The year 1968 denotes a particularly salient moment in American history, not least because it marks the year in which the Civil Rights movement lost its charismatic leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. The assassination of King on April 4, 1968, resulted in widespread and spontaneous uprisings across the country, including one in Kansas City. Not…

By typical definitions in the special education world, inclusion would not be recognizable as it exists at Memorial Elementary. Memorial is responding to a widely documented trend in public schools: over-representation of students of color, particularly Black and Brown students, in "high-incidence" special education categories, including…

Every February, schools celebrate Black History Month and teachers teach the grand narrative of famous African Americans such as Martin Luther King, Jr. While the stories communicate bravery, they are also about racism and violence. Here, through narrative inquiry, a teacher deconstructs Black History Month, inviting student responses to stories…

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…

Early adolescent Black struggling readers do not believe being Black affects their reading. While race is not a factor that affects reading achievement for these young adolescent struggling readers when it comes to reading, their voices do highlight that there are racialized contexts in which reading and learning how to read occur. Their early…

Richard Wright's literary career begins with a lynching and ends with a serial murderer. "Big Boy Leaves Home," the 1936 story that leads off Wright's first book, "Uncle Tom's Children" (1938), renders the vicious mob-execution of a young black man falsely accused of rape. "A Father's Law," Wright's last novel, left unfinished at his unexpected…

Research indicates that history-based curricula--specifically textbooks and trade books--about Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement (CRM) are problematic and limited. If race relations are arguably America's long, unsettled tension, then Dr. King was one of its most impactful figures. Using the relevant historical research as a framework and the…

The life and work of Martin Luther King can be inspirational for those working for social justice, despite opponents who may distort the record of his concerns and actions. King's close ties with the Black Church, his opposition to the Vietnam War, and his work for international solidarity must not be frozen in history. (KH)

This document is an analysis of the authors' experience of her private tour of the Dexter Parsonage Museum, the former residence of Dr. Martin Luther King, in Montgomery, Alabama. The author then goes on to discuss civil rights and importance of the continued need for Black History Month.

Presents resources for teaching about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Outlines criteria for selecting biographies for children and young adults. Identifies problems in certain biographies of King, and recommends high quality biographies of King. Discusses exercises for integrating themes from King's life into the classroom. (RW)

Questions whether defeat of propositions to establish paid Martin Luther King holiday in Arizona was example of racism among primarily White senior adult voters of the state. Proposes three models to account for general pattern of election-related behavior and for vote itself: proactive racist; pragmatic self-interest; and fortress mentality.…

Typically, the period between the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in mid-January and the end of Black History Month in February sees serious and sober public discussions about the state of Black America. Those discussions have heated up earlier than expected due to the November release of a national survey on Black social progress by the…

Describes a simple pictorial exercise to identify and explore elementary school students' preconceived notions about sex, race, and physical disabilities. By constructively challenging these attitudes, teachers can help students realize how unfounded these views are. Such activities should occur year-round, not just on Martin Luther King's…

Three books by Eleanora Tate, "The Secret of Gumbo Grove" (1988), "Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!" (1992), and "A Blessing in Disguise" (1995) are discussed with respect to their portrayal of African-American children and their responsibility to both themselves and their community. (MAK)

For scholars of literacy and educational linguistics, the years 2004 and beyond have given them cause to not only revisit racial issues 50 years after "Brown v. Board of Education," but also to revisit 25 years of language and racial politics since "the Martin Luther King Black English case." This chapter discusses what needs…