why
questions in history, and this is a great way to get them focused on
that. This does a great job of explaining Dr. Kings rationale in his own
words.
NPR Podcast about Letter From Birmingham Jail with
Clayborn Carson

Readability: 63.3 (on Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease, out of 100)

Suitability: 9-12 grade & up

Annotation: This podcast from NPR features Dr. Clayborne Carson, a

professor of history at Stanford University. Though this is centered
around the 50th anniversary of Dr. Kings Letter From Birmingham
Jail, it touches a great deal on Martin Luther King Jr.s lasting legacy.
Dr. Carson, who was actually present at the March on Washington
when King gave the I Have a Dream speech, says that no one knew
how impactful Kings letter and speeches would be, but King knew he
would be on the right side of history. This would be good to follow up
with after reading Letter from Birmingham Jail.
I, Too by Langston Hughes

Readability: N/A

Suitability: 8th-12th grade & up

Annotation: Langston Hughes was an important part of the Harlem

Renaissance, but his works influenced people for many years following
that. Though this poem was published a few decades before the civil
rights movement, its sentiment still applies. This poem is not too
difficult to read, and speaks to the hopefulness that was necessary for
those who knew they could make a change.
A Raisin in the Sun

Readability: 82.2 (on Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease, out of 100)

Suitability: 9-12 grade & up

Annotation: The title of this play is derived from a Langston Hughes

poem, speaking again to his influence. But more than that, this play
displays the difficulties faced by those trying to improve their lives in a
time before equality was actually legalized. Though this book is
typically read in English classes, it is definitely appropriate for a history
class, especially because it is based on the events of the authors life.
This definitely classifies as a primary source and is not difficult to read,
but will give students insight into what it was like to live as a black
person during this time period.
New York Times Article about Emmett Till
Readability: 63.8 (on Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease, out of 100)

Suitability: 9-12 grade & up

Annotation: Though this article is mostly factual, understanding

it requires a background knowledge of the Emmett Till case,
which I feel may be too upsetting to go over with middle
schoolers. I think that this article could also be interesting to look
at in conjunction with an article published by a new source like
the Chicago Defender, and students could compare and contrast
those primary sources. Emmett Tills kidnapping and murder is
essential in a comprehensive understanding of the Civil Rights
movement because it is arguably what set the movement into a
full swing.
I Have A Dream

Readability: 67.9 (on Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease, out of 100)

Suitability: All ages

Annotation: This book is really just a segment of Dr. Kings I

Have a Dream speech set to gorgeous illustrations. Though
the speech itself may be a tad difficult, I think that the drawing
that are included will appeal to younger visual learners and
catch their interest. While younger readers may not
comprehensively understand the speech, it is a good way to
introduce the topic and familiarize them with it.
CNN The Sixties: A Long March to Freedom
(Episode 5)
Readability: N/A

Suitability: 9-12 grade & up

Annotation: This is a documentary done by Tom Hanks which was

released on CNN as a miniseries. Unlike many documentaries that
feature people that have doctorates in history being interviewed, this is
primarily told through the mouths of those that were a part of the civil
rights movement or witnessed it first hand, including Rep. John Lewis.
A great deal of primary sources are featured within this documentary
episode, like news footage, headlines, photographs, and videos of
governmental proceedings. The stories of those involved are interesting
and this will definitely capture the attention of any student who has any
remote interest in this topic and any type of learner.
Photo of Little Rock Nine
Readability: N/A

Suitability: 6-12 grade & up

Annotation: Photographs are a great way to engage any

student because they are important primary sources, and
anyone can contribute to a conversation about them. This
particular photo is of the integration of schools in Little
Rock, Arkansas. I chose this one because of the
inflammatory signs being held by those protesting the
event, and the apparent courage it took the students
integrating to walk through it, as seen here.
David Dennis Eulogy (Clip from Freedom
Summer PBS Documentary)

Readability: N/A

Suitability: 6-12 grades & up

Annotation: This is one of the most moving clips from the civil rights
movement, in my opinion, and has stuck with me ever since I first saw it
years ago. This clip from Freedom Summer is the eulogy given by activist
David Dennis at James Chaneys funeral, who was one of the freedom
riders that was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. In the eulogy, Dennis
breaks down and says I dont wanna have to go to another memorial
Im tired of funerals, Im tired of it! and I think that the sheer desperation
and sorrow in his voice are enough to incite empathy in any student.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Readability: 84.7 (on Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease, out of 100)

Suitability: 9-12 grade & up

Annotation: This book is told in letters sent from Charlie, to an

anonymous person he feels comfortable enough divulging his feelings in.
He is a freshman in college and is faced with many issues that young
adults are faced with like suicide, mental and physical abuse, drugs,
alcohol, mental illness, making friends, and a number of other things.
Though this is a fictional book, it is told through letters which could be
considered a sort of mock primary source compilation, and could get
students more comfortable with reading them, along with helping them
realize that they are not alone in going through all of these issues.
Bibliography
King, Martin Luther. (1963). Letter from Birmingham jail. Atlantic Monthly.
(1955, Nov 10). Grand jury in till case fails to indict two white men accused in kidnapping. New York Times.
Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/113336723?accountid=11667
Chbosky, Stephen. (1999). The perks of being a wallflower. New York: Simon & Schuster.
(2013, Apr 16). 'Letter From Birmingham Jail' 50 Years Later. National Public Radio. Retrieved from
http://www.npr.org/2013/04/16/177468615/letter-from-birmingham-jail-50-years-later
Hughes, Langston. (1994). Langston Hughes, I, Too from Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. New York:
Random House.
Hansberry, Lorraine. (1958). A raisin in the sun. New York: Random House.
King, Martin Luther & Nelson, Kadir. (2012). I have a dream. New York: Random House.
Hanks, Tom & Goetzman, Gary. (2015) The sixties: A long march to freedom. Atlanta: CNN.
Bledsoe, John. (1959) Little rock, 1959. Rally at state capitol. Library of Congress. Retrieved from
https://www.loc.gov/item/2009632339/
Dennis, David. (1964). The eulogy. The American experience: Freedom summer. PBS.