TEACHING GUIDE - SEASON ONE - Black History in Two Minutes (or so)
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BLACK HISTORY IN TWO MINUTES
TEACHING
GUIDE
SEASON ONE
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION................................................................1
How to Use This Guide..................................................................................................1
National Standards..........................................................................................................2
Preparing to Teach..........................................................................................................2
Topic Selection.................................................................................................................2
Videos by Social Justice Domain and Theme...........................................................3
Essential Questions.........................................................................................................4
Student Objectives..........................................................................................................4
KWL Chart & Big Idea Questions................................................................................4
Independent Study Activities.......................................................................................5
PLUG-AND-PLAY ACTIVITIES.............................................6
Backchannel......................................................................................................................7
Notetaking.........................................................................................................................9
Video Notes graphic organizer ..................................................................................11
General Notetaking graphic organizer.....................................................................12
Student-led Inquiry and Research.............................................................................13
LESSONS....................................................................... 15
Individual and Society: Black Discoveries and Black Patents.............................16
Individual and Society: Successes Unseen..............................................................19
Freedom and Choice: Black Arts and Entertainment...........................................23
Power and Privilege: Leading the Revolution.........................................................27
Struggle and Progress: Injustice and Media............................................................31
Membership and Solidarity: Black Exploration.....................................................36
Membership and Solidarity: The Black Church and Fisk Jubilee Singers.......39
GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS................................................... 42
3, 2, 1 ... Engage!..............................................................................................................43
While I Watch................................................................................................................45
View and Share..............................................................................................................47
Before/Now....................................................................................................................49
Connections to Self, Others, Fairness and Action..................................................51
Video Tour.......................................................................................................................53
4 A’s Protocol..................................................................................................................55
Thinking Through Viewing........................................................................................57
TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS......................................... 59
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS..................................................... 73
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | SEASON ONE | TEACHING GUIDE II
SEASON 1
TEACHING GUIDE
Welcome to the Black History in Two Minutes Season One Teaching Guide. Here, you will find a variety of
resources designed to help you use these short, engaging videos with your students at home, in your classroom,
with a community group or in any other setting where young people learn.
Narrated by renowned historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and executive produced by Robert F. Smith, these videos
are powerful teaching tools that can help students connect with important but commonly overlooked events in
American history. Too often, schools relegate Black history to the month of February, reinforcing the notion that
it is “extra” material, separate from the history of the United States students learn throughout the year. This guide
can help disrupt that narrative by supporting the use of these student-friendly cross-disciplinary videos through-
out scopes, sequences and settings.
FOCAL
POINT Whether you’re teaching about Black feminism, the Harlem Renaissance, Jack Johnson’s “fight of the
century” or any of the more than 60 topics represented in the video library, we hope you and your stu-
dents will be inspired by the individuals who made this history, and take their legacies with you on your
teaching, learning and civic engagement journeys.
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
The Black History in Two Minutes Season One Teaching 3. A set of student objectives identifying the knowl-
Guide supports a variety of teaching and learning goals. edge and skills students will gain by engaging with
Browse the scripted lessons, which provide an off-the-shelf these video-based activities.
option that is perfect for extending existing unit plans.
4. A universal KWL chart for use with any video.
Customize a “plug-and-play” activity based on a theme
that speaks to your school or classroom climate needs. You 5. Customizable Big Idea questions to help students
might choose to focus on a single essential question and focus on video content specific to the teaching and
follow that line of inquiry with students through several learning goals.
videos. Or you can encourage older kids to engage in the
6. Two independent study activities to support students
student-led inquiry activity to keep them engaged during
in following their own line of inquiry.
downtime or to facilitate project-based learning.
7. Customizable or “plug-and-play” learning activities
There is no correct way or order to do the activi-
that can be used with any video or combination of videos
ties; decide what objectives you want your students to
from the Black History in Two Minutes library.
meet, and use your creativity to design a custom plan
by selecting and combining teaching materials and 8. Scripted lessons that invite students to explore
resources. groupings of videos.
To get you started, here is an overview of what you will 9. Graphic organizers to help students visually engage
find in the guide. with own thinking while they watch the videos.
1. The list of Season One videos grouped by theme and 10. A set of sample text-dependent questions that can
social justice domain to support planning. be used in assessments, journal prompts, speaking and lis-
2. A set of overarching essential questions designed to tening activities, or a variety of other instructional tasks.
drive student inquiry.
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | SEASON ONE | TEACHING GUIDE 1
ANGELA DAVIS IS AN INFLUENTIAL FEMINIST AND ABOLITIONIST LEADER AND AUTHOR.
ALONG WITH MANY OTHER BLACK FEMINISTS IN THE 1970s, SHE PUSHED THE WOMEN'S
MOVEMENT AND THE BLACK POWER MOVEMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE INTERSECTING
OPPRESSIONS BLACK WOMEN EXPERIENCE.
NATIONAL STANDARDS
Each video in the Black History in Two Minutes library A NOTE
has been mapped by theme and by social justice ABOUT TOPIC Although the history of
domain: identity, diversity, justice and action. These Black America includes
SELECTION
four domains refer to the Teaching Tolerance Social many stories of struggle and
Justice Standards, anchor standards and age-appro- resistance, it also includes many examples of inge-
priate learning outcomes that provide a road map for nuity, creativity and joy. It is important that students
anti-bias education at every stage of K–12 instruction. encounter multiple narratives and learning opportuni-
The activities in this guide were also designed to meet ties that reinforce the complexity and diversity of Black
Dimension 1 (Developing Questions and Planning people and Black communities. Throughout the guide,
Inquiries) and Dimension 4 (Communicating you will notice people, facts and events highlighted as
Conclusions and Taking Informed Action) of the C3 a reminder to share a variety of stories that engage
Framework, as well as CCSS Anchor Standards for themes, not just of oppression, but also agency, empow-
reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language. erment, community building and accomplishment.
