Trump Erasing Blackness, Elevating Self-Glory

Lesson Plan: Preserving Civil Rights Memory in Community Spaces

Learning Objective

• Understand significance of MLK Day and Juneteenth Example: Participants recall why MLK Day honors King’s leadership in the Civil Rights Movement and why Juneteenth marks emancipation in Galveston, Texas.
• Recognize current challenges to commemoration Example: Participants identify how the removal of these holidays from the fee-free calendar erases civic recognition.

Intended Outcomes

• Knowledge outcome: Recall one fact about King or Juneteenth. Example: A participant explains King’s role in the Voting Rights Act or Juneteenth’s 1865 enforcement of emancipation.
• Empowerment outcome: Identify one civic action to defend recognition. Example: A participant commits to calling the Capitol switchboard to support restoration of MLK Day and Juneteenth.

Activities

• Opening reflection: Share a short narrative of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Juneteenth’s grassroots celebrations. Example: Facilitator reads a passage from King’s speech and asks participants to connect it to their own values.
• Community dialogue: Discuss bipartisan struggles against segregation and subtle bigotry. Example: Participants compare Bull Connor’s resistance to integration with Bush’s warning against subtle forms of prejudice.

Assessment

• Immediate assessment: Each participant states one historical fact and one action they will take. Example: “I learned Juneteenth was enforced in Texas in 1865, and I will call my senator.”
• Follow-up assessment: Track how many participants report completing actions. Example: Collect feedback at the next community meeting on calls made or podcasts shared.

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