Courses/Lectures
Each of the 34 courses available can be enrolled in individually, or in packages. Each course is an approximately 1-hour session that consists of the opportunity for the students to interact with the associated artifacts, and a discussion exercise tailored for your specific class in accordance with your teacher's curriculum/recommendations. If the Course List below doesn’t fit your needs, we can work together to develop the presentation you desire – from control of the discussion topics to selection of items to be presented.
The Black Panthers and the Black Power Movement
After the loss of Malcolm and Martin, the Civil Rights Movement began to evolve as a new generation started to assert itself with its own ideals. From this evolution emerged the Black Power Movement, led by organizations like SNCC, US, and the Black Panthers. With more than a dozen Black Panther Party newspapers, albums with the speeches and music of the Black Panthers, along with several first edition books written by leaders of the Black Power Movement and other items from the period, we can experience both the passion and the intelligence of the movement, along with some of its pitfalls.
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Artifacts: Black Panther newspapers, Signed 1st edition books by Elaine Brown, Angela Davis, Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver, original poetry of Amiri Baraka and H. Rap Brown, other relevant items
Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) Album, Free Huey! 1970- Oringinally born in Trinidad, Stokely Carmichael moved to the United States as an 11-year old. Carmichael rose to national prominence as a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) while a college student at Howard University. Over time, Stokely evolved a more radical approach to combatting social injustice and eventually joined the Black Panther Party as an "Honorary Prime Minister." This album, released in 1970, comes from Stokely's time with the Black Panther Party. Later in life, he would turn his focus to Africa and become a leading figure in the Pan-Africanist Movement, adopting the West African name of Kwame Ture.
If They Come in the Morning, Angela Davis, 1971 - One of the most famous Black socio-political leaders not belonging to the Black Panther Party was Angela Davis. Although not officially a member, Davis was well connected with the organization along with ties to the Communist Party. Davis would gain worldwide attention for her perceived role in the failed jailbreak attempt of George Jackson. When the gun used by George's brother was traced back to Angela, she became the most wanted woman in America by the F.B.I., and a nation-wide manhunt ensued. Davis, a brilliant scholar in addition to being an activist, managed to elude capture but was eventually exonerated in part thanks to tremendous social and political pressure for organizations like the Black Panther Party. Once freed, Davis continued to fight for social equality for people of color, but also channeled her efforts towards the empowerment of all women. This book, published in 1971, chronicles her times as a revolutionary and wanted woman.