PREPARING TO TEACH
The Black History in Two Minutes library and Teaching material brings up painful emotions. If you are a non-
Guide include some videos and lessons intended to edu- Black teacher, have you thought about your own racial
cate students about painful and even violent history. identity in relationship to the material? Do you have
Before you share these videos and lessons, look at your the language and the experience to navigate students'
classroom demographics and anticipate how your stu- questions about concepts like white supremacy and the
dents may feel about the material. Are your students social construction of race?
prepared to have conversations about race and racism?
To aid you in preparing to teach the materials in this
What prior knowledge do they have? What response
guide, download the guide Let’s Talk: Facilitating Critical
strategies do you have in your toolbox if they exhibit
Conversations With Students from Teaching Tolerance.
strong reactions to the material?
Extend this assessment to yourself as well. If you are a
Black teacher, check in with yourself and notice if the
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | SEASON ONE | TEACHING GUIDE 2
SOCIAL JUSTICE DOMAINS AND THEMES ALIGNMENT
This table organizes the Black History in Two Minutes Season One videos by theme and by social justice
domain. Identify which theme best fits the unit you are planning, and select from the list of videos accordingly.
Alternatively, identify the social justice domain your students need to strengthen, and select a video to support that
direct instruction goal.
Theme Identity Diversity Justice Action
• Madam C.J. Walker: • 19th Century • Booker T. Washington • Affirmative Action
The First Black Black Discoveries • School Integration • Ella Baker: “The
Millionairess • First African • Second Middle Passage Mother of the Civil
Individual
• Obama’s Election American Rights Movement”
& Society
Patent Holders • Sojourner Truth:
• African American “Oprah’s No. 1 Black
Higher Education History Heroine”
• Ida B. Wells: Fearless • Frederick • Abolition in the North: • Civil War and
Investigative Reporter Douglass: The Elizabeth Freeman Sues Emancipation
of Southern Horrors Most Photographed for Freedom • The First
• Oscar Micheaux American of the • Lynching Underground Railroad
• Shirley Chisholm: 19th Century • The L.A. Riots • The Black Press:
Struggle & The First Black • W.E.B. DuBois • The Transatlantic From Freedom’s
Progress Congresswoman • Fort Mose Slave Trade Journal to The Crisis,
• Harriet Tubman • The Red Summer Ebony & Jet
• Robert Smalls: A
Slave Who Sailed
Himself to Freedom
• The Birth of a Nation
• Hank Aaron: • Jackie Robinson • Land: 40 Acres • The Black Press:
Breaking the Home • Black Explorers & a Mule From Freedom’s
Run Record • Jack Johnson: • Reconstruction: Journal to The Crisis,
Membership • Juan Garrido Winner of the “Fight of The Vote Ebony & Jet
& Solidarity • Katherine Johnson the Century” • Freedman’s Bank • Booker T. Washington
• The Black Church
• Marcus Garvey • Dr. Martin Luther • Separate but Equal: • John Lewis: The Fight
• Black Feminism King, Jr.: Was His “I Homer Plessy and the for the Right to Vote
Have a Dream” Case That Upheld the • The Civil
Speech Improvised? Color Line Rights Movement
Power & • Maya Angelou: 20th • Convict Leasing • Black Power
Privilege Century Renaissance • The Birth of the
Woman Black Panthers
• Malcolm X: How
Did He Inspire a
Movement?
• How the Fisk Jubilee • The Harlem • The Tuskegee Study • The Harlem
Singers Saved Their Renaissance • Double V Campaign Hellfighters of WWI
University • Soul Train of WW II • Jesse Jackson’s Run
• Henrietta Lacks: • The Birth of Jazz • The Black Press: for the Presidency (1984)
Freedom The Woman With • The Birth of Hip Hop From Freedom’s
& Choice Immortal Cells • Migrations Journal to The Crisis,
Ebony & Jet
• The Tulsa Race Riots:
Black Wall Street
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | SEASON ONE | TEACHING GUIDE 3ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS STUDENT OBJECTIVES
• How does Black history show up in my life and • Students will be able to identify figures, groups,
my experiences? events, and a variety of strategies and philosophies
relevant to Black history.
• How have Black people and Black history shaped the
United States? • Students will be able to situate Black history topics
within the appropriate social, cultural, political and
• How do we know what we know about Black history?
historical contexts.
• How do the enduring struggles for progress through-
• Students will be able to point to social,
out Black history connect to other social movements,
cultural and political evidence that Black his-
historically and today?
tory is American history.
• How can I take action for racial justice?
• Students will be able to make principled decisions
about when and how to take action against bias
KWL AND and injustice.
BIG IDEAS A KWL chart and Big Idea • Students will be able to concretely connect Black
questions can be used with history to their own lives.
any video, either alone or as an
add-on to lessons or activities.
KWL CHART FOR BEFORE/DURING/AFTER VIEWING
What I KNOW/What I WANT TO KNOW/What I • What’s in the video?
LEARNED + NEW QUESTIONS I have
• What’s outside the video?
Use this KWL chart to promote metacognition and
• What’s different from what I thought before?
increase viewing comprehension.
VIDEO TITLE
Things to Think About... Know Want to Know Learned New Questions
What's in the video?
What's outside the video?
What's different from
what I thought before?
BIG IDEA QUESTIONS SAMPLE: The Black Press: From Freedom’s Journal to The
Before sharing a video with students, customize these Crisis, Ebony & Jet
Big Idea questions to help them focus on details that • What was Freedom’s Journal? What was The North Star?
support your teaching and learning goals.
• Why did Samuel Cornish and John Russwurm say
• What is/was ___ ? What is/was ____? they decided to start Freedom’s Journal?
• Why were… • Why might someone decide to start their
• Why might… ? own newspaper?
• How can you/will you learn more about ___ ? • How can you learn more about the Black press?
• How does ___ impact our country and society today? • How do activist publications impact our country and
society today?
• How does ___’s legacy live on today?
• How does Freedom Journal’s legacy live on today?
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | SEASON ONE | TEACHING GUIDE 4INDEPENDENT STUDY
These independent study options are perfect for
students who are homeschooling, want to extend class-
room assignments or want to further their learning
outside of class time.
