Tasks: Timeline of African American History

Study the resources 'Timeline of African-American History: 1619–1896', and 'Timeline of African-American History: 1900-1968'. Then discuss the questions.

1. The United States declared its independence with the words: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal'. Nevertheless, the country had slavery for over 80 years after this line was written. How do you think white Americans justified slavery?

2. How has slavery influenced race-relations in the United States until today?

3. Why was it not enough to remove slavery to create equality between the Black and the white population in the United States?

4. What was 'Separate but Equal', and what made it an unjust system? Does the name suggest that the system was created to ensure equality?

5. Why do you think the Harlem Renaissance was important in the fight to strengthen the rights of African American? Does art (music, literature, paintings etc) really matter in that context?

6. Why do you think the US army found it necessary to segregate soldiers until 1948? Why do you think the policy was changed?

7. What did the Civil Rights Movement accomplish?

8. Have African Americans achieved equality in the United States today?

Work with a partner.

Who are these three men? How did they contribute to creating a more equal society in the United States?

You can read their names if you place your cursor on each picture. Click on the next slides to get hints.

Work in groups:

• Make a presentation about a period or event in African American history.

• Make references to literature, art, or film about the period/event in your presentation. (For example, Huckleberry Finn or Uncle Tom's Cabin in relation to the period of slavery, Paul Laurence Dunbar or Langston Hughes's or poetry in relation to segregation, the documentaries MLK/FBI or Good Trouble in relation to the civil rights struggle, etc.)

• Has the period / event had significance for what the United States is like today?

From the 1830s until the 1960s, lynching was not uncommon in the South. The victims of lynching were usually Black. When someone was lynched, people banded together to punish them for real or perceived crimes. There are examples of Black people being lynched for looking at white people in the wrong way. The methods used for lynching were brutal: people were hanged, dragged behind cars, burned alive, thrown off bridges, and more.

Use relevant sources and make a fact sheet about lynching in the United States. You can look at the practice of lynching in general, or you may choose to make a factsheet about a specific case.

Suggested sources:

Link to article about lynching on NAACP's website

Link to information about lynching on Equal Justice Initiative's website

Work in groups.

What happened in the struggle for equality in the United States after 1968? Research and make your own timeline of events from 1969 until today.

Here is a list of suggestions for events that may be part of the timeline. Remember to include facts and explanations for why these events were significant. Include other events that you believe should be part of the timeline.

• 1972: Shirley Chisholm runs for president

• 1978: Supreme Court decision: Regents of the University of California v Bakke

• 1986: Mandatory Minimum Sentencing introduced by Congress. (These laws lead to many Black people being incarcerated for a long time for minor crimes.)

• 1986: Oprah Winfrey launches a talk show

• 1992: riots in Los Angeles

• 1995: Million Man March

• 2001: Colin Powell becomes secretary of state

• 2008: Barack Obama becomes president

• 2013: The Black Lives Matter Movement begins.

• 2020: George Floyd protests

• 2021: Kamala Harris becomes the first Black vice president, and the first woman vice president

Watch a video clip of Billie Holiday singing the song 'Strange Fruit' and listen closely to the lyrics. Work with a partner and discuss:

1. What is the song about?

2. How can you tell that this is what the song is about?

3. What is the message of the song?

4. What literary devices are used in the song? (E.g. metaphor, alliteration, rhyme.)

Link to 'Strange Fruit' on Vimeo: animated film

Link to Strange Fruit on YouTube: with lyrics on screen

You can also find the lyrics here: Link to 'Strange Fruit' lyrics on AZlyrics' website

Choose one of the tasks and write a longer text. Make use of relevant sources and include references and a source list.

1. How can studying African American history help us understand important issues in the United States today? Write a text where you discuss this question.

2. When we study history, we often focus on the leaders. Is history changed by individuals or by mass movements? Discuss this question. Reference examples from African American history.

3. How can literature and film help us understand African American history? Write a text where you discuss this question. Make reference to relevant examples from literature and film.

Who are these people? – There are two different pictures of the same person. Match the pictures and read the information that comes up when you have succeeded.