AUDIENCE: 9th-12th grade (Content can be scaffolded to meet the needs of specific grade level)
ANCHOR TEXT: Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson
PURPOSE: The purpose of this text set is to offer students an account of American history often untold. The aim of each text in this set is to shed light on the largely ignored experiences of African Americans and provide students with a framework for which they can build a deeper understanding of how these untold histories connect with present day events.
The book provides an oral history tracing the narrator’s family path from pre slavery to present day. The book offers the African American perspective of the history of America. The narrative allows readers to fully engage with the text. This text is beg-mid range in depth and detail and opportunity for interpretation of the illustrations as every page of text is accompanied by a full-page painting. Students will be familiar with some of the well-known historical figures such as Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, but other unnamed men and women represent the full experience of life as an African American. This story paints the grim picture of the African American experience, but while also highlighting their triumph and resilience. The language is in the mid range, with some colloquialism that may need scaffolding. This would be an excellent independent read and catalyst for research for topics dealing with African American history and marginalized perspectives.
Annotated Texts
BOOKS |
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This graphic novel focuses on the young life of Alfonso Jones, anxious to perform in the schools hip-hop rendition of Shakespeare's Hamlet and to profess his love for best friend, Danetta. None of these events come to pass as an off-duty police officer mistakenly shoots Alfonso, taking his life. In the afterlife, Alfonso awakens on a trail and begins to learn how to navigate the spiritual world, guided by well-known victims of police shootings. Alfonso and his family both struggle with how to continue to the fight for justice in both their physical and spiritual existences. The focus on police brutality illustrates the continued threat of violence on the African American community and the current Black Lives Matter movement that seeks to abolish it. This text creates the opportunity for students to make direct connections with histories discussed in the anchor text and present day events. Offers the (often reluctant) reader an opportunity to interact with the subject matter in a nontraditional (graphic novel) format. |
VIDEOSHazard, A. (2014, December 22). The Atlantic slave trade: What too few textbooks told you.
Cooper, B. (2016, October). The racial politics of time.
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The video discusses the historical, economic and personal impact of slavery. Describes the Atlantic slave trade-the kidnapping of more than 10 million Africans to the Americas-as a “massive historical injustice,” emphasizing its global impact and lasting legacy. Although this video presents a condensed version of the horrific circumstances endured by descendants of present day African Americans in the Atlantic slave trade, it gives greater detail to build on topics discussed in the anchor text. Creates opportunity to discuss the repercussions of slavery and its impact on the current African American experiences. Grade level appropriate.
A film documentary that addresses the untold history of lynching in the American South. The history presented through interviews from perspectives of community activists, scholars and descendants of victims. The directors describe the lynchings as, “a tool of social control and racial violence against African Americans for close to a century following the Civil War,” and seek to provide connections to the present day experiences of African Americans. Another excellent resource for providing historical context to connect past and present experiences of African Americans. Content and subject may be better suited for older high school students. Cultural theorist Brittney Cooper offers her perspective of the historical impact of racism and its repercussions for African Americans and other people of color. Her theory claims that time has been, “stolen from people of color, resulting in lost moments of joy and connection, lost years of healthy quality of life and the delay of progress.” This TED talk does a good job of summarizing the impact of injustices against African Americans throughout history leading up to present day occurrences. Opens up discussion to compare and contrast the privileges of “dominant” society to people of color, adding to them the benefit of “time.” |
OTHER MEDIA |
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This letter documents the first hand account of a freed slave (ancestor of the author) and the horrors of slavery. Excellent illustration of the power of gathering primary source documents in research of histories of marginalized people.
This podcast provides expands anchor text, detailing the “40 acres and a mule” plan the U.S. government promoted to African Americans as a way to integrate them into life post-slavery, during the short-lived period of Reconstruction. Provides opportunity to discuss U.S. government's role in experiences of African Americans throughout history.
NAACP Criminal Justice Department (2017, January 17). Death Penalty Fact Sheet [PDF].
Statistics documenting the disproportionate representation of African Americans incarcerated and/or facing the death penalty. Another resource to connect historical events to present practices against African Americans. Depth of vocabulary suits older high school students.
Statistics documenting the disproportionate representation of African Americans incarcerated and/or facing the death penalty. Another resource to connect historical events to present practices against African Americans. Depth of vocabulary suits older high school students.
death-penalty-fact-sheet-1-17-1.pdf | |
File Size: | 148 kb |
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Equal Justice Initiative (2015). Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror [PDF]. This report summarizes the violence and murder perpetrated upon African Americans through lynching-a prevalent practice post-slavery. Pairs well with the documentary, An Outrage (listed above), providing additional context to students wanting to delve deeper into the topic. Depth of vocabulary suits older high school students.
lynching-in-america-second-edition-summary.pdf | |
File Size: | 3111 kb |
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PBS Learning Media (n.d.). From the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter - Photograph Collection
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A collection of photographs documenting the fight of African Americans against injustice from Civil rights era to now. Excellent opportunity to compare and contrast activism from past and present movements.
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