OPTION 1: EXPLORE A THEME
In this activity, you’ll begin by exploring a theme and
end by reflecting on something unexpected you learned
along the way.
Step 1: From the following list, select a theme that inter-
ests you: individual and society; struggle and progress;
membership and solidarity; power and privilege; free-
dom and choice.
Step 2: From the table provided, select four or more vid-
eos mapped to this theme.
Step 3: Watch your selected videos. Take notes using the
While I Watch graphic organizer.
Step 4: Write a paragraph summarizing what you
learned about the theme you chose based on the videos
you watched. Use specific examples from the videos to
support your conclusions.
Step 5: Finally, write a paragraph about something
unexpected you learned or a conclusion you drew from
the videos beyond the theme you chose. Look back at
the notes you took on the graphic organizers to help
spark your reflections. Use specific examples from the
videos to support your conclusions.
Bonus: Star in your own video! Using a smartphone or
laptop, record yourself delivering your conclusions.
OPTION 2: DESIGN A VIDEO TOUR
In this activity, you will observe how your mind makes
connections as you create a personal path of inquiry
through the video library.
Step 1: Choose a video from the Black History in Two
Minutes library. FOCAL
Step 2: Based on something you learned or observed in POINT In 1862, Mary Jane Patterson became the
the first video, select another video that connects to it. first African American woman to earn a
It could be a common idea, focus, theme, or time period. bachelor's degree when she graduated
How it connects is up to you. Get creative! Record your from Oberlin College in Ohio. She went on
choice and your connection on the Video Tour graphic to have a distinguished career in education.
organizer provided. FROM AFRICAN AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION
Step 3: Repeat this step again. The video you choose this
time could share the same connection or you can make
an entirely new connection. Step 5: Answer two reflection questions. 1) What did I
learn from the video tour that I did not expect? 2) What
Step 4: Repeat this step until you have five videos reflect- did I learn about how my mind makes connections?
ing four connections. You have created a mini-tour of
the video library based on your unique path of inquiry! Bonus: Star in your own video! Using a smartphone or lap-
top, record yourself answering your reflection questions.
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | SEASON ONE | TEACHING GUIDE 5PLUG-
AND-PLAY
ACTIVITIES
Customize these activities
with any video or combination
of videos to support students
in their exploration of the
essential questions.
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | SEASON 1 | TEACHING GUIDE 6ACTIVITY
BACKCHANNEL
TARGET GRADE LEVELS 6-8, 9-12
Backchanneling gives students a virtual participation avenue that runs concurrently with face-to-face activities.
The backchannel gives students a way to talk to each other during and after viewing, reacting to the video as well
as each other’s comments and to additional questions posed by the teacher.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS STUDENT OBJECTIVES
1. How does Black history show up in my life and 1. Students will be able to identify figures, groups,
my experiences? events and a variety of strategies and philosophies rele-
vant to Black history.
2. How have Black people and Black history shaped the
United States? 2. Students will be able to situate Black history topics
within the appropriate social, cultural, political and his-
3. How do we know what we know about Black history?
torical contexts.
4. How do the enduring struggles for progress through-
3. Students will be able to point to social, cultural and
out Black history connect to other social movements
political evidence that Black history is American history.
historically and today?
4. Students will be able to make principled decisions
5. How can I take action for racial justice?
about when and how to take action against bias and
injustice.
5. Students will be able to concretely connect their own
lives to the history of Black America.
Procedure
VIEW • How have Black people and Black history shaped
For this activity, choose any video from the Black History the United States?
in Two Minutes library to watch with the entire class.
• How do we know what we know about Black history?
BEFORE VIEWING
• How do the enduring struggles for progress
1. Determine which platform or app will work best for your
throughout Black history connect to other social
students. Most apps function on multiple device types and
movements historically and today?
operating systems, so pick one that fits the technology needs
of the class. The audience Q&A function in Google Slides • How can I take action for racial justice?
can operate as a backchannel, or a few examples of available
6. Pick one of the EQs or instruct students to select one
options can be found here, here or here.
to focus on during viewing.
2. Set up backchannel on the chosen platform or app.
7. Have students open the backchannel platform on
3. Set up each class as a group or create multiple small their device.
groups within a single class.
8. Instruct students to share their initial thoughts about
4. Share the channel with students. one of the EQs in the backchannel.
5. Pose and display the essential questions in a shared, 9. Then have students respond to a classmate’s initial
visible location. thoughts about the EQ in the backchannel.
• How does Black history show up in my life and
my experiences?
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | ACTIVITY | BACKCHANNEL 7DURING AND AFTER VIEWING
1. Watch the video one time. Invite students to continue
conversations in the backchannel as they view.
2. Present this second set of backchannel questions
by either posting them in a shared, visible location or
entering them into the backchannel.
• What key details stand out?
• What questions do you have?
• What connections to other events, people, texts or
movies can you make?
• What is your favorite part of the video?
• What new thinking does this video introduce for you?
3. Watch the video a second and third time while stu-
dents continue to respond in the backchannel.
4. Encourage students to continue conversations in and
refer to the backchannel during the debrief discussion
DISCUSSION: BIG IDEAS DEBRIEF
1. How does Black history show up in my life and
my experiences?
2. How have Black people and Black history shaped the
United States?
3. How do we know what we know about Black history?
4. How do the enduring struggles for progress through-
out Black history connect to other social movements
historically and today?
5. How can I take action for racial justice?
DO NEXT
WHAT Students extend and share their learning with others. FOCAL
WHEN Use after viewing and discussing.
POINT In 1972, Shirly Chisholm became the first
Black woman to run for the presidential
nomination of a major political party.
HOW
FROM SHIRLEY CHISHOLM: THE FIRST
Take it public! Have students facilitate a live Twitter BLACK CONGRESSWOMAN
chat to raise awareness of the video’s content and to
encourage connections to their own lives.
Try this Tweeting for Change student-led Do Something
task from Teaching Tolerance.
