This lesson “Fighting for Educational Justice” immerses students in New York City’s long-standing struggle to desegregate and improve public education, highlighting efforts such as the Harlem 9 activism of the late 1950s and the city-wide 1964 “Freedom Day” school boycott. Through rich primary-source analysis—from oral histories to archival documents—learners explore how communities organized boycotts, protests, and legal challenges to demand equitable resources, facilities, and integration in schools — Website

This lesson from the New York City Civil Rights History Project delves into the dynamic history of the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican-led movement that transformed from a street group into a powerful force for community justice in NYC during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Students investigate pivotal campaigns—like the 1969 “Garbage Offensive,” the 1970 occupation of Lincoln Hospital, and the takeover of a church—to explore how the Young Lords demanded equitable sanitation, healthcare, education, and women’s rights. Through primary-source analysis and discussion, learners examine the organization’s grassroots tactics, coalition-building, and enduring impact on racial, health, and educational justice — Website

This lesson from the Zinn Education Project, “Riots,” Racism and the Police: Students Explore a Century of Police Conduct and Racial Violence, engages students in a critical examination of how police violence has historically been framed in the media and public discourse. Through a role-play and analysis of primary sources, students investigate incidents from the past century to better understand systemic racism and the enduring struggles against police brutality — Website

The Judas and the Black Messiah educational guide from Participant Media and Maestro invites students to explore the life, work, and legacy of Chairman Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party through historical analysis, primary sources, and reflective discussion. Developed in collaboration with Chairman Fred Hampton Jr., the guide examines the Party’s community survival programs, global organizing, and the FBI’s COINTELPRO, encouraging students to engage with the ethical and strategic tensions of Black radical resistance in the 1960s — Website

Zinn Education lesson guides students through a role-play in which they take on the roles of American Anti‑Slavery Society members, debating the real‑world strategic and ethical dilemmas—such as support for colonization, women’s rights, armed resistance, or aiding John Brown—that shaped the 19th‑century abolition movement, Grades 7-12th— Website

Units include Black Power, Slavery & Abolition, and Black Women’s Stories. — Website