Tell Them We Are Rising: Successes and Failures of Reconstruction for People of Color

1.    Anticipatory Set:
a.    Ask students: What is the American dream?

i.    Ask students to determine how likely were African Americans to achieve the American dream post-slavery or the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

ii.    What social, political and economic carryovers from slavery may still show up during Reconstruction?

b.    Record student’s responses as a class or via Google classroom – students should use evidence to support their view from previous standards covered.

2.    Continue with a discussion on the American dream and education. Compile a list of the students’ responses either on the Whiteboard/Smartboard/Google Classroom.
a.     Ask the class "What is education for?” Ask students to consider the following propositions:

•    To learn basic skills that will allow us to get jobs?
•    To become "productive members of society?"
•    To become good citizens?
•    To instill certain moral and social values?

b.    Ask students if they believe education will help African Americans achieve the American dream

3.    Students will view material on life during Reconstruction –Explain what obtaining an education was like for African American post slavery.
i.    Have students watch two videos detailing life for African American after the Emancipation Proclamation and the beginning of Jim Crow.

View video #1 –  Life After Emancipation Proclamation Great Migration | The African Americans

o    Students answer questions while viewing video:

•    Three you learned about life after slavery.
•    What was Jim Crow? What did Jim Crow look like?
•    What happened to Thomas Moss?

o    After viewing video students can complete the Successes and Failures of Reconstruction in South Carolina – Experiences of African Americans graphic organizer

View Video #2 - The Realities of Separate But Equal

•    Students answer questions while viewing video:
•    How did Charles Houston build a legal case against Jim Crow?
•    Explain how Charles Houston saw himself as a soldier as a lawyer?
•    What did Houston’s efforts help to lead to?
•    What was the Negro Motorist’s Green Book?
•    After viewing video students can complete the Successes and Failures of Reconstruction in South Carolina – Experiences of African Americans graphic organizer

4.    Understanding the success and failures of Reconstruction (You can differentiate instruction in the various ways listed below)
a.    Have students review The Era of Reconstruction pdf document. This document can be divided into groups for middle schoolers and then shared using a Jigsaw activity or shared via Google classroom.

i.    Pages 9-27 – history in context Reconstruction
ii.    Pages 23-38 – African American institutions
iii.    Pages 33-38 – African American churches and civic organizations
iv.    Pages 39-52 – African Americans and the right to vote
v.    Pages 79-90 – Remaking the South after Reconstruction
vi.    Each section can be analyzed using the Analyze History: Challenge, Choice and Changes handout

b.    Have students search through Mind Map and take notes:  Students can complete as a class or on their individual devices.

I.    Visit Credo Reference
II.    Type Reconstruction into search box (you may see Reconstruction era of the United States)
III.    From the drop down box to the right click Mind Map
IV.    Hit search
V.    Students can go through the different sections using the Graphic Organizer Successes and Failures of Reconstruction in South Carolina – Experiences of African Americans

c.    Have students read through the Britannica School reference for Reconstruction

i.    You can switch from a 1, 2 or 3 Article Reading Level
ii.    For the sections Origin of Reconstruction, Presidential Reconstruction, Radical Reconstruction, The end of Reconstruction have students complete either the Analyze History: Challenge, Choice and Changes handout or the Successes and Failures of Reconstruction in South Carolina – Experiences of African Americans graphic organizer
5.    Now that students understand the successes and failures of Reconstruction, you will now move onto some of the specifics of how Reconstruction failed to protect the rights of African Americans by researching and learning about the following: (You can differentiate instruction in the various ways listed below)

a.     Discriminatory groups and connection to the withdrawal of federal protection of freedmen

i.    Have students read about why federal troops were sent to the South in this article – The Compromise of 1877

1.    Explain why the troops were present.
2.    Why were the troops asked to leave?
3.    Explain what happened once the federal troops left.

ii.    Have students watch the video clip - Slavery By Another Name | Radical Reconstruction

1.    Explain what did the 13thand 14th amendment’s guaranteed
2.    Explain what happens after federal presence of troops leaves in 1874?

b.    Jim Crow laws -Analysis

i.    Have students watch one or all of the following video clips about Jim Crow –

1.     IslandThe Rise and Fall of Jim Crow | Edisto
2.     The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow | Blacks and Whites in the New South