RELATED RESOURCES
WhatsApp
GroupMe
9 Awesome Group Text Messaging Tools for Educators
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | ACTIVITY | BACKCHANNEL 8ACTIVITY
NOTETAKING
TARGET GRADE LEVELS 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
This notetaking activity provides a structure for viewers and readers to identify facts, main ideas and supporting
details while also asking questions and making connections. It also offers students the flexibility to select which
video from Black History in Two Minutes they want to view while grounding the activity in overarching essential
questions about Black history.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS STUDENT OBJECTIVES
1. How does Black history show up in my life and 1. Students will be able to identify figures, groups,
my experiences? events, and a variety of strategies and philosophies rele-
vant to Black history.
2. How have Black people and Black history shaped the
United States? 2. Students will be able to situate Black history topics
within the appropriate social, cultural, political and his-
3. How do we know what we know about Black history?
torical contexts.
4. How do the enduring struggles for progress through-
3. Students will be able to point to social, cultural and
out Black history connect to other social movements,
political evidence that Black history is American history.
historically and today?
4. Students will be able to make principled decisions about
5. How can I take action for racial justice?
when and how to take action against bias and injustice.
5. Students will be able to concretely connect Black his-
tory to their own lives.
FOCAL
POINT For enslaved people who were able to escape the British Colonies, Spanish Florida became a
temporary promised land. In 1738, a small group of Black people created their own town near St.
Augustine. They called it Fort Mose: the first all-Black settlement in what is now the United States.
FROM FORT MOSE: THE FIRST ALL-BLACK SETTLEMENT IN THE U.S.
Procedure
VIEW
DURING AND AFTER VIEWING
Choose any video from the Black History in Two
1. Pose and display the essential questions (EQs) in a
Minutes library to watch with the entire class, or have
shared, visible location.
students select a video to watch independently.
• How does Black history show up in my life and
BEFORE VIEWING
my experiences?
1. Share the notetaking handouts under Related
Resources with students. • How have Black people and Black history shaped
the United States?
2. Clarify the purpose of the sections within each hand-
out and answer any student questions. • How do we know what we know
about Black history?
3. Instruct students to choose one of the notetaking
handouts to use during viewing.
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | ACTIVITY | NOTETAKING 9• How do the enduring struggles for progress
throughout Black history connect to other social
movements historically and today?
• How can I take action for racial justice?
2. Instruct students to pick one of the EQs to focus on
during their viewing and have them write the question
at the top of their notetaking handout.
3. Watch the video as a group. (Note: If students are choos-
ing their own video, designate 10 minutes for students to
view their respective video and complete their notes.)
4. Ask students to fill in their notes.
5. Watch the video again as needed.
DISCUSSION: BIG IDEAS DEBRIEF
1. Provide 3 to 5 minutes after viewing for students to
finish filling in and reviewing their notes.
FOCAL
POINT Ella Baker, a key organizer of the
2. Revisit the five essential questions. Southern Christian Leadership
3. Ask students which EQ they focused on during view- Conference, also helped a group of young
ing. Record which questions were selected by marking people form the Student Nonviolent
the question in the shared, visible location. Coordinating Committee.
FROM ELLA BAKER
4. Give students an additional 3 to 5 minutes to connect
their notes to each of the marked EQs.
5. Use a round robin structure to discuss the video(s). If
students selected and viewed their chosen video inde- DO NEXT
pendently, begin the first round with each student WHAT Students extend and share their learning with others.
sharing the title of their chosen video.
WHEN Use after viewing and discussing.
• Pose the first EQ.
HOW
• Instruct each student to share ONE item from
• FIND SOMEONE WHO. Have students proofread and edit
their notes that connects to the EQ.
their video notes, then share and compare with a
• Move around the class until everyone has had classmate. Next, have them identify one person out-
a chance to share a response to the question. side the classroom with whom to share their chosen
Although not every student will have taken notes Black History in Two Minutes video and their notes.
on the EQ presented, encourage them to respond
• ARTIVISM. Have students turn one of their illustra-
each round any way, reminding them that they
tions/sketches from their videos notes into a piece
are not expected to elaborate or explain the
of art. Display the art in a location where others can
connection but instead sharing ideas and obser-
see it.
vations from the video(s).
• IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. Have students share the Making
• Ask the next EQ. Repeat the process for each EQ
Connections sections of their notes with the class
and until each student shares at least one item
and determine what civic action they could engage
from their notes.
in as a result of their learning/connecting.
6. In the final round, ask students to say the title of the
video and read the Somebody Wanted / But / So sum-
RELATED RESOURCES
mary statement from their handout.
Video Notes graphic organizer
General Notetaking graphic organizer
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | ACTIVITY | NOTETAKING 10VIDEO NOTES
NAME
VIDEO TITLE
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
5 New Facts
4 New Words
3 Questions I Have
2 Illustrations/Sketches
SOMEBODY WANTED / BUT / SO SUMMARY
Somebody: Who is the main character? Wanted: What did the character want? But: What was the problem?
So: How did the main character overcome the problem to achieve what they wanted?
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | ACTIVITY | NOTETAKING 11GENERAL NOTETAKING
NAME
VIDEO TITLE
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
Evidence from Text My Thoughts
Main Idea
Key Details
Inferences
Supporting
Details
Making
Connections
SOMEBODY WANTED / BUT / SO SUMMARY
Somebody: Who is the main character? Wanted: What did the character want? But: What was the problem?
So: How did the main character overcome the problem to achieve what they wanted?
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | ACTIVITY | NOTETAKING 12ACTIVITY
STUDENT-LED INQUIRY
& RESEARCH
TARGET GRADE LEVELS 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Using student-generated questions, students work individually or in small groups to conduct research related to one
or more of the themes represented in the Black History in Two Minutes library. Giving students ownership of their
learning sparks motivation and high levels of engagement. Student-led inquiry relies on four main components:
• Students lead, teachers support.
• Questions, not topics, drive the research.
• Group collaboration is central to the process.
FOCAL
POINT Angela Davis, Alice Walker and Toni
• Researchers have the opportunity to share Morrison all wrote about gender within
their findings. the context of race.
FROM BLACK FEMINISM
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
1. How does Black history show up in my life and
my experiences?
2. How have Black people and Black history shaped the
United States?
