The Civil Rights Movement: voting rights, grassroots organizing, and the fights still unfolding in Congress.

New episode alert. I’m back on Capitol Hill with Senators x History, the series where I ask U.S. Senators what they’d teach if they had my classroom for a day—and how the past guides the work they do now.

For Episode 2, Senator Cory Booker chooses the Civil Rights Movement—from Selma and the Voting Rights Act to the everyday organizing that powered it all. We also dig into his own record-breaking filibuster (yes, I built a lesson on it; PowerPoint below!) and why keeping the faith matters when the work feels endless.

📑 Download the lesson: My “Booker Filibuster & Voting Rights” slide deck—link here.

Why the Civil Rights Movement—and why now?

Because the movement’s core playbook (grassroots pressure, moral framing, federal leverage) still drives every modern fight for equal rights. It’s living history, unfinished business, and a call to act.

What I’m asking every Senator

* If you taught my class for one day, what’s the lesson, and why?

* Which moments and figures from history still shape your work?

* What should we do now if we care about democracy and public education?

* Bonus: What’s the song on your playlist—the power anthem that keeps you going?

What’s next

Episode 2 of an ongoing series. Quick, classroom- or commute-ready conversations with U.S. Senators.How history shapes the people shaping policy.Stay tuned for each Senator’s power anthem at the end of every episode.

Teacher extras (for my teacher readers)

* Discussion prompt: Which Civil Rights tactic—direct action, litigation, or legislation—moved the needle most, and why?

* Activity: Compare Booker’s 2023 filibuster to Senator Thurmond’s 1957 record; evaluate purpose, outcome, and public response.

* Extension: Map current voting-rights bills and identify one action students can take this semester.

If you want more episodes

* Comment who should be next

* Share with someone who cares about democracy

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