Race In America
Discussing Civil Rights: Resources for Families, Educators, and Students
This is a collection of educational resources from PBS LearningMedia to support educators and families while discussing issues pertaining to civil rights, protesting, Black history and historical individuals, past and current events, and more. These resources are free and open for all to use.
Curriculum Resources for Educators on the PBS LearningMedia platform
Please note:
- This is not an exhaustive list of resources.
- These resources are appropriate for middle and high school students, unless otherwise noted.
- These educational materials are to be used in conjunction with other resources, conversations, and instruction to provide the most complete context for students.
- As with all educational materials, please preview these resources prior to utilizing with students to check for appropriateness.
Protests:
- Peaceful Protests
- Protest and Politics
- American Experience: Freedom Riders | The Tactic
- Freedom Rides of 1961
- March on Washington | Racial Equity: How Far Have We Come and How Far Do We Still Need to Go?
- The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
- Theatre as Protest
- Protests at the White House
- Youth Explain Why They March
- Art for Change
- Decisions in the Streets
- Whose Streets?
Black History & Historical Individuals:
- Reconstruction: America After the Civil War with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
- The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross
- Georgia’s Black History Collection
- Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise
- Coded Geographies: The Green Book | South Central Civic Action
- Lorraine Hansberry | A Raisin in the Sun: Jim Crow, Home Ownership, and the American Dream
- East Lake Meadows: Redlining | Stereotyping and the Narrative of the Welfare Queen
- The Lowdown
- A New Gilded Age: Income Inequality in the United States Today
- Finding Your Roots: Ruth Simmons | Maya Rudolph | Sean Combs | Valerie Jarrett | Derek Jeter | Courtney B. Vance | Condoleeza Rice | Samuel L. Jackson | John Lewis | Wanda Sykes
- American Icons: Malcom X | Rosa Parks | Muhammed Ali | Sojourner Truth | George Washington Carver | Martin Luther King Jr. | Jackie Robinson
- American Masters: James Baldwin | Maya Angelou | Lorraine Hansberry | August Wilson | Zora Neale Hurston | Bill T. Jones | Sammy Davis Jr. | Ralph Ellison
Civil Rights:
- Civil Rights: Then & Now
- The Supreme Court: Civil Rights & Civil Liberties
- Civil Rights
- American Experience: Civil Rights
- The Lowdown: The Unfinished Business from the March on Washington and the Civil Rights Movement
- The Civil Rights Landscape Today for People of Color
- The Economic Impact of Racial Discrimination
- Project C: Lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement
Current Events and News:
PBS Resources for Adults Working with Young Children
Parents & Caregivers
- How to Teach Young Children about Cultural Awareness & Diversity
- Learning to Appreciate Diversity Through Play
- Celebrate Family Diversity
- Talking to Kids: Families Come in All Shapes and Sizes
- Play Pretend: How to Include Others
- How to Teach Your Child to Be An “Includer”
- 7 Ways for Kids to Learn Empathy Through Acting
- Creating an Emotionally Supportive Home Environment
- 6 Books to Read with Your Kids That Celebrate Differences and Diversity
- 13-year old Founder of #1000blackgirlbooks Shares Some of Her Favorite Reads
- It’s Never too Early to Talk to Your Kids About Race
- How One Parent Talks to His Biracial Kids About Race
- Talking Race with Young Children
- Kojo for Kids: Jason Reynolds Talks Racism and the Protest
Resources Appropriate for Small Children on PBS LearningMedia
- Collection: World Cultures Collection
- Video: Same/Different with Abby & Elmo
- Lesson: Arthur’s World Neighborhood
- Media Gallery: Alike & Different | Daniel Tiger’s Life’s Little Lessons
- Song: Count Me In | Sesame Street
- Song: What I Am | Sesame Street
- Song: You Are Special | Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
- Arthur All About Community
Professional Learning Tools for Educators
Non-PBS Resources
Books
- Black Books Matter: Children’s Books Celebrating Black Boys
- 1000 Black Girl Books Resource Guide
- Resources for Race, Equity, Anti-Racism, & Inclusion
- Where to Find Diverse Books
- African American Literature Book Club
- The Brown Bookshelf
- Curated Booklists
- See What We See: Children’s and Young Adult Book Reviews
- Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books
- Reading Your Way to a Culturally Responsive Classroom
- 31 Children’s Books to Support Conversations on Race, Racism, and Resistance
Teaching Tolerance
- Race & Ethnicity
- Beyond the Golden Rule: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Responding to Prejudice
- Talking to Children About Racial Bias
- 10 Tips for Teaching and Talking to Kids About Race
- Racism and Violence: Using Your Voice as a Parent to Support Children Aged 2 to 5
History
- A History of Racial Injustice Calendar
- Teaching Materials
- Explore by Time Period
- If We Knew Our History
Teaching (classroom)
- Becoming Upended: Teaching and Learning about Race and Racism with Young Children and Their Families
- Understanding Anti-Bias Education: Bringing the Four Core Goals to Every Facet of Your Curriculum
- Equity Resources: Living the Statement
- Building Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: The Role of the Leader
- Moving Beyond Anti-Bias Activities: Supporting the Development of Anti-Bias Practices