What qualities of life do you consider “American”? Freedom of speech? Equal rights before the law? Freedom to vote for the candidate of your choice? Citizens in the twenty-first-century United States enjoy a level of liberty and civil rights unknown in many areas of the world. For much of the nation’s past, however, parts of the population were denied fundamental privileges. Although the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments ensured basic rights for all citizens, the interpretation of the United States Constitution over time has excluded people of color from first-class citizenship. Legislation systematically eroded the civil rights gained by minorities as a result of the Civil War. During the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s through the 1970s, courageous individuals struggled to reclaim those rights. Throughout their history, North Carolinians have protested unjust treatment by society and government. They have opposed oppression and pushed for change, but change has not come quickly or easily. And though great strides have been made, the effort continues for full equality for all. The first three sessions of the workshop focus on the experiences of African Americans and American Indians in the state from 1830 to 1980; in each of these sessions, a history of civil rights will be interspersed with detailed articles on an event, issue, and biography of a person important to the period. In the fourth session, you’ll explore the history of civil rights activism of other groups in North Carolina, and the last session investigates the current and future state of civil rights. The workshop is a six-week, self-paced program. Progress through the sessions and activities at your own pace. Expect to spend approximately six hours per week on the workshop and related assignments. Access information in the following ways throughout the workshop:
Submit assignments by mail or e-mail. You will earn eight contact hours for each completed assignment (maximum of forty hours). After completing the workshop, you will receive a certificate of completion listing the contact hours earned. To fully access this workshop, you will need a computer with Internet access and Adobe Acrobat Reader software (available as a free download), as well as an e-mail address. The oral histories in the workshop require a sound card, speakers, and Macromedia Flash Player 4 or later (available as a free download) to listen; however, printable text transcripts are provided. Macromedia Flash Player 4 or later is necessary to use the interactive timeline, but a printable version is available for those browsers that don't accept Flash. Choose any of the five main sessions or other workshop sections from links listed under Contents on the Home page. At the end of each section, choose Back to go to the previous section, Home to return to the Home page, or Next Session to proceed in order through the workshop. To view the workshop photos on a separate page, which you may also print, click once on the photo. Click on Back to return to the main text. Throughout the workshop, links that lead you to Web sites outside the workshop are underlined and in blue. Green text that's italicized and underlined indicates additional material provided in the workshop; clicking on these links will bring up a new, small window with additional information. If you have difficulty navigating the workshop, please contact Jessica Humphries at 919--807-7971 or at jessica.humphries@ncmail.net. The North Carolina Museum of History Division promotes the understanding of the history and material culture of North Carolina for the educational benefit of North Carolinians. Through collections and historical interpretation, its museums encourage citizens and visitors to explore and understand the past; to reflect on their own lives and their place in history; and to preserve state, regional, and local history for future generations. In 1998, education staff at the North Carolina Museum of History offered a pilot teacher workshop on women’s history as a new way to serve educators who could not travel to Raleigh for live programs. The Civil Rights Movement in North Carolina, the museum’s seventh online course, is offered in conjunction with an exhibition-in-progress. Online workshops will not replace the museum’s traditional programs, but will supplement ongoing programs for students and educators. Based on evaluations from this project, the museum will develop future programs for educators using this Web-based technology. The photographs and illustrations throughout the workshop are courtesy of: Charlotte Observer Special thanks to the following N.C. Museum of History staff: Jefferson Currie, assistant curator, and all of the members of the civil rights exhibit team, and Tom Belton, curator of military history, for their generous assistance with research and graphics. Additional thanks go to Michael Daul, creator of the interactive timeline and online audio components, and Janice Jordan, editor. |