Civil Rights Education & Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Next week schools around the country will be commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Students will be engaged in service projects and learning about the message of Martin Luther King, Jr.   But what is the state of civil rights education in our country today? 

Sadly, consensus is that it is not what it should be.  Last year the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a non-profit organization that combats hate, intolerance and discrimination through education conducted a comprehensive review of the state of civil rights education in standards and curriculum frameworks nation-wide.  The report, Teaching the Movement:  The State of Civil Rights Education in the United States 2011 highlighted significant gaps and eye-opening conclusions regarding the state of civil rights education in our country.  In its conclusion the SPLC stated the following:

By issuing this report, the Southern Poverty Law Center hopes to spark a national conversation about the importance of teaching America’s students about the modern civil rights movement. We call for states to integrate a comprehensive approach to civil rights education into their K-12 history and social studies curricula. And we call on a concerted effort among schools and other organizations that train teachers to work to ensure that teachers are well prepared to teach about the civil rights movement.

Here at SAFARI Montage we place a great importance on civil rights education and are very pleased to be the only source for the digital distribution of the definitive and award winning documentary, Eyes on the Prize  which chronicles the greatest stories, both big and small, of the Civil Rights Movement and an era that changed and shaped our world.  We hope you will be using this valuable resource this year as you teach your students about the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and as you prepare for Black History Month in February.  
 

We would also love to hear about any and all content you use on SAFARI Montage or upload via CreationStation to support civil rights education, or see playlists you have created for use with your students.  Please share your thoughts with us so we can collaborate across the community about this important topic.