3. How do we know what we know about Black history?
4. How do the enduring struggles for progress through-
out Black history connect to other social movements
historically and today?
ANGELA ALICE TONI
5. How can I take action for racial justice?
DAVIS WALKER MORRISON
Procedure
VIEW
DURING AND AFTER VIEWING
Choose any video or group of videos from the Black
Have students complete the Student-led Inquiry &
History in Two Minutes library to watch with the entire
Research graphic organizer.
class, or have students select one or more video(s) to
watch independently.
RELATED RESOURCES
BEFORE VIEWING Student-led Inquiry & Research graphic organizer
Review the overarching essential questions.
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | ACTIVITY | STUDENT-LED INQUIRY & RESEARCH 13STUDENT-LED INQUIRY & RESEARCH
NAME
VIDEO TITLE
WONDER
Watch the video(s). As you watch, write down things you
KEEP IN wonder. Write your inquiry/research question below.
MIND An inquiry question...
• is important to you
• is complex
• cannot be answered with a
single statement or question
EXPLORE
List the websites, books, magazines and other sources you will look to for answers to your inquiry. Check the box
to indicate you’ve used that source.
□ SOURCE 1
CITATION
□ SOURCE 2
CITATION
□ SOURCE 3
CITATION
□ SOURCE 4
CITATION
NEXT SUMMARIZE
Research and take notes. Remember to focus on Review your notes and pick out details that help answer
your question. your question. Edit these details into a summary of
your findings.
PUBLISH
Decide what format you will use to publish your findings.
□ Brochure □ Article • What is your plan?
□ Twitter thread □ Song • Who is your audience?
□ PowerPoint □ Commercial • When you will publish your findings?
□ Essay □ Speech
• Where will you publish your findings?
□ Skit □ PSA
□ Poster □ Other
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | ACTIVITY | STUDENT-LED INQUIRY & RESEARCH 14LESSONS
Use these scripted lessons to support
students in their close watching and
analysis of videos grouped by theme.
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | SEASON 1 | TEACHING GUIDE 15LESSON | INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY
BLACK DISCOVERIES
AND BLACK PATENTS
TARGET GRADE LEVELS 3-5, 6-8
In this lesson, students will learn how Black discovery is at the heart of the study of African American history. They
will hear how inventors like Lewis Latimer, Sarah Boone, Thomas Jennings, Judy Reed and others advanced their
fields and made life for Americans safer, more efficient and more comfortable. They will also think about and discuss
how Black pioneers in science and technology demonstrated ingenuity despite barriers to education and opportunity.
KEY FIGURES ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
• Lewis Latimer 1. How is Black discovery a critical part of
Black history?
• Sarah Boone
2. How does society benefit from the contributions of
• Thomas Jennings
its diverse members?
• Judy Reed
• Garrett Morgan ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
1. Black inventors contributed significantly to the
• Sarah Goode
advancement of American innovation.
• Jan Matzeliger
2. Black inventors found ways to contribute their ideas
despite systems that tried to keep them from getting
KEY ORGANIZATIONS
money or credit.
• General Electric
3. Black Americans have not only improved daily life
• United States Electric Lighting Company
for all Americans but have laid the foundation for
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office other talented creators.
Procedure
VIEW 3. Instruct students to write the words on sticky notes
FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PATENT HOLDERS or index cards (one word per sticky/card).
19th CENTURY BLACK DISCOVERIES
4. Have students watch the videos again.
VOCABULARY CONCEPT SORT
5. Ask students to define each word using context clues
WHAT Students learn new vocabulary and sort it into cat-
from the video and write their definition on the oppo-
egories to clarify the meaning of unknown words and
site side of each sticky/card.
demonstrate understanding of word relationships.
6. As a class, determine relevant categories for the
WHEN Use during viewing.
words and sort the words into the designated categories.
HOW Categories might include roles, ideas, descriptors, sys-
1. Decide whether students will work individually or tems or any other concepts students gravitate toward.
in groups.
7. Together, debrief the categories and definitions.
2. Explain to students that they will be watching two Clarify any unclear or incorrect definitions. Discuss
videos on the theme of Black ingenuity and innovation. how students determined categories and why certain
As they watch, have students choose 4 to 6 vocabulary words were placed in certain categories.
words (total) from the two videos. Ask them to select
8. Connect the vocabulary words to the
either words that are entirely new to them or words they
essential questions.
recognize but don’t necessarily know the meaning of.
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY | BLACK DISCOVERIES AND BLACK PATENTS 16GARRET MORGAN WAS ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S MOST PROLIFIC AFRICAN
AMERICAN INVENTORS. AMONG HIS OTHER INVENTIONS, HE DEVELOPED THE
THREE-POSITION TRAFFIC SIGNAL AFTER WITNESSING A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.
CLOSE READING: DOODLES DO NEXT
WHAT A strategy in which students draw, chart or other- WHAT Students extend and share their learning with others.
wise visually represent words or phrases.
WHEN Use after viewing and discussing.
WHEN Use during viewing.
HOW Ask students to try one or more of the following activities.
HOW
1. Post and consider the essential questions. EXPLORE YOUR COMMUNITY. Think about the inventions you
learned about in the videos, like the stoplight and the
• How is Black discovery a critical part of
ironing board. What other tools or machines improve the
Black history?
quality of life daily for Americans? Pick one and research
• How does society benefit from the contributions of who invented it. Share what you find with someone.
its diverse members?
CREATE AN ORIGINAL PIECE OF ART. Showcase what you
2. Share this Sketchnoting explainer video with students.
learned about Black inventors and patent holders by
3. Have students watch the videos. Instruct students to telling a discovery story through an original piece of
sketchnote or doodle answers and ideas to the essen- art (visual art, music, drama, poetry, dance). Share your
tial questions on a piece of paper while they watch. original artwork with someone.
4. Have students watch the videos again. This time
UNCOVER THE UNKNOWN. Highlight your new learning from
encourage students to include specific concepts from the
the videos. Plan and carry out an investigation of other
video and incorporate vocabulary terms in their doodles.