3.    Resenting Prosperity and Equality | The African Americans

a.    Write down three things learned about experiences of African Americans during Jim Crow

c.    Have students choose three Jim Crow images to analyze from the Library of Congress

i.    Students next access the Library of Congress Primary Source Analysis Tool

1.    Select format – i.e. photographs and prints
2.    Students can download and turn into teacher via Google classroom or print and turn in hard copy to teacher

d.    Jim Crow laws – Research and inquiry

i.    Have students read about Jim Crow using Britannica School
ii.    You can switch from a 1, 2 or 3 Article Reading Level

e.    Jim Crow buildings in South Carolina – Photo analysis

f.    Voter restriction laws

i.    Have students review the video - Reconstruction Brings White Resistance

1.    What methods were used by white to ‘keep blacks in their place’?

6.    Next have students look at African Americans responses to Jim Crow and discrimination overall
a.    Students can begin by watching the video clip - The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow | Ida B. Wells: A Lifetime of Activism

i.    Discuss three ways Ida B. Wells resisted discrimination of African Americans during this time period.
ii.    What did Wells realize after the lynching of her friends?
7.    In conclusion, the final assessment will have students evaluate the responses of African Americans, in the South – and South Carolina – response to failures of Reconstruction via education

a.    Reiterate to students that during the Jim Crow era, many African Americans struggled to define the purpose of education. Booker T. Washington stressed vocational over cultural education, stating that "there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem." On the other hand, W.E.B. Du Bois insisted that "the object of all true education is not to make men carpenters, it is to make carpenters men."

b.    After watching the video Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois: The Conflict have students discuss as a class or write down in a response to hand in: Who they believe had a valid point, DuBois or Washington.  

c.    Have students read - The debate over African American education.

i.    Students must complete the graphic organizer - Who Was Right? DuBois vs. Washington

d.    Have students research historically black colleges and universities in the South:

i.     watch the video The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow | Booker T. Washington: An Education
ii.    Education Among Freedmen Report of the Board of Education for Freedmen

1.    While viewing the video clips have students consider 

a.    What was the purpose of creating the Tuskegee Institute?

b.    How did the Hotzclaw family feel about an education?

e.    Have students research the economic and educational status of African Americans today

i.    PEW Research  - Black-White household income
ii.    PEW Research – Black-White college completion
iii.    Students complete Argumentative Essay handout to determine – Are African Americans better of economically and educationally in the twenty-first century
8.    Research the economic and educational impact of Reconstruction in the twenty-first century: 

a.    Review Historically Black Colleges and Universities

b.    Watch video clips from Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities

i.    Middle or High School – Read An Uncertain Future for the Nation’s Oldest HBCU (from POV Reference Center – SC State Library Resource – search HBCU)

1.    Discuss as a class when completed or have students submit Two-Column Note handout via Google classroom

ii.    High School - Do you find any similarities in the 1974 article by Dr. Arthur Teele – The Contributions of Black Colleges and Universities? (resource from SC State Library – History Reference Center – enter keywords black colleges and universities)

1.    Discuss as a class when completed or have students submit Two-Column Note handout via Google classroom

iii.    High School – Have students listen to this audio – Traditional Black College and Universities in North Carolina (resource from SC State Library – History Reference Center – enter keywords black colleges and universities)

1.    Discuss as a class when completed or have students submit Two-Column Note handout via Google classroom

iv.    Top HBCUs Graduating African-Americans  (from POV Reference Center – SC State Library Resource – search HBCU)

1.    Discuss as a class when completed or have students submit Two-Column Note handout via Google classroom

b.    Allen University images

2.    What can you ascertain about the Allen University  by looking through the images

a.    Provide at least five images and explain your interpretation

Final Assessment: Determine if Historically Black Colleges and Universities were successful in creating political, social and educational opportunities for African Americans post Reconstruction? What evidence do you see in the twenty first century?

1.    Have students view these video clips to understand what is an oral history interview?
a.    Video #1
b.    Video #2

c.    Discuss as a class – What is an oral history interview? Why are oral history interviews important?
2.    Find individuals to interview:  Divide class into groups:

a.    One group will interview people who attended an HBCU. 

i.    Example of questions for this group:

1.    Do they feel HBCU’s are still needed today?
2.    What are the experiences of those who attended/are attending an HBCU? 

b.    One group will interview African American high school seniors and those currently in college

1.    Example of questions for this group:
2.    What college would they like to attend and why?

3.    Will they attend an HBCU or PWI? Why or why not?
4.    What are their experiences at an HBCU or PWI?
5.    Do they feel HBCU’s are still needed today?

3.    Create account in StoryCorps
4.    Have students listen to a few oral histories
5.    Create interview questions
a.    Sample questions: 

•    What inspired them to attend?
•    Did they have a choice to attend an HBCU or PWI?
•    Did they attend both and HBCU and PWI? 
•    What did they like and not like about attending an HBCU?
6.    Record their experiences 
7.    Edit stories using app like Audacity
8.    Upload experiences into StoryCorps