American History through American Lives

Introduction

“I can’t breathe.”- George Floyd¹

These words have come to define the spring and summer of 2020. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, many in our nation have expressed their collective outrage and pain because of the murder of George Floyd. Many view his death not as an isolated incident, but as another example of systematic racism that has disenfranchised African Americans from being safe in the streets of America. Many also view Floyd’s death as a catalyst for change; streets have been renamed and several statues glorifying our nation’s racist roots have been removed as cities and states grapple with historical legacies and changing times. Companies like Spotify, JC Penney and Mastercard are changing practices to be more inclusive such as allowing Juneteenth to become a holiday for workers.² Starbucks is now allowing associates to wear articles of clothing in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Apple is increasing spending with black-owned suppliers as part of a racial equity and justice initiative, and even Nascar has abandoned the Confederate flag from all stadiums and events.³ These changes did not come from benevolent corporations intent on making the world a better place; they come in response to national outrage.

In the article “Will George Floyd’s Death Become Nation’s ‘Emmett Till Moment’?” the journalist Grace Hauck makes an interesting argument:

The degree of outrage, mobilization and attention spurred by the horrific, visceral recordings of the deaths of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor could have a catalyzing effect similar to that of Till’s lynching, which shocked the world and gave birth to a generation of civil rights activists. ‘These two tragedies showed the tipping point of society.’⁴

This argument is valid given some of the societal changes that have already occurred and will come to pass soon. It also provides the most valid argument for the importance of a study of the life of Emmett Till. Until systemic changes occur that end racial discrimination in America, our society will continue to have “Emmett Till Moments,” episodes that reignite the pain, struggle, and growth of the civil rights movement. Jacquelyn Dowd Hall observes, “The civil rights movement circulates through American memory in forms and through channels that are at once powerful, dangerous, and hotly contested.”⁵ Till’s mother articulates this thought further when making the following observation in her memoir Death of Innocence, “it took quite a while for me to accept how his murder connected to so many things that make us what we are today.”⁶ It is important to understand why Till’s name is invoked and is part of American memory and how his death is connected and relevant today. By engaging students in historical inquiry related to the life and times of Emmett Till, it is hoped that my students and others may better understand our current environment as our nation grapples with race. 

Teaching Context

Mark Twain Elementary School is a Chicago Public School located on the southwest side of the city. The student population served by the school is roughly 79% low income and ranges from grades pre-K to 8th grade. The population is also roughly 86% Latino and 12% White. Students that are diverse learners account for roughly 10% of the student population, and roughly 16% of the students in the school receive additional support as part of Twain’s bilingual program.⁷ This unit is designed for about 135 sixth grade general education students. Many of these students are not proficient writers as they enter sixth grade and struggle to compose writing that reflects the language of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Many have not ever been taught the difference between primary and secondary sources, evaluating sources for credibility, using multiple sources to construct an argument, or have engaged in Social Science instruction that is guided by inquiry practices.

Rationale

While I have taught for 14 years, I still consider myself to be a relatively new Social Studies teacher. This last school year was only the second year that I have taught Social Studies in addition to Reading and Writing. In this unit, I am going to give both Social Studies and ELA standards equal treatment because I teach both content areas. This unit represents a stretch for me professionally; the approach to Social Science as well as the language of the Social Studies standards in Illinois have recently changed in my state. The standards changed in 2017 to include standards that are just as rigorous as the Common Core State Standards are for English Language Arts. In my district, Chicago Public Schools, there has been a push to have students engage in more inquiry-based activities. This unit takes those factors into consideration.

For each unit I write, I develop a series of essential questions and enduring understandings to frame each unit of study for my students. This creates a sense of shared inquiry and a focused approach when starting new instructional units. The essential questions and enduring understandings for this unit are provided. There would be posted in my classroom and be continually revisited as the unit is taught.

Essential Questions

• What is Emmett Till’s legacy and how is it relevant today?
• What can we learn about societal norms in American culture both during Till’s life based on what author’s detail in passages?
• How can evaluate a text for point of view, bias, and credibility?

Enduring Understandings

• Many argue that Emmett Till’s death was the start of the civil rights movement. Many compare his death to the death of other innocent Blacks today, suggesting that the struggle for civil rights is still an ongoing process in America. These suggestions only begin to scratch the surface
• Racism existed in both the North and the South in the United States during Emmett Till’s life; it still exists today in different forms.
• To evaluate the point of view and bias that a text may show, we need to look at the author’s word choices and determine the connotation of important words in sentences that are main ideas. Based on those words, we can infer why an author is writing and how an author feels a topic. To think about an author’s credibility, we need to do some research about the author to see if he/she seems like someone who is an expert and someone that we can trust to provide accurate information.