African American patent holders using the Student-led
5. Have students share and discuss their doodles in pairs. Inquiry & Research activity.
DISCUSSION: BIG IDEAS DEBRIEF RELATED RESOURCES
1. How did the first Black patent holders influence our Sketchnoting explainer video
country and society today?
TEXT DEPENDENT QUESTIONS
2. How do the legacies of Lewis Latimer, Sarah Boone,
Thomas Jennings, Sarah Goode, Garrett Morgan, Jan
19th CENTURY BLACK DISCOVERIES
Matzeliger and Judy Reed live on today?
MAIN IDEA / GENERAL UNDERSTANDING What do Lewis Latimer
3. How will you learn more about Black inventors and and Sarah Boone have in common? Answer: Latimer
patent holders? and Boone are innovative Black inventors who trans-
formed their respective fields, paving the way for other
Black inventors.
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY | BLACK DISCOVERIES AND BLACK PATENTS 17INFERENCES Why might American students have learned KEY DETAILS What are some innovations and inven-
about Thomas Edison but not Lewis Latimer? Answer: tions created by Black people mentioned in the video?
Latimer was a Black man, and Black people, historically, Answer: Traffic light, gas mask, shoemaking machine,
have not been recognized for their contributions. folding bed.
FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PATENT HOLDERS INFERENCES What important decision did Garrett Morgan
MAIN IDEA / GENERAL UNDERSTANDING Who were the first make about his invention, the traffic light? Answer: To sell
African Americans to receive patents? Answers: Thomas his invention to General Electric because he, as an African
Jennings (dry scouring), Judy Reed (dough kneeder) American, wouldn’t have the same access to the market.
and Garrett Morgan (traffic light) were the first African
Americans to receive patents.
Answer Keys
JAN MATZELIGER (1852 – 1889) was best known for
KEY FIGURES
inventing a machine that shaped the upper portions of
LEWIS LATIMER (1848 – 1928) was a skilled drafts-
shoes, a process called “shoe-lasting.” He was the son of
man and inventor who designed several improvements
a Dutch father and a black Surinamese mother.
for light bulbs and contributed to the patenting of the
Source: Britannica
telephone. Source: Luvenia George, Lemelson Center for
the Study of Invention and Innovation KEY ORGANIZATIONS
GENERAL ELECTRIC is an American multinational com-
SARAH BOONE (1832 – 1904) was one of the first pany best known for its work in the power, renewable
African American women to receive a U.S. patent for energy, aviation and healthcare industries.
her improvements to the ironing board that made
it more appropriate for use with women’s clothing. UNITED STATES ELECTRIC LIGHTING COMPANY was
Source: Daniel Helton, BlackPast an early utility company, formed in 1878 after a merger
with the Weston Electric Light Company. It later
THOMAS JENNINGS (1791 – 1859) was the first became a subsidiary of Westinghouse.
African American to be granted a patent for his inven-
tion of a process he called “dry-scouring,” a precursor U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE (USPTO), an
to what we now call dry cleaning. Source: National agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, registers
Inventors Hall of Fame trademarks and grants patents on inventions. The office
protects the interests of both inventors and businesses.
JUDY W. REED (1826 – ?) is considered to be the first
African American woman to receive a U.S. patent.
In January of 1884, Reed applied for a patent on her
“Dough Kneader and Roller,” a design that improved FOCAL
upon existing technology by mixing the dough more
POINT Lewis Latimer taught himself mechanical
evenly and protecting it from dust particles during the
drawing while working in a patient office.
rolling process. Source: Carla Garner, BlackPast
Those skills would lay the foundation for
his achievements as an inventor.
GARRETT MORGAN (1877 – 1963) was one the coun-
FROM 19TH CENTURY BLACK DISCOVERIES
try’s most successful African American inventors.
Among other inventions, he developed the three-posi-
tion traffic signal, an early version of the gas mask and
also patented a hair-straightening product. Source: U.S.
Department of Transportation
SARAH GOODE (1855 – 1905) was one of the first
African American women to obtain a U.S. patent for her
invention of a folding cabinet bed that made efficient
use of small spaces. Source: Amy Essington, BlackPast
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY | BLACK DISCOVERIES AND BLACK PATENTS 18LESSON | INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY
SUCCESSES UNSEEN
TARGET GRADE LEVELS 6-8, 9-12
In this lesson, students will learn about the legacy of Booker T. Washington, the celebrated orator and visionary
who recognized that investing in the economic power of Black Americans would lead to successes unseen.
This lesson also explores how the journey of African Americans who sought knowledge and formal education led to the
establishment of institutions that are still prominent today. Using African American Higher Education and the teachings
of Booker T. Washington as context, this lesson also encourages students to consider and discuss legislation intended to
give Black people equal access to a society that claims to embrace the idea of opportunity for all but often falls short.
KEY FIGURES ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
• Booker T. Washington 1. How do our identities change as society around us
becomes more diverse?
• John Chavis
2. How do social inequities influence our
• Mary Jane Patterson
lived experiences?
• Lyndon B. Johnson
3. How have African Americans worked to change soci-
• Allan Bakke ety throughout history?
KEY PLACES ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
• Wilberforce College 1. The value society places on diversity depends on
social, cultural, political and historical contexts.
• Lincoln University
2. Opportunity is not enough to ensure civil rights for
• Cheyney University
disadvantaged or marginalized members of society.
• Tuskegee Institute
3. African Americans throughout history have recog-
• Howard University nized that investing in yourself leads to greater access
and success for Black people everywhere.
Procedure
VIEW students. Ask students to share and record what they
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON know about the people and places on the lists.
AFRICAN AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION
3. Post and consider the essential questions.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
• How do our identities change as society around us
CLOSE READING: DOODLES
becomes more diverse?
WHAT Students make predictions about how multiple
texts relate and what might follow. • How do social inequities impact our lived
experiences?
WHEN Use during viewing.
• How have African Americans worked to change
society throughout history?
HOW
1. Distribute the Thinking Through Viewing graphic 4. Watch the videos. Instruct students to add to the list
organizer. of things they know about the key people and places as
they view.
