In this article, the authors look beyond focusing primarily on Martin Luther King Jr. to Bayard Rustin, his work in the civil rights movement, his friendship with MLK, and his legacy. Kindergarten curriculum withholds stories of LGBTQ+ individuals, often justified with statements like "it isn't developmentally appropriate" or…

Through various efforts, the staff and faculty of San José State University's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library (King Library) are working towards creating more equitable and inclusive collections. Examining the library's collecting practices and collections by and about African Americans, this article presents the ongoing work of a working…

The "College, Career, and Civil Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards" guides teachers to initiate complex inquiries by sparking students' disciplinary literacy and critical analysis of rich sources. With effective scaffolding and engaging content, elementary students can explore and contextualize complex historical…

Teachers often respond to the perils of teaching about religion by simply avoiding the subject. An investigation of secondary lesson plans on three prominent Martin Luther King, Jr. websites reveals little attention to the ideology of the civil rights movement, especially those touching on religious ideas. Ignoring King's religious views risks…

Equality for all was the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and he knowingly laid the foundation for and inspired the first African-American President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama, who also had the dream of "Change" for America. These men exhibited how working together can make dreams become reality. For the…

At a time when many individuals and institutions are reexamining their histories to better understand their tangled roots of racism and oppression, "Reckoning: Kalamazoo College Uncovers Its Racial and Colonial Past" tells the story of how American ideas about colonialism and race shaped Kalamazoo College, a progressive liberal arts…

Dr. Calvin Otis Butts, III is a towering figure in both the Black Church and in higher education. Dr. Butts is the only Black faith-based social activist to have led a famed house of worship and a respected public university concurrently for over two decades. Dr. Butts is the Pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church and was the longest-serving…

This essay describes a visionary philosophy of education at Morehouse College. The educational process at Morehouse, construed here as a form of pedagogical personalism, is personified in three luminaries of Morehouse College: Benjamin Elijah Mays, Howard Washington Thurman, and Martin Luther King. The educational process at Morehouse should be…

Extant conceptions of patriotism in social studies curricula are centered upon blind allegiance to the state or a belief in ideals of a liberal democracy. Yet these conceptions fail to account for the complex racial experiences that mediate citizenship and civic action, especially for Black persons. In this article, we advance a theory of Black…

This paper investigates the speech of Martin Luther King (Jr.) titled: "I Have a Dream", presented in 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial. This speech is selected for use because it involves a speaker and an audience who belong to a particular speech community. The speech is about the failed promises by the Americans whose dream advocate…

While Muhammad Ali has been the subject of countless articles and books written by sports historians and journalists, rhetorical scholars have largely ignored him. This oversight is surprising given both the tradition of social movement scholarship within rhetorical studies and Ali's influential eloquence as a world renowned celebrity espousing…

One of the most historical events in American history, the non-violent protest "March on Washington," August 28, 1963, is detailed in an article of remembrance by William P. Jones. His article is crowned by highlights from the "I Have a Dream" speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but also highlights the lessor known role…

Through the second half of the 1990s and into the early years of the 21st century, public attention to the plight of poor black Americans seemed to wane. There was scant media attention to the problem of concentrated urban poverty (neighborhoods in which a high percentage of the residents fall beneath the federally designated poverty line), little…

There is more to Black History Month than honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Black History Month is a time to honor the significant contributions of African-Americans throughout history. This article presents 20 super-achievers new generation of African-Americans heroes students should meet: (1) Kimberly Oliver; (2) John Lewis; (3) Rita Dove; (4)…

How can everyone celebrate the most powerful dream (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s) in America's history, which paved the way for civil rights, equality, and social justice? How can everyone heighten students' awareness of these civil and social issues? An increased use of African-American literature is one effective way. In this article,…