Civil Rights
Since its founding, the Constitution has been used, challenged, and made more perfect. All of this has been done to secure civil rights for groups whose rights have not always been protected. Explore the history of civil rights in America from its founding to today. How did Reconstruction amendments, civil rights legislation, and court cases like Brown v. the Board of Education shape the evolution of American civil rights? What issues still remain today? Prepare to engage in discourse on our country’s history with civil rights and what that means today and in the future.
Podcasts & Videos
How has the struggle for civil rights evolved throughout American history? What gains have been mande, and what still needs to be done? In this series, Dr. Lester Brooks, professor emeritus at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the efforts of Americans to create a more perfect union by working for greater civil rights. Dr. Brooks begins with the colonial period and continues with the Civil War era, Reconstruction, and segregation before wrapping up the series with a discussion of civil rights challenges today. Be sure to check out the final Beyond the Legacy video, an extended interview covering civil rights in greater detail.
Each episode below contains a video, quiz, and script. In addition to use in this civil discourse module, 60-Second Civics makes a great warmup activity for your classroom any day!
Want to go deeper? Search political parties or any other relevant topic for use in your instruction from the full library of 60-Second Civics podcasts.
What were civil rights at our country's founding? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the status of civil rights during America's founding period and how some Blacks responded to the Declaration of Independence and the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.
How does Frederick Douglass's speech, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?," capture the struggle for civil rights before the Civil War? Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the 1852 speech by abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who himself had one been enslaved.
How did the Reconstruction Amendments set the stage for the ongoing battle for civil rights? In this episode of 60-Second Civics, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution.
What was the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education decision for civil rights? In this episode of 60-Second Civics, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education, which determined that separate schools for Black and White children was inherently unequal.
What is the most pressing challenge for civil rights today? In this episode of 60-Second Civics, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, explains the challenges obstacles to full equality in the United States today.
How did the decisions of America's Founders and the Framers of the Constitution shape the battle for civil rights? In this extended bonus episode of the podcast, Dr. Lester Brooks, emeritus professor of American history at Anne Arundel Community College, provides a detailed account of the struggle for civil rights for Black Americans from the founding period to today.
We hope you've enjoyed this series from 60-Second Civics. Check out the playlist below for easy viewing of the entire series, with each episode playing back-to-back.