2. Share the lists of key people and key places with
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY | SUCCESSES UNSEEN 19BOOKER T. WASHINGTON WAS A LEADING
AFRICAN AMERICAN INTELLECTUAL
WHO STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION.
5. Have students watch the videos a second time, paus- WHEN Use after viewing and discussing.
ing after each video to answer the questions:
HOW Students can extend the whole class conversation,
• What do I know about the people named in reflect in writing in a journal entry, or invite members
this video? of their family or community to ongoing dialogue about
• What more do I need to know about…? the videos Booker T. Washington, African American
Higher Education and Affirmative Action using these
• What do I want to know more about...? Keep Thinking questions.
6. Chart students’ responses to the questions for each
video side-by-side in a visible location. Video Keep Thinking
BOOKER T. What is the difference
7. Then, check for understanding. For each video, ask,
WASHINGTON between being treated
“What is the central message?” Have students record their
unfairly by another person
responses in the Thinking Through Viewing graphic organ-
and being discriminated
izer. Add new responses to the group chart as necessary.
against by society at large?
8. Next, record connections among the videos. Ask stu- AFRICAN AMERICAN What is challenging about
dents, “How do the videos overlap? What do they have HIGHER EDUCATION respecting everyone’s rights
in common?” when people are different
9. Finally, have students return to the Thinking from each other?
Through Viewing graphic organizer to complete the AFFIRMATIVE ACTION In what ways does collective
summary independently. action build solidarity? In
what ways does solidarity
DISCUSSION: BIG IDEAS DEBRIEF lead to collective action?
Facilitate dialogue among students. Invite students to
reference or add to their Thinking Through Viewing RELATED RESOURCES
handout as they discuss. Thinking Through Viewing handout
1. How does Booker T. Washington’s legacy live
TEXT DEPENDENT QUESTIONS
on today?
2. Why are affirmative action conversations BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
sometimes contentious? KEY DETAILS What is Booker T. Washington known for?
Answer: Booker T. Washington is known for advocating
3. How will you learn more about the origins and
for African Americans to gain economic power through
impact of African American higher education?
industrial education, principally through his work at
the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.
DO NEXT: KEEP THINKING INFERENCES How was Booker T. Washington a com-
WHAT Students extend and share their learning with others.
plex historical figure? Answer: Although he advised
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY | SUCCESSES UNSEEN 20African Americans to make the best of their current cir- Educational opportunities, especially in higher educa-
cumstances (“cast down your bucket where you are”), tion, were quite limited for African Americans. HBCUs
behind the scenes, he funded anti-discrimination law- created opportunities and continue to provide campus
suits challenging Jim Crow policies. climates that are welcoming and affirming to African
American students.
AFRICAN AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION
KEY DETAILS Which institutions were the first Historically AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)? Answer: KEY DETAILS In what year did the freshman class at Yale
Wilberforce University in Ohio, Lincoln University and University admit the largest number of Black students up
Cheyney University in Pennsylvania. to that point? Answer: September 1969
INFERENCES Why were these first institutions of higher
education for African Americans important? Answer:
Answer Keys
KEY FIGURES
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON (1856 – 1915) was a lead-
ing African American intellectual who stressed the
importance of industrial education. Born into slavery,
he attended the Hampton Institute, a school for for-
merly enslaved people, and went on to found Tuskegee
Normal and Industrial Institute (now Tuskegee
University) in 1881 and the National Negro Business
League two decades later. Source: history.com
JOHN CHAVIS (1763 – 1838) was born a free Black
man in North Carolina. In 1778, he enlisted as a sol-
dier in the Revolutionary War, serving three years in the
5th Virginia Regiment. He became a circuit-riding mis-
sionary preacher in 1800 and, later, opened a school for
Black and white students at his home in Raleigh, North
Carolina. Source: Washington and Lee University
FOCAL
POINT Cheyney University in Pennsylvania
was the first Historically Black College
and University (HBCU). Founded in
1837 as the Institute of Colored Youth, it
transformed educational possibility for
African American people.
FROM AFRICAN AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION
LYNDON B. JOHNSON (1908 – 1973) was the 36th
MARY JANE PATTERSON (1840 – 1894) was the first President of the United States who took office after the
Black woman to receive a B.A. degree from an estab-
WIKICOMMONS/NICK-PHILLY
assassination of John F. Kennedy. He was known for
lished American college (Oberlin College in 1862). Her furthering many progressive reforms, including key
achievements as a pioneering Black scholar and a lead- civil rights legislation. Source: history.com
ing Black educator continue to influence Black students
today. Source: African American Registry
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY | SUCCESSES UNSEEN 21ALLAN BAKKE (1940 – ) is a white California man a Quaker philanthropist who bequeathed $10,000
who sued the University of California, Davis, after twice to design and establish a school to educate people of
unsuccessfully applying for admission to the medical African descent and prepare them as teachers.
school. Bakke claimed that, because his grades and test
scores were higher than those of minority students who TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE (now known as Tuskegee
had been accepted, he had suffered “reverse discrimi- University) is a private university located in Tuskegee,
nation.” The Supreme Court found that the university’s Alabama, and one of the largest HBCUs in the United
use of racial quotas was unconstitutional but held that States. It was founded by Lewis Adams, a former
race could be used as a factor in admissions decisions enslaved person, and George W. Campbell, a former
and that promoting diversity in education was justified. enslaver, in 1881. Booker T. Washington, then a 25-year-
Bakke was ultimately admitted to the medical school. old teacher at Hampton Institute in Virginia, was
Source: Britannica named its first principal, a position he maintained until
his death in 1915.
KEY PLACES
WILBERFORCE COLLEGE was America’s first private HOWARD UNIVERSITY was founded as a theologi-
Historically Black College and University (HBCU) cal school in 1866. Named after Oliver Otis Howard, a
founded by African Americans. white Union Civil War general and commissioner of
the Freedmen’s Bureau, the institution was committed to
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY (originally established as The graduate and professional education, in contrast to most
Ashmun Institute) in Pennsylvania became the nation’s first other Black postsecondary institutions of that era. It
degree-granting HBCU when it received is charter in 1854. earned the nickname “the Capstone of Negro Education.”
CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA became the
nation’s first HBCU in 1837. The University was estab-
lished through the bequest of Richard Humphreys,
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY | SUCCESSES UNSEEN 22LESSON | FREEDOM AND CHOICE
BLACK ARTS AND
ENTERTAINMENT
TARGET GRADE LEVELS 6-8, 9-12
Students will explore how the Harlem Renaissance, the iconic cultural revolution of the 1920s, set the stage for Black
art and entertainment’s greatest writers, artists and musicians for decades to come. They will learn how Black music
evolved over the 20th century, birthing new sounds and exciting venues for dance and entertainment. They will also
become familiar with the cultural fusion of jazz music, the influential television show Soul Train and the rise of hip-hop
from house parties on the streets of Bronx, New York.
KEY FIGURES ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
1. Why are Black arts and Black entertainment critical
• MUSICIANS Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Bessie
parts of American history?
Smith, Mamie Smith, James Reese Witherspoon,
Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton 2. How does society benefit from the contributions of its
Black artists and entertainers?
• WRITERS Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston,
Countee Cullen, Alain Locke
• DJS AND HOSTS Don Cornelius, DJ Kool Herc ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS
1. Black musicians, artists, producers, filmmakers and
• HIP-HOP ARTISTS AND MCS The SugarHill Gang, writers have fundamentally shaped arts and entertain-
Grandmaster Flash, Public Enemy ment in the United States.
2. Black Americans have not only improved daily life for
all Americans but have laid the foundation for other tal-
ented creators in the entertainment industry.
Procedure
VIEW • What parts of the video do you aspire to or want to
THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE act upon?
THE BIRTH OF JAZZ
2. Have students watch the videos at least twice.
SOUL TRAIN
Encouraging them to read the captions to support their
THE BIRTH OF HIP-HOP (publication forthcoming; check website
for updates) learning and to consider the four questions as they watch.
3. Ask students to write answers and reflections to the
CLOSE READING: 4 A’S PROTOCOL
four questions while they watch the videos. They can
WHAT Students write and reflect on their own connec-
use a piece of paper, an electronic document or the 4 A’s
tions to the videos.
Protocol graphic organizer. Prompt them to focus on the
following concepts from the video in responses: direct
WHEN Use during viewing.
quotes, main idea(s), details, personal connections and
new learnings.
HOW
1. Introduce students to these four questions: 4. Encourage students to share their notes with
a partner.
• What assumptions does the speaker/writer of the
video hold?
DISCUSSION: BIG IDEAS DEBRIEF
• What do you agree with in the video? 1. How do the pioneering works and art of Black artists,
past and present, continue to influence our country and
• What do you want to argue with in the video?
society today?
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | FREEDOM AND CHOICE | BLACK ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 23JAZZ IS A UNIQUELY AFRICAN AMERICAN FORM OF MUSIC THAT BLENDS AFRICAN, LATIN AND EUROPEAN
STYLES. ALTHOUGH EARLY JAZZ MUSIC WAS CONSIDERED “IMMORAL” BY SOME CRITICS, IT BECAME A
POPULAR AND INFLUENTIAL FORM OF EXPRESSION THAT HAS ENDURED AND EVOLVED FOR OVER A CENTURY.
2. What connections can you make among jazz, hip-hop, INFERENCES Why was the Harlem Renaissance a pivotal
the Harlem Renaissance and Soul Train? influence in New Negro Movement? Answer: Writers
shared Black lived experiences; Black artists could
DO NEXT: KEEP THINKING finally be their full authentic selves.
WHAT Students extend and share their learning with others.
THE BIRTH OF JAZZ
WHEN Use after viewing and discussing.
MAIN IDEA/GENERAL UNDERSTANDING How did jazz come to
fruition? Answer: New Orleans was a cultural melting
HOW Ask students to try one or both of the
pot where African, Latin and European forms and styles
following activities.
of music were played, largely by African American
EXPLORE MEDIA YOU ENJOY. Where and how do you observe musicians and artists.
Black artists and entertainers influencing popular cul- KEY DETAILS Who were some famous jazz artists, singers
ture today? Explore social media platforms, television and musicians? Answer: Louis Armstrong, James Reese
channels, movies and news sources. Look for Black art- Europe, Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton
ists and entertainers. Record what you find and share
what you find with someone. INFERENCES What was controversial about jazz music at its
founding? Answer: It was played in New Orleans’ red-light
CREATE AN ORIGINAL PIECE OF ART. Showcase what you district, which associated the music with promiscuity.
learned about Black arts and entertainment. Produce
an original art (visual art, music, drama, poetry, dance) SOUL TRAIN
to convey what you learned. Plan a public showcase of MAIN IDEA/GENERAL UNDERSTANDING What is Soul Train?
your original work. Answer: Soul Train was a variety television show cre-
ated and hosted by radio host Don Cornelius. Featuring
RELATED RESOURCES mostly Black dancers and entertainers, it became a cul-
Explanation of the Four “A”s Text Protocol from School tural phenomenon.
Reform Initiative
KEY DETAILS What did Soul Train bring to American
4 A’s Protocol graphic organizer
homes? Answer: Black music, culture and regional
TEXT DEPENDENT QUESTIONS dances; Black love, peace and soul; it showed Black
teenagers more positively than they were portrayed in
THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE the national news.
MAIN IDEA/GENERAL UNDERSTANDING What was the Harlem
INFERENCES What was revolutionary about Soul Train?
Renaissance? Answer: An iconic cultural period in
African American history in New York during the 1920s, Answer: It was a Black program created by Black peo-
when Black artists, writers and musicians flourished. ple. It showed Black people and Black culture in a
positive way. It is one of the longest running syndicated
KEY DETAILS Who were some Black artists who rose to prom- TV programs in American history.
inence because of their bold, exciting music? Answer: Louis
Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Mamie Smith.
BLACKHISTORYINTWOMINUTES.COM | FREEDOM AND CHOICE | BLACK ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 24You can also read
